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Turn a rough launch retro into blameless action items
Practice: Setting limits and rules. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
After a bumpy launch, you're posting retro action items in the team channel. You want exactly 3 numbered lines in the form 'Owner: action by date', under 60 words, plain text. Skip anything already fixed, name no one as the cause of a problem, and use only owners and dates people agreed to in the retro.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking for 'retro notes'. The AI rewrites the whole retro with What went well/wrong headings. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 3 numbered lines like 'Owner: action by date'. Plain text."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line instead: "each line under 16 words."
- Including done or unowned items. The AI lists every problem, including the one already fixed and the one nobody took. Try: Add: "Only the agreed actions with owners. Skip anything already done."
- Repeating the blame. The notes mention who was late, and the AI carries it into the post. Try: Add: "Blameless: no one is named as the cause of anything."
What a strong prompt includes
- Shows the line shape
- Asks for blameless
- Skips done items
- Sets the number of items
- Sets a word limit
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