Conant Correct by Claire Conant

In the world of Agile project management methodology, retrospectives are held at the end of each sprint. A sprint is a short period of time, usually two or three weeks, in which a software is revised and a potentially marketable version is ready for release. I was first introduced to Agile methodology a year ago when I was placed at a forensics software development firm as a technical writer. Retrospectives aren’t a new concept. They are part of the “plan-do-check-act” cycle that most businesses use.  What is different, in my opinion, is the short cycle of review that the Agile methodology employs. I think this short cycle works because memories are fresh and courses can be altered swiftly before the project veers too far off track.

In life, everyone performs retrospectives, but at different periods of time, often at yearly intervals. On New Year’s Eve, we look back at the year to see what occurred and then we look forward to see what we want to do differently. On our birthdays or anniversaries we take stock of our relationship and feel gratitude for our successes or sadness for things that might not have turned out how we had hoped.

I grew up in a family that loved sailing. My father raced small, one or two person boats, and he and my brother were champions in their divisions. At the end of each race, win or lose, while folding the sails, hosing off the boat, and tying up the loose sheets (ropes), there’s discussion about what went wrong or how they nearly lost it to a competitor but with the sails set just right, they won.

Retrospectives inspire change, and I always say to myself, that which does not change dies. The reason retrospectives work is because they help us keep a sharp perspective on where we’ve been and where we want to go. (And I don’t think its a coincidence that the word retrospective is so similar to the word perspective.) Retrospectives keep us focused on doing the right thing so we can be successful at whatever we choose.

How can they work for a freelance writer and editor? The same as they do for a major corporation. The point is that even though I am a freelancer, it’s important that I conduct my daily work life as a business, not as a hobby, if I want to be successful. And how do I do that? I can do this by:

• Defining short-term and long-term goals for my business
• Establishing regular intervals to evaluate my own progress in relation to my goals
• Conduct self evaluations regularly - what did I do well, where can I improve, what additional training do I need?
• Review my finances on a regular basis so I know whether I’m making a profit or a loss
• Be regular and disciplined about my work schedule and activities

I thought of this topic today because I realized it was a year ago today that I started working for a consulting firm and my first client was the software forensics firm mentioned above. I’ve learned about the consulting business from the inside, about Agile methodology, about being unemployed, and how to start my own freelance writing and editing business - all in the last twelve months. My plan is to start documenting some of what I learned and how I can apply that to become a successful small business owner. Stay tuned.

Next up: How did I get here and where do I want to go?

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