Turning Asynchronous Feedback into a Synchronous Retrospective

Turning Asynchronous Feedback into a Synchronous Retrospective

Overview:

Asynchronous feedback collection allows teams to gather insights flexibly, without needing everyone to be present at the same time. However, to make the most out of this feedback, it can be valuable to discuss it in a synchronous retrospective. This guide will show you how to turn any asynchronously collected feedback into a productive, in-person or virtual team retrospective in ScatterSpoke.

Benefits of Synchronous Retrospectives:

• Deep Understanding: Discuss feedback in real-time to clarify any points and gather deeper insights.
• Team Collaboration: Foster a collaborative environment where team members can brainstorm solutions together.
• Immediate Action: Identify and agree on action items to address issues or implement improvements quickly.

Steps to Turn Asynchronous Feedback into a Synchronous Retrospective:

1. Locate Feedback Session:
   • After each asynchronous feedback schedule runs, Scatterspoke automatically creates a team feedback session.
   • Click on Feedback from the side navigation menu.
   • Look under Past History to find the session you want to review.
2. Review Collected Feedback:
   • Click on the feedback session to view a summary of the feedback collected so far.
   • This summary will give you an overview of key points and common themes from the feedback.
3. Open Retrospective:
   • Select Open Retrospective to open the feedback into a retrospective board with all the feedback prefilled.
   • This board will allow you to view and organize the feedback effectively.
4. Conduct the Retrospective:
   • Group and Vote on Feedback: Start by grouping similar feedback items together and voting on the most important ones.
   • Discuss in Order of Importance: Spend your time discussing each item based on the order of importance determined by the votes.
   • Facilitate Open Discussion: Encourage team members to share their thoughts on the feedback, provide additional insights, and ask questions to clarify any points.
   • Brainstorm Solutions: Work together to brainstorm solutions for the issues raised and discuss how to implement any suggested improvements.
   • Assign Action Items: Agree on specific action items and assign responsibilities to team members to ensure follow-through.
5. Document and Follow Up:
   • Record Outcomes: Document the key takeaways, decisions, and action items from the retrospective.
   • Share the Summary: Share the summary and action items with the team to ensure everyone is aligned and aware of their responsibilities.

Example Setup for Turning Feedback into a Retrospective:

• Feedback Session Name: "Weekly Check-In"
• Review Date: Every Friday
• Retrospective Meeting Date: Following Monday
• Agenda Items:
  1. Summary of key points from the weekly check-in.
  2. Discussion of recurring issues.
  3. Highlighting notable achievements.
  4. Brainstorming solutions and improvements.
  5. Assigning action items.

By turning asynchronously collected feedback into a synchronous retrospective, you can enhance team collaboration, gain deeper insights, and take immediate actions to improve your team’s performance. This approach ensures that feedback is not only collected but also effectively utilized to drive continuous improvement.

‍