Plus-minus framework is a classic retrospective tool that helps you collect team member's opinions or experiences, discuss them and agree action points. It also helps you maintain a nice balance between the positive and negative topics.
When to use it?
Use this framework to help people share their ideas, feelings and experiences about past activities, projects, etc. Therefore, the plus-minus framework is extremely versatile and can be used almost at any time and situation. Try one and find out how often you and your team want to do this – we at Teamspective use this about once per month.
How long does it take?
On the first try, make a reservation for 1.5 hours. If possible, squeeze the next one into 60 minutes.
What roles are needed?
1 person is the facilitator who does not usually participate (this is probably you, the reader), others are equal participants with no regard to rank or position.
What are the possible pitfalls of this framework?
Keeping the schedule when there’s a lot to talk about. Not giving people responsibilities for taking action. Not following up on actions.
Preparations
In-person meeting: Book a room with a white board or use a large paper sheet, get some post-it notes and markers, prepare the white board.
Remote meeting: Create a collaboration document similar to the white board picture (a Google Spreadsheet, Trello board, etc.) and share the link, share your screen during the retrospective.
Here are templates you can copy for your own use right away: Jamboard, Google Sheet
How it works?
Set the context (last project, sprint, two months, etc.) and share the timeline and rules: “In this 90-minute meeting it is safe to talk about anything and be heard. Please, share your thoughts, listen to others and suggest solutions rather than placing blame.”
Gather input on what we did well: Have everyone spend 3-5 minutes writing down what the team did well – 1 thought per post-it note, (or if remotely, e.g. a spreadsheet cell). Take turns to post the notes.
Gather input on what we can do better: repeat as above but focus on what could be done better.
Group similar or duplicate notes together and discuss each emerging theme briefly as a team.
Actions: Have everyone brainstorm actions that can be taken to improve problem areas – one idea per note (or cell). Post the notes, group similar actions, and assign ownership for each action. If you’re short on time, a faster approach is to open the floor for anyone’s suggestions and thus get the inputs faster.
Agree how to follow up on actions.