In this episode of Good Intentions and Bad Outcomes, hosts Gino and Wayne explore how retrospectives and other well-meaning workplace meetings can lose their effectiveness when teams fail to follow through on their commitments.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Introduction0:41 – The recurring problem: repeated retrospective action items1:17 – Why retrospectives should work1:56 – The danger of unresolved improvements2:11 – When meetings turn into time-wasters2:48 – External feedback loops that go nowhere3:26 – Gino’s first solution: Commit to just one action4:38 – Wayne’s addition: Don’t bite off more than you can chew5:47 – Define “done”: Set clear acceptance criteria6:46 – Agreeing on outcomes before the meeting ends7:13 – Example from product backlog planning with clients8:14 – Stakeholder feedback without clear results8:55 – How to make feedback loops visible9:23 – Respecting participants’ time and contributions10:02 – Similar breakdowns in stand-ups and planning meetings10:49 – Summary: Clarity, accountability, and closing the loop11:27 – Netflix quote: 2 essential questions to ask after every meeting12:15 – Closing thoughts + invite for listener storiesGino and Wayne dive into a common agile trap: teams holding retrospectives and other recurring meetings with good intentions, but making the same commitments week after week without real change. They discuss how this pattern can frustrate teams, disengage stakeholders, and eventually lead to cancelled meetings or worse: teams that stop believing in improvement.Drawing from real-world examples, they offer practical strategies including:Committing to just one improvement at a timeBreaking big problems into smaller, doable chunksDefining “done” with clear acceptance criteriaMaking progress visible to internal teams and external stakeholdersAsking two powerful questions after every meetingIf you’ve ever sat in a meeting thinking "Haven’t we talked about this before?" this episode is for you.Got your own story of good intentions that led to bad outcomes? Share it in the comments or reach out to be featured in an upcoming episode! Contact us at [email protected]

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