Project and engineering teams rarely lack talent or intent, yet maintaining momentum with continuous improvement is notoriously difficult. Early enthusiasm for learning and reflection can fade as delivery pressures rise, turning retrospectives into a routine rather than a source of insight. As work becomes more complex, the challenges teams face deepen, and conventional retro formats often fall short.
Richer Retrospectives, created by Laurence Wood, offers a practical way to break this cycle. Instead of broad, unfocused discussions, it encourages teams to explore specific behaviours, patterns and root causes. The approach uses structured prompts to make improvement more purposeful and less overwhelming.
Why the Method Works
It restores focus: Teams often feel swamped by a long list of issues. The cards help them zoom in on what truly matters, highlight one improvement to prioritise, and build clarity around why it deserves attention.
It supports deeper conversations: Each card touches on an aspect of teamwork that is easy to overlook under pressure. These prompts spark meaningful dialogue that helps teams explore how they work, not just what they deliver.
It is simple without being superficial: Using cards may seem informal, but the structure behind them provides just enough guidance to keep discussions productive while leaving space for reflection and creativity.
It strengthens shared understanding: The activity encourages a team to gather, read the cards aloud and build a visible map of their challenges and strengths. This shared view becomes the foundation for agreeing a realistic next step.
How to Run a Richer Retrospective
1. Gather the team and build the wall.
Meet away from the table if possible. Read the introduction card aloud and place the title cards high up on the wall to create the structure for your discussion.
2. Select and shuffle your card set.
Start with the orange Universal cards, suitable for any team. As you gain confidence, move to the green Fusion cards, and eventually the pink Agile cards once your team is mature in Agile ways of working.
3. Take turns reading and posting cards.
Each card is read aloud, discussed briefly and placed under the heading that best fits. Once the deck is finished, step back and explore what the wall tells you. If you cannot leave the wall in place, take photos for reference.
4. Choose one focus.
In the last ten minutes, agree on a single improvement to pursue next. Highlight it using the Focus card. The discipline of selecting one change ensures progress without overload.
5. Make it measurable.
Write down a clear goal and decide when you will check progress. When you next run the activity, evaluate whether the focus item has improved. Over time, the team becomes quicker and more confident in turning insight into action.
Richer Retrospectives helps teams overcome the common pitfalls of stagnating retros, unfocused conversations and improvement fatigue. By giving structure to reflection and encouraging deeper thinking about how work gets done, it helps teams deliver genuine, sustained progress.
