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Agile goal setting with OKR – how the implementation succeeds (with OKR retrospectives)

Coordinating agile collaboration across team boundaries brings quite some challenges, especially when it comes to aligning goals across multiple teams. For this purpose, the (compared to other scaling frameworks such as LeSS and SAFe) simple OKR method a widely used approach. 

So that the OKR method actually achieves its goals for focusing and uniform alignment of the teams, the workshop formats around OKRs must be implemented carefully. In this article you will learn what is important when implementing OKR and the workshops. And how you can use the OKR retrospective as a central workshop for the development of the OKR implementation.

In short: What is the OKR method?

The goal of the OKR method is that all teams in organizations focus their priorities on the most important goals. For this purpose, the organizational goals (“Objectives – O”) are broken down into measurable key figures (“Key Results” – KR) and teams use these OKRs as a framework to define their own bottom-up goals and key figures for their value contribution. These goals are transparently shared within the organization.

About the background of the OKR method

The OKR method has its origin in “Management by Objectives” by management thought leader Peter F. Drucker. After this Google successfully used the OKR methodin order to control their own growth and OKR has become popular among startups and modern companies (see List of companies that use OKRs). The book “Measure what matters” by John Doer, who advised Google on the implementation, is considered to be the most important resource on the OKR method.

The 4 workshop formats in the OKR cycle

There are a number of workshop formats that build on each other in the OKR cycle for implementing the OKR method. These workshop formats include OKR Planning, Check-Ins (sometimes called “Weekly”), OKR Review and OKR Retrospectives. The OKR workshop formats are briefly explained below:

OKR planning

Every OKR cycle starts with OKR planning. This workshop is about defining the objectives and the associated key results for the upcoming OKR cycle. Since the definition of the goals is neither exclusively top-down nor bottom-up, OKR planning can be a longer process with several workshop dates.

OKR check-ins

During the OKR cycle, regular OKR check-ins ensure that the progress towards achieving the goals is visible in everyday life. The OKR check-ins can take place at any frequency, for example weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. The OKR check-ins are usually short, compact appointments and usually only last 15 minutes.

OKR review

Once the end of the OKR cycle has been reached, the OKR review is about sharing the final degree of target achievement. In contrast to the OKR check-ins, here you also take more time to address the learnings that go along with the planned and actually achieved key results.

OKR retrospective

Before going back into OKR planning for the next cycle, the OKR retrospective serves to reflect the entire procedure on a meta-level. So this is less about the concrete objectives and key results, but much more about how you got them. The main thing to do is to reflect on whether the workshop formats listed above were effective and how they could be improved.

The workshop formats listed should initially appear relatively plausible. Due to the different levels (at least team and organizational level) there are a few things that you should pay attention to when setting up:

 

Integrate OKR workshops into the processes of the organization

The workshop formats mentioned take place at both team and organizational level. Depending on the implementation, additional levels can be added. For the order of the appointments you should therefore note that

  • the OKR planning workshop should always start at the organizational level, as the organization sets the framework for the goals of the teams.
  • the OKR retrospective should take place first in the teams in order to be able to incorporate knowledge and suggestions from the teams in overarching OKR retrospectives.

The OKR workshops do not necessarily have to mean new, separate dates in the teams' calendars. Depending on how the teams work, the OKR workshops can be incorporated into existing routines. 

In our blog article on Scrum & OKR you can find out, for example, how these two methods can be integrated.

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The OKR retrospective: The key to effective target control with the OKR method

In practice, many teams end the OKR review with the OKR cycle. The most important step for the effective use of OKRs still follows: The OKR retrospective. As described, the OKR retrospective is about systematically questioning and further developing the implementation of the OKR.

So that you can ask the right questions in the OKR retrospective, we have summarized a few ideas:

Food for thought for OKR retrospectives at team level

The food for thought (called “Items” in Echometer) are formulated as statements to which you can playfully (or in advance by means of a survey) ask for consent in the OKR Retro. Open questions and discussions can easily be derived from this:

1. In our team we gain focus through OKR.

A better focus in the team is one of the hoped-for added values of the OKR method. A common mistake that prevents this added value is recording too many granular key results. If everyone works on different key results, everyone is focused on their own, but at the same time the team as a whole loses focus. With this item you can test whether this is the case.

More food for thought on this item:

  • How many people have contributed significantly to each of our key results?
  • Which key results could you have summarized so that you don't work towards them alone, but as a team?
  • Which key results were only significant for individuals but not for the whole team?

