Risk-Taking Retro

What Is the Risk Scale Template?

The Risk Scale is a powerful retrospective tool designed for development teams to visualize and analyze their risk-taking patterns. It creates a safe space to discuss where the team might be playing it too safe versus where they might be taking excessive risks in their projects and processes. By placing team activities on a spectrum from "Too Cautious" to "Too Risky," teams can identify balanced approaches to risk management in their agile workflow.

Why Run a Risk-Taking Retro?

Effective risk management is crucial for software development teams. The Risk Scale helps teams:

  • Identify where cautious approaches might be limiting innovation or velocity
  • Recognize areas where excessive risk-taking may be creating technical debt or stability issues
  • Balance appropriate risk-taking with prudent caution across different work streams
  • Build consensus on when risk-taking is beneficial versus when it's detrimental
  • Develop targeted experiments to optimize the team's approach to risk

The Risk Scale is particularly valuable for teams that feel stuck in their ways, teams facing delivery challenges, or organizations looking to foster a more balanced innovation culture.

How to Run a Risk-Taking Retro

Time needed: 45-60 minutes

  1. Set the context (5 min)

    • Introduce the Risk Scale concept and its purpose
    • Define what "risk" means in your team's context
    • Consider focusing on a specific time period or project phase

  2. Private brainstorming (10 min)

    • Start a meeting with private sticky notes enabled
    • Ask team members to identify all relevant team processes, decisions, or activities
    • Have them note where the team might be too cautious or taking too many risks

  3. Place items on the scale (5 min)

    • Have team members place their sticky notes along the spectrum:
      • Too Cautious
      • A Little Cautious
      • A Little Risky
      • Too Risky

  4. Reveal and discuss (15-20 min)

    • Reveal all sticky notes and review as a group
    • Ask contributors to explain their placements
    • Encourage healthy debate about the positioning of items
    • Move stickies as needed based on team consensus

  5. Identify key areas for change (10 min)

    • Vote on which items are most important to address
    • Focus on both ends of the spectrum: items that are too risky and too cautious

  6. Create action items (10 min)

    • For "Too Risky" items: Brainstorm ways to de-risk these areas
    • For "Too Cautious" items: Identify safe experiments to take more calculated risks
    • Document specific, actionable next steps in the Actions section

Tips for a Successful Risk-Taking Retro

  • Define risk clearly: Different team members may have different definitions of risk. Establish a shared understanding before starting.

  • Focus on processes, not people: Keep the discussion centered on team practices rather than individual behaviors to maintain psychological safety.

  • Consider business context: Some projects require more caution (e.g., security-critical features), while others benefit from rapid experimentation. Acknowledge this nuance.

  • Look for patterns: Are there particular project phases where the team tends to be overly cautious or risky? This might reveal deeper insights.

  • Follow up regularly: Risk perspectives evolve over time. Revisit this template quarterly to see how the team's approach to risk is changing.

  • Connect to values: Link the discussion to organizational values around innovation, quality, and customer focus to provide context for risk-taking decisions.

By regularly using the Risk Scale template, teams can develop a more intentional approach to risk management, finding the optimal balance between cautious stability and innovative risk-taking.

Use this template