A structured guide for conducting regular team retrospectives focused specifically on ethical outcomes and improvements. This can be run independently or alongside technical retrospectives.
🧭 Purpose
To reflect on the ethical dimensions of recent work and identify opportunities to improve ethical awareness, processes, and decisions.
🧩 When to Run
- After feature releases, sprints, or major decisions
- Following incidents with potential ethical implications
- As part of a regular monthly or quarterly practice
🛠 Preparation
- Schedule 45–60 minutes
- Include cross-functional stakeholders (dev, ops, UX, product, QA, etc.)
- Share the agenda in advance
📋 Agenda Structure
1. Opening and Context (5 min)
- Briefly state what the retrospective covers
- Frame the discussion as safe, non-blaming, and learning-focused
2. Ethical Highlights and Lowlights (10–15 min)
- What went well ethically in this cycle?
- What decisions or outcomes raised ethical questions or concerns?
3. Deep Dive (15–20 min)
- Choose one or two moments of tension, uncertainty, or potential impact
- Explore the intent, context, consequences, and communication
- Ask: Did we follow our ethical principles (e.g., transparency, fairness)?
4. Stakeholder Reflection (5–10 min)
- Who was affected by our decisions or changes?
- Were any groups overlooked or disproportionately impacted?
5. Mitigation and Improvement Ideas (10–15 min)
- What can we change to better address similar issues next time?
- Do we need to update documentation, training, or tooling?
6. Commitments and Actions (5 min)
- List concrete follow-up tasks and assign owners
- Agree on how and when progress will be reviewed
🧾 Optional Tools
- Use a shared whiteboard or doc for sticky-note brainstorming
- Create a matrix to assess decisions across key ethical principles
- Include examples or anonymous feedback from users
📍 Tips
- Rotate facilitators to build shared responsibility
- Include a summary of outcomes in internal wikis or playbooks
- Connect insights to broader themes from Ethical Impact Assessments