If you like this retro format and questions, you can open them directly in our team development tool Echometer:

Open this retro now

2. Our everyday priorities and tasks play a major role in our team OKRs.

The OKR method is intended to ensure a uniform orientation. Of course, this only happens if the defined OKRs actually have an influence on the discussions, decisions and tasks in everyday life. Therefore, ask this item to check whether the OKRs actually play a role in the everyday life of the team.

More food for thought on this item:

  • What proportion of our own working time actually contributed to the OKRs?
  • In which decisions or discussions did we actively include the OKRs as an argument?
  • Which tasks have we given high priority, although they do not or hardly contribute to our OKR?

 

3. We gain new knowledge at an early stage from the analysis of deviations between actual and planned values.

When defining the key results, you usually do not yet have all the information that is necessary to plan the goal realistically and ambitiously. From the deviations between planned and actual values, important findings can often be derived in order to question the existing initiatives based on them. Use this item to check whether this happens sufficiently, especially in the OKR check-ins.

More food for thought on this item:

  • What were the biggest deviations between plan and actual values in the last OKR cycle and how early did we foresee them?
  • Which assumptions in the definition of the key results have turned out to be incorrect or incomplete?
  • What new ideas or priorities have emerged based on our interim OKR results? 

 

4. Looking back, we chose and formulated our key results exactly right.

In the first iterations in particular, a few mistakes are certain to be made when defining the key results. And that's OK too, as long as you learn from it. Therefore, this item serves to question the previous definitions.

More food for thought on this item:

  • Can the actual value for each key result be clearly and easily determined during the check-ins?
  • What loopholes are there to meet our key results without creating added value for the organization?
  • Under what conditions would the meaningfulness of our key results be completely meaningless or misleading?

 

Food for thought for OKR retrospectives at the organizational level

While the food for thought at the team level can basically also work at the organizational level, there are a few other topics that should be specifically reflected on in this context:

1. Our corporate-level objectives are consistent with my understanding of the company's “core purpose”.
At the company level, the objectives should be derived from a “Core Purpose” that encompasses the company's vision and mission. Since everything else is derived from the objectives at company level, this item serves to check this basis.

More food for thought on this item:

  • What exactly is our “Core Purpose” currently? … And do we all have the same thing in mind?
  • What time frame are the objectives at the company level aligned with? Are there certain events or new phases from which individual objectives need to be questioned or updated?
  • Are there any conflicts of interest between the objectives that cause us insecurity in everyday life?
  •  

2. Our key results holistically reflect the objectives at company level.
If they are achieved, good key results should indicate that the objective has actually been achieved. With this item you can check whether this is the case. Don't get it wrong: It's not about deriving as many key results as possible, but about creating an understanding of the gaps that arise. As a guideline, the recommended 3 – 5 Key Results per Objectives should remain.

More food for thought on this item:

  • What loopholes are there to meet our key results without reaching the objectives?
  • Under which framework conditions would the defined key results have become completely meaningless for the achievement of our objectives?
  • Can you imagine a situation in which all the key results of an objective would be achieved and the objective still not met?


3. Our OKRs at company level serve as a clear guideline for all major decisions that are made in the organization.
In this item, similar to the previous at team level, it is about whether the OKRs actually have an impact on practice. If decisions are made completely independently of the OKR, there is a need for action.

More food for thought on this item:

  • In which decisions and discussions did we actively involve the OKRs as a decision-making aid?
  • Which of our decisions were unrelated to the OKRs or made it more difficult to achieve them?
  • Which priorities at the company level have been questioned or adjusted by the OKRs, or specifically the deviations from the actual and planned figures?


4. Our OKRs increase transparency and communication between the teams.
A great added value of the OKR framework is the increased transparency, communication and thus uniform alignment between teams. This item helps to assess whether this effect occurs or whether there are still hurdles to be overcome.

More food for thought on this item:

  • How easy is it for us as a team to get an overview of the OKRs of the other teams?
  • What options do we have to ask questions about the other teams' OKRs?
  • What hurdles do we experience when exchanging ideas with other teams and how can we further simplify this exchange?


5. As an organization, we continue to improve our implementation of the OKR method over each cycle.
The implementation of the OKR method shouldn't even be set in stone. The organization should continue to experiment based on the experience of past cycles to improve its own implementation.

More food for thought on this item:

  • Do all topics come up at our OKR retrospectives? How can we make it easier to come up with problems and ideas for improving the OKR implementation?
  • Are we consistently implementing improvements to our OKR implementation? What specific changes or experiments have we made to our OKR implementation in the past?


