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Seem a bit soon for a retro on a year that’s just begun? Think again!
Now is the perfect time to sit down with your team, pay a visit to your future selves, and look back on the ‘year that was.’ (Or rather, the year you’re building right now.)
When you envision success from a future state, you tap into a powerful kind of motivation—one driven by choice and clarity. Instead of simply rolling into the year, picking up where you left off, or recycling last quarter’s goals, you're saying:
"This is the year we get to build!"
This kind of future-back planning also allows you to have a frank and honest conversation with your future—what I like to call “bringing difficult forward.”
By asking classic pre-mortem questions like “What got in the way of our success?”, you create plans that are far more realistic and accountable.
So, how do you turn this into action? Here are four ways aspects to a great future-back conversation:
1. Declare the Wins: If this year were to be a success, what must be true by December? What are the few things that, if achieved, would make 2025 a defining year? Don’t just focus on outputs here—make space for wins in growth, learning, and the human experience of work.
2. Prioritise Ruthlessly: Looking back from December, what did you not do? In many ways, success comes not from doing more, but from pruning distractions and focusing on what makes the biggest impact.
3. Pre-Empt Challenges: Every great year includes obstacles. So, what almost derailed you in 2025? What hurdles did you successfully navigate? Identify those now and start preparing for them today.
4. Make it Personal: Invite everyone in your team to write their own “2025: Year in Review” reflections. Where do their visions overlap? Where do they diverge? The patterns (or misalignments) will reveal the areas that need more clarity and focus—right now.
So, what’s the retrospective you’re planning to have at the end of 2025? Create it now—then go make it happen!
Until next time,
Simon
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