Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand. Norm Kerth
The retrospective prime directive emphasizes the importance of thinking in systems and understanding that a behaviour can only be analyzed in context.
The directive serves as the guide to retrospective working. Ask participants to observe it during the retro even if they don’t want - e.g. redirect any blame or negative comment in a positive way and put it in context
we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could
We are willing to hold this point of view for the entire duration of the retrospective
given what they knew at the time
Did everyone had access to the relevant data/documentation/specifications, or what would they have needed to do a better job?
their skills and abilities
Was the person/team a good match for the task? Do they need additional support for learning? Do they have the necessary background? Can we promote sharing (e.g. pairing/mobbing) to help them?
the resources available
Equipment, tools, licenses, accesses and every resource needed for the task
the situation at hand
How was the person feeling that day (personal/family/health issues)? Was the purpose of work clear? Was the workplace/context conductive to the kind of task they had to do?
Steps
- Introduce the prime directive
- Ask for each participant for a short comment on the directive
- Give time for Q&A
- Invite the group to adopt the prime directive for the duration of the meeting
- If the group agrees, keep the prime directive visible throughout the session
- If the group doesn’t agree, continue as before using the existing team’s ground rules (if any) or Retrospective Working Agreements