6. The OKR method prevents us as a company from reacting quickly to new findings.
Especially in companies in a dynamic environment, a frequent criticism is that OKRs are too rigid, especially with long OKR cycles, and therefore hinder the agility of the company. With this inverted item you can find out whether this danger plays a role for you.

More food for thought on this item:

  • What new findings have there been lately that have had an impact on our corporate strategy and thus possibly also on the objectives at company level?
  • In which situations did we feel restricted by the OKRs within an OKR cycle to pursue new ideas or to respond to new findings?
  • Do the key results already seem obsolete to us at the end of an OKR cycle? And would we really define new objectives and key results for shorter OKR cycles, or would we rather adopt the old ones?


7. Our OKRs are a win to our company.
This item is intended to regularly capture the general status quo. In this way, satisfaction with the OKR can be tracked over time.

More food for thought on this item:

  • What concrete gains have we realized lately through OKR?
  • How could the cost / benefit ratio of our OKR implementation be improved? 

 

With these items and food for thought, you can focus OKR retrospectives on the most important success factors and elicit valuable reflections from the participants. 

At the same time, you have the opportunity to understand the development of individual values over longer periods of time and thus make the success of OKRs more measurable.

If you like this retro format and questions, you can open them directly in our team development tool Echometer:

Open this retro now
☝️ To repeat the important point on the order of the different OKR retrospectives: Always start with the OKR retro of the teams, then the OKR retro of the organization. This sequence allows ideas to be passed on from the bottom up.

By the way, of course there are many more retrospective ideas in our retro tool Echometer.

For example, you can reflect on the agile values, your Kanban processes or the Scrum itself. Feel free to take a look at the Scrum retrospective: 

Open this retro now

Note: This retrospective format asks for agreement with the given Health Check items on a scale.

Team Radar Tool Health Check Retrospective
  • Planning: Backlog refinement in our team is efficient and effective.
  • Customer orientation: The planning of our sprints is always based on achieving the greatest possible customer benefit in the given time.
  • Agile education: Team members, Product Owner and Scrum Master share the same understanding of their respective roles in the team.
  • Scrum Events: Lately, every Daily in our team has paid off.

Conclusion: Agile target control through OKR workshops & retrospectives

With a clean integration of the OKR workshops in the everyday work of the teams and a consistent reflection of the OKR implementation in the OKR retrospective, target control via the OKR method itself becomes “agile”. 

A good sign of this is when teams actively share doubts about the OKR implementation and either resolve them themselves at the team level or pass on overarching topics to the organizational level via the OKR retrospectives. All levels are actively involved in continuously improving their own OKR logic.

By the way, if you are still looking for a suitable retro board, our article can help you with the topic: Comparing the 6 best retrospective boards

Final tip: team development with Echometer

For a structured reflection and improvement process at team and company level, a look at Echometer could be worthwhile. In Echometer you will receive item suggestions with suitable food for thought for your retros. In addition to OKRs, you can also question other aspects of your collaboration and continuously develop –, regardless of whether you work in a Kanban, Scrum or classic environment. 

Learn how team and organizational development with Echometer works now!

 

 

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FAQ about the online retrospective tool

No, you do not need to log in to Echometer or register to test the Retro Board and Retro Tool in Echometer.

You can try out Echometer's Retro Board via the following link without logging in: Try a Practice Round

First, simply register for free in Echometer. Then navigate to the workspace for which you would like to purchase the retro tool. If you haven't already done so, you can do so here: Create account in Echometer 1:1 tool

You can then manage your subscription (for both the retro tool and the 1:1 software) within the workspace settings.

You can choose from various payment methods when upgrading.

If you do not have access to your company's credit card yourself, you can simply add a buyer as a workspace admin in your Echometer workspace so that this admin can carry out the upgrade for you.

In Echometer there are two separate software solutions that are available within each workspace in Echometer:

  • 1:1 tool: Software for planning and conducting 1:1 meetings and tracking employee development
  • Retrospective tool: Software for planning and moderating retrospectives and tracking team development through team health checks

Both are independent software solutions, so they can be used separately from each other.

However, they work according to the same principles and aim to achieve the same added value: The continuous improvement of agile teams. In this respect, the simultaneous use of both software solutions is recommended.

