How to Ensure Follow-Through on Retrospective Actions

One of the most rewarding aspects of running retrospectives is witnessing meaningful change and improvement. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

The primary goal of a retrospective is to continuously improve by completing the action items created in the previous session. However, many teams struggle with following up on actions. If no changes occur, team members may feel unheard or believe retrospectives are a waste of time. This is far from the ideal outcome.

Establishing Routines for Action Follow-Up

To successfully implement changes, teams must create structured routines that help track and complete agreed-upon actions. One way to achieve this is by dedicating a few minutes during stand-ups or similar activities to review action items.

For example, a simple yet effective question to ask a colleague is:

“Do we have enough time to complete this action today?”

This approach keeps action items top of mind and ensures they are prioritized. Additionally, it is crucial to allocate enough time for actually completing these tasks.

Reviewing Actions in the Next Retrospective

We strongly recommend reviewing previous action items at the beginning of each retrospective. Spending just a few minutes on this review offers a perfect opportunity to:

• Check progress on agreed-upon tasks.
• Identify any incomplete actions and discuss potential blockers.
• Adjust or refine actions to make them more achievable.

Sometimes, teams may not be able to accomplish all the actions they initially set out to complete. Instead of seeing this as a failure, use retrospectives to openly discuss why some tasks were not completed and determine what can be done differently.

Celebrate Success!

Acknowledging and celebrating completed action items fosters motivation and reinforces the value of retrospectives. Give kudos to team members who follow through on their commitments—it creates a culture of accountability and recognition.

Solution Summary

✔ Establish structured routines to review and track action items.
✔ Incorporate action reviews in daily stand-ups or team meetings.
✔ Prioritize action completion by setting aside dedicated time.
✔ Review past action items at the start of every retrospective.
✔ Celebrate successes and recognize team members who complete their actions.
✔ Use retrospectives as a space to address incomplete actions and determine next steps.

If you are a team leader or facilitator, check in with participants periodically to see how they are progressing with their assigned actions.

PS: It is not always possible to complete all actions. If a task is left unfinished, the retrospective is the perfect place to analyze why and explore solutions to ensure progress moving forward.