Run a skills retrospective
- Who sets it up
- An Owner or Admin
- Where
- Team/Org › Settings › Manage Retros
- How often
- Every 1 to 6 months, for everyone or a chosen group
- Follow-up
- My Circle › a team member › Updates
A skills retrospective is a short, recurring check-in. MuchSkills asks each person whether they have been able to use their skills and whether their level has changed, so profiles stay current without anyone chasing. An Owner or Admin sets the schedule, and managers follow up in My Circle.
How it works
A retrospective asks each person, skill by skill, two questions: Were you able to utilise this skill in the recent past? and Has your expertise changed in the recent past? If their level has changed, they update it straight away. It is short, and it keeps profiles current without anyone having to chase.
An Owner or Admin decides how often retrospectives go out, for example every month or every quarter, and to whom: everyone, or a group chosen by department, role or tag. MuchSkills then emails reminders on that schedule.
Managers see each person's last retrospective in My Circle and can nudge anyone who has not finished it.
Steps
Agree the schedule with your admin
- Choose a rhythm for your team. Monthly suits fast-moving project work; quarterly suits teams whose work changes more slowly.
- Ask your MuchSkills admin to set it up. An Owner or Admin opens Team/Org › Settings › Manage Retros, chooses Every 1 to 6 month(s), on the first Monday, the last Friday or a specific date, limits it to your team if needed, and switches the toggle from Inactive to Active. Set up retrospectives for your organisation has the full admin steps.
- Tell your team it is coming. Explain why: an up-to-date profile is what gets them the right projects, learning and goals.
Team/Org › Settings › Manage Retros.
Once it is active, Manage Retros shows the Last retrospective send-out and Next retrospective send-out dates. An admin can also send one straight away with Send retrospective reminder now, without changing the regular schedule.
What your team does
- They open the retrospective from the reminder email, from Complete next to Last retrospective incomplete on their Dashboard, or in Profile Settings › Retrospective.
- They answer for each skill whether they used it and whether their expertise changed. If it changed, they click Yes, update and continue and set the new level.
- They finish. MuchSkills shows You're all done.
Follow up as a manager
- Open My Circle and click a person under Reporting to you.
- Check Updates. You see Last retrospective completed with when, or Last retrospective is incomplete.
- Nudge if needed. Click Nudge next to an incomplete retrospective. MuchSkills emails the person a reminder.
- Use it in your next one-to-one. Look at what changed under Profile (or History) and talk about the skills they used, and the ones they did not get to use.
Check it worked
- Your admin sees in Manage Retros that reminder emails are active, with a Next retrospective send-out date.
- After the send-out, people in your circle show Last retrospective completed in My Circle.
Tips
- Ask about unused skills. In your next one-to-one, ask which skills they did not get to use. It is a signal for staffing, and for retention.
- Pair it with one-to-ones. A retrospective just before a one-to-one gives you a fresh, honest picture to talk about.
Troubleshooting
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Manage Retros is not in Settings, or Settings is missing | Only Owners and Admins can open Team Settings | Ask your MuchSkills admin to set up retrospectives |
| A person sees No retrospective to take | Retrospectives are not active for them, or none has been sent yet | Ask your admin to check that the schedule is active and covers them |
| A person sees In order to take your first retrospective, you must complete your skills profile under the My Skills tab. | They have no skills on their profile yet | Ask them to add their skills first. See Rate your skills |
| Next retrospective send-out is missing in Manage Retros | The schedule is set to Not set | Your admin chooses an interval and a day |
| Nobody receives retrospective emails | Automated emails is switched off in Team Settings | Ask an Owner or Admin to switch it on |
Frequently asked questions
Can I set up retrospectives as a manager?
The schedule is set by an Owner or Admin. Agree the rhythm for your team with your MuchSkills admin, then follow up in My Circle.
How often should we run them?
It depends on how fast your work changes. Some teams ask for an update every month, others every quarter. Teams on short projects benefit from a shorter interval.
What do people answer?
For each skill on their profile: whether they were able to use it, and whether their expertise has changed. If it has, they update the level there and then.
Can we run retrospectives for one department only?
Yes. The schedule applies to everyone by default, and your admin can limit it by department, role or tag.
Can we send one now, outside the schedule?
Yes. Use Send retrospective reminder now. The regular schedule stays as it is.
What if someone doesn't complete it?
Their manager sees Last retrospective is incomplete on the person's Updates tab in My Circle, with a Nudge button. The person also sees Last retrospective incomplete on their dashboard.
Do people need skills on their profile first?
Yes. The retrospective goes through the skills on someone's profile, so a person needs to complete their skills in My Skills before their first one.
Nobody is receiving retrospective emails. Why?
Check that retrospectives are Active in Manage Retros and that a schedule is set. Also check Automated emails in Team Settings: when it is off, MuchSkills sends no retrospective emails.