Yes, you can assign administration rights to any number of users at both team level and workspace level. Please note the following:

  • Only workspace admins can take out and manage a Echometer subscription for a Echometer workspace.
  • Only workspace admins can create additional teams and name or remove additional workspace admins.
  • Team admins can appoint and remove additional team admins and team members for their team

If an agile team does not yet have much experience with retrospectives, a tool that effectively guides you through the retrospective and offers many templates is recommended:

  • Echometer is known not only for being an intuitive online retro board, but also for offering a very effective guided flow through the retrospective. At the same time, Echometer offers whiteboards that can be flexibly integrated into the retrospective. This makes Echometer very beginner-friendly.
  • Echometer also has extremely versatile and creative templates for retrospectives and team Health Checks that stimulate team reflection. Inexperienced teams in particular are very grateful for the food for thought in Echometer.

This makes Echometer the best software recommendation for beginners with agile retrospectives or Scrum beginners. By the way, you can try out Echometer for free without logging in: Echometer Try out the retro tool

Yes, you can collect and measure the eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) in Echometer's Health Checks and surveys for retrospectives.

The eNPS can be evaluated in Echometer both at team level and across teams. For example, you can use the heat map in the Workspace Health Dashboard for cross-team evaluation.

The Echometer Retrospective software is designed to guide teams through the retrospective process with maximum ease and effectiveness, following best practices.

The steps and their sequence can be customized using the navigation within the retro. By default, a retrospective in Echometer is structured in this way:

  • Icebreaker
  • Review of open measures from past retros
  • Collect feedback (first Health Checks, then open questions)
  • Prioritization of feedback
  • Deriving action items
  • Conclusion of the retrospective with the "ROTI score" (Return on Time Invested)

Additional whiteboards (e.g. for workshops, for analyzing problems or for brainstorming measures) can also be added spontaneously at any point using the Retrospective navigation.

Yes, the Echometer Retrospective Tool offers various export options for retrospectives.

The most popular method is to generate a PDF that contains the feedback, the votes from the prioritization and the measures of the retrospective. It is also possible to share the retrospective via a sharing link.

A summary of the retrospective is also automatically sent to other participants by email after the retrospective, provided they are registered as team members in the team.

Yes, the online retrospective tool Echometer is one of the few retrospective software tools that also optimally supports the recording and tracking of measures:

  • Integration: You can also record measures directly in Jira via an integration.
  • Automatic follow-up: All open measures from past retros appear automatically in the measure review of the next retrospective for tracking purposes. This gives the team an overview of which measures are currently still open and creates a commitment to implementing the agreed measures.
  • Reminders: Measures are assigned to a person responsible, who automatically receives a reminder email when the measure is created so that the measure is not forgotten. In addition, each participant can flexibly receive action reminders via email and manage the action status at any time in the Echometer Retro Tool.

This means that Echometer's tool for team retrospectives has extensive and well thought-out functions for action tracking.

Yes, Echometer allows grouping and prioritizing (voting on points) of feedback on the Retrospective Board.

All participants can simply drag and drop cards onto each other and group them together.

There are 2 modes for prioritizing:

  • In "Live Voting" (the recommended mode), the moderator selects how many votes each participant should have and then starts the hidden voting. As soon as all votes have been cast, the moderator can close the live voting. During the voting, you can see how many votes are still to be awarded. After the voting is closed, the cards in the columns are automatically sorted in descending order so that the cards with the most votes are at the top.
  • In "Facilitated Voting" mode, the moderator simply selects how many votes are allocated to each topic. This mode is only necessary in exceptional cases.

Feedback can be optimally processed in the team using Echometer and the measures derived from it can also be easily recorded in Echometer in direct connection with the feedback.

Yes, with the online retrospective software Echometer you can collect asynchronous feedback on the retrospective in advance via a survey.

This means that obtaining feedback is asynchronous and you can make the most of the time spent together in retrospect.

Yes, absolutely: The online retrospective software Echometer is optimized for distributed teams working remotely and includes various options for interacting with each other in real time.

Both the retrospectives and the whiteboards are synchronized in real time for all participants and you can also optionally display your colleagues' cursors.

Yes, the online retrospective tool Echometer is a free tool that you can try out without logging in.

You can get started right away using this link: Echometer Retro Tool without login.

To invite other participants to your online retrospective in Echometer, you will need to register. Participants only need to enter their email address to join the retrospective, but do not need to log in.

After the retrospective, participants can optionally log in to access the summary even after the retrospective has ended.

Yes, Echometer offers many high-quality templates for retrospectives and the respective steps of a retrospective.

Echometer is the retrospective software tool with probably the most integrated retrospective template ideas and patterns:

  • The retro templates in Echometer contain sample questions for the retro board. These are often creatively based on specific topics in –, such as the "Kart racing retrospective" or the "Time travel retrospective".
  • Some retro templates also contain templates for Health Checks. For example, to measure the Spotify Health Check or psychological safety in the team.
  • When creating a team, you can choose from various team templates for management teams or scrum teams, for example. The team templates then put together a suitable team Health Check for the team.
  • For icebreakers in the retrospective, Echometer has over 50 ideas for sample questions that can be used spontaneously and randomly in a retrospective via a random generator.
  • And then there are whiteboard templates in Echometer, which contain ideas for check-ins, team building and the development of measures.

