Project retrospectives or lessons-learned type meetings are common after the completion of a large-scale project. Typically the team comes together and analyzes what can they start, stop or continue doing in order to be more effective.
Often these meetings end up focus on the processes/structures – and not people. The process was inefficient, there were too many steps that slowed me down, etc. It is very outward-looking.
Here’s my challenge to you, the next time you attend a project retrospective. Use this opportunity to be more introspective. Look inside. Be real. With yourself and your team. Was there something that was holding you back? What did you learn about yourself? What could you have done differently to be more effective?
Peak performance comes from people. Processes, structures, standards, they are all just a tool. They’re easy to tweak and fix. But people – when they grow, that’s what takes team performance to a whole another level.
