Why Now Is the Perfect Time for Team Retrospectives

Why Now Is the Perfect Time for Team Retrospectives

According to behavioral scientist Katy Milkman, natural transitions—like the end of a quarter or a seasonal change—can create powerful “fresh start” moments.

Right now, as many teams wrap up Q1, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and re-energize your team for what comes next.

Adaptive teams don’t just move fast—they learn fast.

And retrospectives are one of the most valuable tools to help teams do both.

While a retrospective can take many forms, at its core, it’s a structured moment of pause—an intentional space for your team to reflect, align, and make better decisions going forward.

Without structure, reflections often remain scattered, surface-level, or quickly forgotten. A great retrospective helps your team focus on what really matters, identify friction points or blockers, and commit to focused actions that stick.

Why Retrospectives Matter

A good retrospective helps your team:

• Reflect on what worked (and what didn’t)

• Spot friction points and blockers

• Generate ideas for improvement

• Align on next steps that actually get done

When to Run a Retro

Consider holding a retrospective:

• At the end of a quarter (like now!)

• After a launch, milestone, or major event

• As part of a regular team rhythm (monthly, quarterly, post-project)

Choose a Clear Topic

Retrospectives work best when they stay focused. Try zooming in on:

• A specific project, sprint, or campaign

• How you run meetings

• Cross-functional collaboration

• Communication or decision-making patterns

How to Run a Retro Using the 4 C’s Framework

Use this simple structure to keep your retrospective clear and effective:

1. Collect – Team members write down observations: what went well, what didn’t, and what could improve

2. Choose – Use dot voting or group consensus to prioritize 1–2 key issues or ideas

3. Create – Generate realistic solutions, experiments, or small shifts to try next

4. Commit – Agree on action steps, assign owners, and set follow-up expectations

Quick Tips:

• Keep the session under 60 minutes

• Assign a facilitator to guide the process

• Always close with appreciations—these final months are full of emotion and effort; recognition matters

Personal Retrospectives Work Too

The same tools that help teams grow can spark powerful personal insights. Even 15 minutes of solo reflection can help you turn experience into clarity—and clarity into action.

Try asking yourself:

• What am I most proud of?

• What challenged me, and what did I learn from it?

• Who supported me? Did I thank them?

• Where did I feel most aligned with my values?

• What habits or patterns do I want to shift?

• What drained my energy most?

• What support or boundaries would help me move with more clarity and energy?

Don’t Just End the Quarter—Close with Intention

In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker reminds us that how we close a gathering shapes what people take away from it. The same applies to organizations.

How we end a project, quarter, or season can strengthen culture, purpose, and trust.

“A strong closing doesn’t just tie a bow on an event—it helps people leave changed.”

As your team wraps Q1 and shifts focus toward Q2, consider creating an intentional closing moment. Not just to reflect, but to:

• Honor the effort

• Celebrate progress

• Reconnect to your purpose

Ideas for closing Q1 with intention:

• Share one thing each team member is proud of

• Reflect on a moment of impact with your community or clients

• Express appreciation for colleagues or collaborators

• Revisit your mission and how it showed up in Q1

Even a brief, thoughtful closing can turn a typical quarter-end into a moment of meaning and motivation.

Want Help Running a High-Impact Retrospective?

We have templates, facilitation guides, and coaching support to help your team wrap up Q1 effectively and launch into Q2 with clarity and confidence.