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AOS Quarterly Retrospective Template

Accelerate (AOS) 75 min Quarterly Leadership team (5-12 people)

The AOS quarterly retrospective is the honest look back that makes the next quarter better. Based on the Accelerate Operating System (AOS) model, it scores priorities and the scorecard, separates what went well from what to improve, and turns the lessons into concrete changes for the next cycle.

When to use it

Run it at the end of each quarter, ideally just before quarterly planning so the lessons feed straight into the next set of priorities. Pairing the retro with planning keeps reflection from becoming a ritual no one acts on.

Who attends

Keep it to the leadership team, five to twelve people who lived the quarter and will shape the next one. A psychologically safe room is essential, since a retro that punishes honesty stops surfacing the truth.

How to run it

Set a learning-not-blame tone, score the priorities and scorecard plainly, then separate what went well from what to improve. Dig into causes rather than symptoms, and convert the discussion into a few concrete operating changes with owners and carry-forward items for planning. Note: this agenda is an independent interpretation of the AOS quarterly-rhythm model and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any provider.

Facilitator tips

  • Set a learning-not-blame tone before anyone speaks.
  • Score priorities plainly as done or not done.
  • Dig into causes, not just the surface symptoms.
  • End with a few owned changes, not a long wish list.

Common mistakes

  • Turning the retro into blame so honesty disappears.
  • Listing what went wrong without finding the causes.
  • Generating lessons that no one is assigned to apply.
  • Holding the retro disconnected from the next planning session.

Make every quarter teach the next one. Run it in OrgTP and carry lessons, changes, and carry-forward items straight into planning, with OrgTP adapting to your cadence.

Agenda

75 minutes total · 6 sections

  1. Set the tone and ground rules 5 min
    Open with the purpose of an honest look back and the ground rule that the retro is about learning, not blame.
  2. Score priorities and scorecard 20 min
    Score each quarterly priority done or not done and review how the scorecard moved across the quarter against targets.
  3. What went well 15 min
    Capture what worked and why, including practices and decisions worth repeating in the next quarter.
  4. What to improve 20 min
    Name honestly what slipped or fell short and dig into the underlying causes rather than the surface symptoms.
  5. Lessons and changes to make 10 min
    Translate the discussion into a few concrete changes to how the team operates next quarter, each with an owner.
  6. Carry-forward and close 5 min
    Confirm which items carry into next quarter planning and recap the lessons the team is committing to apply.

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