For sure! There’s definitely intersection. The categorical distinction between the two don’t matter as much as making sure you talk about it IMO

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

For the first time, you as a leader have to go first, so people know it's ok. If you feel like trust is REALLY in the gutter, you can send out an anonymous form and then transcribe the elephants. Usually with every time you do this, people feel safer and safer. Now our team is quite used to it :)

changing our org design, our communications, and overall strategy. Sometimes I take action items on what to raise above and outside the room as well.

typically retros are looking backwards, where this can be very open to longstanding, deep, and future issues. People can bring up culture, org design, higher level strategy concerns (things not in the organization directly), anything goes.

These conversations have been very rich-

I neglected to say the most important part- we talk through the issues, starting with the ones coming up the most or sometimes we do a vote.

It's lead to very rich and healthy discussions, changed the shape of our organizations, adjusted communications and strategy.

This works well even if you don't have massive issues! It was developed by me, my Chief of Staff, Bryan Lee, and my PM Prasenjit Phukan.

We've been happy with how much we develop as a team to built trust and deal with issues together

we try to meet quarterly but it ends up being 2-3 times a year, with other events. We usually do this twice a year.

We usually do elephants first because it's hard for anyone to focus on other stuff until the elephants are discussed

No- because you're not doing a blameless postmortem, you're talking about the things that people are thinking and not saying or forward looking risks. There are elements to retro in there but it can be much deeper, like strategy or org shape or behavior

It’s really great for flattening the org and talking through issues, because everyone gets gets a say no matter status or if they’re more quiet.

Everyone uses post-its and places them in sections, and as a group, you tackle the issues. You can group them, add +1s to see who agrees and tackle the most voted ones first. When done well, the “tigers” and even “elephants” move into the paper tigers section.

1,3,4 are very useful. 2- be careful what you ask for. Mine sings a little song of its people. It’s… not that helpful. I can put them away later?

Well at least that’s nice and comforting

I’m cruel that way

Right

Haha yes

❤️❤️❤️

Yeah the font license expired and I’ve written to them but I can’t get it back online. I’ll try again.

👋