Enjoyed, Questions, Not Loving Retrospective
Turn recurring team feedback into specific operating improvements
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 97%
This retrospective gives a team a recurring voice through three prompts: what people enjoyed, what questions remain, and what they are not loving. Collecting all three prevents the session from becoming either a complaint forum or a superficial celebration. Questions reveal information a leader may know but may not have communicated clearly. Friction identifies processes, decisions, or working conditions that need attention, while positive observations show what the team should retain. Inputs can be gathered through online software and may be anonymous before group discussion. The mechanism is a closed feedback loop: collect observations, discuss the underlying themes, decide what to improve, and revisit the team later to see whether the change helped.
Origin
Lisa Spiden says her team uses a recurring retrospective adapted from agile practice to review the previous month and improve how the business works.
Core principles
- 01Teams need a recurring place to voice friction
- 02Questions can expose communication gaps
- 03Positive feedback shows what to preserve
- 04Feedback matters when it leads to improvement
How to run it
- 1
Create the recurring space
Set a predictable retrospective cadence for a small working group. Explain that the purpose is to improve how the team works, not assign blame.
Pro tip Spiden describes reviewing the previous month.
Watch out Do not delay urgent or sensitive issues until the next retrospective.
- 2
Gather three views
Ask what people enjoyed, what questions they have, and what they are not loving. Collect input before discussion so quieter participants can contribute.
Pro tip Use anonymous collection when it will produce more candid input.
- 3
Clarify the themes
Discuss the submissions and distinguish a missing explanation from a broken process or unresolved disagreement. Let the team explain why each issue matters.
Pro tip Treat repeated questions as evidence that leadership communication may be incomplete.
Watch out Do not defend every existing practice before understanding the concern.
- 4
Make the work better
Choose specific improvements, assign owners, and return to the changes in a later retrospective. Preserve the practices the team values.
Pro tip Limit actions to changes the team can realistically complete before the next review.
Watch out A retrospective without follow-through teaches people that speaking up changes nothing.
In the wild
Several employees anonymously ask why a workflow changed. The leader realizes the decision was made but its reasoning was never clearly explained. The team discusses the impact, the leader supplies the missing context, and an owner documents future changes.
→ A hidden information gap becomes a concrete communication improvement.
Common mistakes
Collecting feedback without action
The process loses credibility when concerns are recorded but never addressed or revisited.
Focusing only on negatives
Ignoring what people enjoyed removes evidence about practices worth preserving.
Is it for you?
Best for
Teams that want a lightweight recurring mechanism for candid reflection and improvement.
Not ideal for
Emergencies or serious conduct matters that require immediate, private handling rather than a scheduled group review.
From the transcript
“what we've enjoyed over the last month”
“what we've got questions around and obviously um what we're not loving”
“it gives you a voice”
From the episode
333: The Top Mistakes to Avoid when Managing Remote Teams with Fibre HR Foundr Lisa Spiden
Lisa Spiden