COMPEL Glossary / retrospective
Retrospective
A retrospective is a structured review session conducted after completing work to examine what went well, what went wrong, and what should change going forward.
What this means in practice
In the COMPEL framework, retrospectives operate at three levels: initiative retrospectives (conducted by delivery teams within one week of completion, focused on tactical lessons), portfolio retrospectives (cross-initiative, surfacing systemic patterns), and strategic retrospectives (executive-level, examining alignment with broader transformation ambitions). Effective retrospectives require psychological safety (people must feel safe speaking honestly), evidence-based discussion (anchored in Evaluate data, not subjective recollection), forward orientation (every problem paired with an actionable recommendation), and inclusive participation (including end users and operational staff, not just leadership).
Why it matters
Retrospectives convert operational experience into actionable improvements, preventing organizations from repeating mistakes and missing opportunities for systematic enhancement. Effective retrospectives require psychological safety, evidence-based discussion, and forward orientation. Without them, organizations accumulate unexamined failures and unexploited successes, limiting their ability to mature their AI capabilities over time.
How COMPEL uses it
COMPEL operates retrospectives at three levels: initiative retrospectives within one week of completion, portfolio retrospectives surfacing systemic patterns, and strategic retrospectives examining alignment with transformation ambitions. Retrospectives are anchored in Evaluate stage data and feed directly into the Learn stage. Their outputs inform the next Calibrate cycle, creating COMPEL's signature closed-loop improvement mechanism.
Related Terms
Other glossary terms mentioned in this entry's definition and context.