💛 Your step-by-step guide to hosting a 2023 team retro

Hello and Happy Thursday!

If you’ve been following our newsletter, you know I’ve been doing my darndest to help you plan for a smooth transition into year-end mode. Between reflection exercises, vision planning, and tools and downloadables to save you time, I am all about lightening your load to help you stay present and available for the work that matters most: your team, your workplace experience, your people.

People teams carry a lot of water: running HR operations, coaching leaders, building strategy, aligning to business goals, shaping and influencing the employee experience, and resiliently navigating the myriad difficulties and intricacies that come with working with people. 

So, with 2024 a mere 7 weeks away, I’m taking November to ensure that in the hustle and bustle of year-end planning, one team in particular hasn’t been lost in the shuffle: yours. 

Let’s jump in.

Yours in a calm year-end countdown,

Jill

P.S. Know someone who might enjoy this newsletter? Forward us their way! They’ll get an amazing end of year resource, and we’ll be able to connect with some amazing new readers. 

The Case for Looking Back

Have you ever met a colleague in people ops or HR who didn’t have enough on their plate? Someone who was part of a team that had all the time, resources, headcount, and support they needed? 

Pshhhh, yeah. Me neither. 😉

People teams operate in an interesting space, working in service to both business goals and the employees and teams directly impacting those outcomes. It’s a function that stands at the ready to mitigate disaster and put out fires, one wherein focus on the People team’s own goals, strategy, and priorities can easily get lost.

Well I’m here to make the case that our teams need (and deserve) the same planning, clarity, and focus as any business unit. That the time to get proactive and strategic is just as - if not more - important on a People team than on any other team.

It’s hard to find that time and space, and I totally respect that. No one person is responsible for the fact that People and HR teams often work at the mercy of whatever fire needs to be put out that day, month, or quarter. But there is something so powerful in making time and space to move towards a culture of proactivity - with the strategy, operations, and processes to match!

Now, that shift doesn’t happen overnight. But there’s no time like the present - as we wind down one year and prepare for a new one - to get a little proactive in a big way.

But before we charge ahead, here’s the counterintuitive kicker: we can’t move forward without looking back.

I know time is tight, and it’s not like those everyday HR fires are going out anytime before December 31st. I so get it. But I implore you to challenge yourself and your team to meaningfully reflect on your 2023, no matter how busy you are or how eager you are to lay groundwork for 2024.

There’s no better opportunity to learn from your mistakes, better understand what contributed to hold ups and slow downs, reflect on what drove your successes, and align on a full team perspective - one that incorporates reflection and input from every member of your team.

Mine all that gold, add it up, and what do you get? The exact understanding, insight, and alignment that’s going to better - and more quickly, effectively, and accurately - inform the decisions you make and the work you undertake as a team in 2024.

Struggling with where to start? Fret not - the resource we’ve laid out for you below is going to walk you through each and every step!

Things We're Loving Right Now

A fresh voice in HR: Lately, I have been loving Cassidy Edwards' newsletter, “Yo. You’re on Mute.” This week’s issue included some great reframes for those moments we experience imposter syndrome. Be sure to subscribe!

Awards season is here!: Oscars, schmoscars, I’m talking about the Transform Awards, designed to celebrate forward-thinking orgs and the programs, people, and employee experiences that help define them. You can check out the full slate of awards here. While you’re at it, nominate your favs! Nominations close on November 17th.

Documentation on demand: We are pumped that Jen Bergen has released a course version of her very popular documentation seminar! You can use the promo code 'LAUNCH' for $25 off the course by itself or for $50 off the bundle of the course + workbook. Oh, and her newsletter also rocks.

10 for 10k: There are just a few spots left in my end of year Training for Modern Manager promotion. Grab time with me here, if you’d like to learn more and ensure your managers are set up for success in 2024!