The Timeline Is Not the Whole Story

A useful thought experiment for a project retrospective: imagine the timeline shows a requirement arriving late, a decision changing, and the scope narrowing. Those events are the record—but they could support different interpretations: “we coordinated poorly” or “new evidence changed our direction.”

The interpretation matters, but it shouldn’t erase responsibility or turn every setback into a success story. Try separating three things: what happened, what story we’re telling about it, and what evidence would help us choose the next step. A changed decision might reveal learning; it might also point to a handoff that needs attention.

In plain terms, a retrospective can hold both accountability and meaning. One useful question is: What did we learn soon enough to change our next decision?