The 90 minute year end retro that teams actually use
Why this works
Short beats long. Focus beats volume. A tight retro creates clarity without draining energy in the last week of the year.
The agenda
- Outcomes review. What changed for customers and the business.
- Signals. Throughput, cycle time, error rate. One sentence each.
- Systems. What is working. What is wasting. What is missing.
- People. Skills gained. Support needed. Role shifts coming.
- Decisions. Keep. Cut. Create. Owners and dates.
How to run it
Invite five to seven people who touch the work. Use a single page template. Silent write first. Speak second. End with a two line summary per section.
Artifacts
A one page recap. A short backlog for January. A calendar invite for the next retro.
Outcome
Clarity and momentum. You start January on the front foot.
