Team Practices Group/Retrospectives/2016-02-23

Previous Themes/Actionables
More efficient/effective use of time, especially meetings/calendaring?


 * 1) Action! Push back on meetings as needed (“could this be an email?” if it could, please use tags and put due dates in subj line), flag ineffective uses of time (respectfully), consider if attendees are really optional
 * 2) Requirements for core/strategic
 * 3) Strengthen understanding/relationship w/Wes and Lila on this
 * 4) how to administer CSAT for higher participation?
 * 5) https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T122974
 * 6) Strategy
 * 7) Encourage adaptive/reactive over predictive/planned?

What has happened since the last retro? 2016-01-27
Bizness as “Usual” Humans Planning Strategy Foundation Chaos
 * Grace facilitated Research offsite during the Superbowl
 * Grace is helping Learning Dashboard month long sprint
 * Design Research team went to Mexico
 * Robla asks us for ArchCom support/David helps and observes
 * Adele asks us for support for Partnerships/Global Reach team
 * KL facilitated Reading community RFC response meeting
 * Phab changes (big update)
 * Phabricator upgrade
 * Phlogiston breakage
 * KL went on vacation #deathvalley
 * Boryana on medical leave ;-(
 * Unconscious Bias workshop!
 * Submitted TPG core budget/narrative
 * Core section of annual plan defined and submitted for TPG
 * Meetings with Jaime, Wes, Lila regarding Core/Strategic work
 * Decided on CSAT KPI themes
 * Ran first TPG strategy tests
 * WMF strategy community consultation ended
 * Joel facilitated several Product Group Strategy meetings
 * Engagement Metrics folds back into Analytics Engineering
 * Arnnon left the board
 * A bunch of people quit, including high profile departures
 * WMF unrest goes public
 * Community is in general unrest over KE and various other things
 * WMF-All fires have picked up again
 * Superbowl (with collateral effects in SF)

What went well

 * We got everything (<--maybe not quite) we asked for with phab requests the past 2 quarters
 * Feeling proud to be a part of a team that everyone wants more of, even if it often seems like nobody is totally sure how to explain who we are and what we do
 * We are being agile as we adjust our strategy possibilities and tests based on new learning
 * We ran (TPG strategy) test(s)! And it went well, too.
 * We got some feedback from customers on strategy. It may not be super clear but starting the feedback is good.
 * Strong support for our work from managers/directors of teams we embed on
 * Meetings with Jaime have really helped clarify the core/strategic situation
 * Ability to work remotely is super mega awesome (e.g. during Superbowlpocalypse)
 * G. Gellerman, strategy shepherd™
 * Got time from Jaime (and Lila) in less than 1 month notice
 * Wes has been supportive in the absence of a C-level for TPG
 * Product Group’s strategy discussion has been very high-quality
 * Talking to our customers (wish we’d done it sooner)
 * Research offsite was great
 * Design Research team in Mexico- great for them, a little time to do other things for Grace
 * Kudos to STRINE- awesome support and motivating force on strategy
 * Grace was glad when her suggestion to separate TPG retro note posting from the facilitation responsibilities was well received
 * Phab UI has improved and Grace was pleased to see her feature request implemented
 * Kevin was a great delegate while KL was on vacation :-)

What needs improvement

 * Phab update broke Phlogibles ++
 * All the Foundation Chaos is very draining +++
 * MB +1
 * We could use a permanent C-level person to report to +++
 * (Would like to enumerate what exactly the leadership vacuum (gaps and turnover in C-suite, etc) is interfering with. Core Fraction; WMF strategy? annual plan)
 * Core definition still feels like a wild goose chase ++
 * My (Kevin) meeting load seems to have increased again, after an earlier lull +
 * WMF could use more training on communication/team building. We need to be nice to each other once the current drama is done. (and during too!!) ++++
 * What happened to the stuff Boryana et al was putting together?
 * Backstory of how our strategic/core goal became our goal is a bit troubling +++
 * No clear path to Phlogiston development support ++
 * Much sadness due to many departures
 * Lost opportunities for institutional memory transfer because few or none of TPG have worked closely with departures
 * Tension in vhead test/meeting around TPG Management, “Forgotten Vertical,” possibly due to perception that we might take away resources from verticals ++
 * Office has been pretty empty lately

Deeper Discussion?

 * WMF could use more training on communication/team building. We need to be nice to each other once the current drama is done. (and during too!!) ++++
 * Anything TPG might want to offer, like a brownbag or casual session?
 * Action! Kristen volunteers to check with Sara about status


 * Backstory of how our strategic/core goal became our goal is a bit troubling +++
 * It was rushed
 * We should have had the target defined by our stakeholder, instead of inventing it ourselves
 * Arthur had the history, but wasn’t around, which didn’t help
 * Action! Learn from the past as we develop our Q4 goals


 * We could use a permanent C-level person to report to +++
 * This is more about not having a lot of direct contact, especially as our C-level is currently out
 * If Boryana stays out a while, should we ask for some kind of reassignment?
 * In the past year, we have moved from Eng to COO to HR
 * Action! Kristen to follow up with Joady to see if there are official coverage plans
 * All the Foundation Chaos is very draining +++
 * Some people who have left were “unblockers”. Fortunately the org still has many (including TPG)
 * #wikimedia-aspen!
 * temp unsubscribe IS an option
 * DS: some teams feel a little better because the community feels the way we did in november
 * KL: there is real tension between work and reading communications. It is ok to disengage

Follow up

 * Choose someone to post these notes - Max
 * KL to lead the the next retro
 * Office TPGers to check in with other TPG in office before leaving to do meetings from home (acknowledge departure if you’ve been seen on site)
 * Action! Kristen volunteers to check with Sara about status of training activities and opportunities
 * Action! Learn from the past goals as we develop our Q4 goals
 * Action! Kristen to follow up with Joady to see if there are official coverage plans for Boryana