One of the greatest strengths of the Echometer Retro Tool are the various templates for retrospectives, which can be used as patterns for the creative design of your own retrospectives.

Here is a short list of the samples as an insight into the retrospective templates:

  • Happy, Wondering, Sad
  • Three Little Pigs
  • Team Morale Health Check
  • Easter and Christmas retrospective templates
  • DORA Retrospective
  • 5 agile values Health Check
  • Spotify Squad Health Check Radar
  • Psychological safety Health Check
  • DORA Retrospective
  • Unique retrospective templates such as the "7 Dwarfs Retrospective" or the "Football Retrospective"

If you are interested in the Retrospective Tools templates, take a quick look at the tool: Echometer Retro Templates & Templates

Yes, Echometer is an online tool for retrospectives that offers Jira integration.

With the Jira integration in Echometer, measures from Echometer can be created in Jira boards with a single click.

This makes Echometer a good retrospective software tool if your team is already using Jira.

Echometer is not available in the Atlassian Marketplace, but as separate software via my.echometerapp.com callable.

Yes, Echometer can be called a starfish retrospective tool, because with Echometer you can easily perform the starfish retrospective on an interactive online retrospective board.

Hot tip: If you are interested in the Starfish Retrospective, take a quick look at Echometer. Because the special thing about Echometer is that you can try out the starfish retrospective immediately (time-saving, without logging in) at this link: Echometer Starfish Retrospective Access without login

The Echometer Sprint Retrospective software has very extensive features, both for beginners and experts. The following features form the core of the tool:

  • Structured retrospective flow with integrated whiteboards for flexible brainstorming on individual focus topics
  • Retrospective board for brainstorming, presenting, grouping and voting with live collaboration
  • Moderator tools such as a timer, anonymity settings and control over the agenda step (focused for all participants)
  • Integrated tracking of measures from past retrospectives with automatic resubmission and incl. Jira integration
  • Unbiased brainstorming: Concealed cards on the retro board as well as on the integrated whiteboards prevent participants from influencing each other during the brainstorming session.
  • Simple, quick setup of the tool: Many users report that they were able to start their first retrospective in less than 10 minutes.

The following features are Echometer's unique selling points that are relevant for experienced Scrum Masters and team leaders:

  • Dashboard with retrospective history, including duration of the retrospective, number of participants and ROTI score
  • PDF and Markdown export of the retrospective after completion
  • The retrospective can take place asynchronously (e.g. also via a survey that is sent out before the retro) or in real time
  • Anonymous feedback via survey or on the Retrospective Board
  • Anonymous voting and prioritization of feedback on the retrospective board by awarding points
  • Query or measurement of the "ROTI score" (i.e. Return on Time Invested) after the retrospective for continuous evaluation and improvement of the retrospective by team members
  • Creation of Health Check surveys or pulse surveys as a happiness check and mood barometer in order to recognize trends (e.g. increasing dissatisfaction) in the team at an early stage
  • Health Check KPIs and agile metrics in the analysis dashboard including history
  • Health Check Surveys or pulse surveys also possible across teams

The Echometer Retrospective Tool offers the following features for retrospective template ideas, questions and samples:

  • 50+ Retrospective Template Ideas including Keep Stop Start, Happy Wondering Sad and the Starfish Retrospective
  • 200+ Retrospective Health Check questions and templates
  • Retrospective Icebreaker Library with 50+ fun retrospective check-ins to promote psychological safety and team spirit etc.
  • Whiteboard templates for visual, interactive retrospective icebreakers (including seasonal highlights for e.g. Easter and Christmas)
  • Whiteboard templates to structure and facilitate the creation of measures

Yes, the retrospective software tool Echometer is easy to use even for beginners who are not yet familiar with retrospectives.

Many users report that they were able to carry out their first retrospective in Echometer in less than 10 minutes of preparation!

Thanks to the structured process in Echometer, carrying out the retrospective is also very easy.

On the testimonial page of Echometer you will find numerous confirmed user reviews: Echometer Testimonials

Echometer is the best software tool for retrospectives compared to alternative retrospective software tools such as Retrium, EasyRetro, Reetro, Neetro and TeamRetro for three reasons:

  1. Large selection of creative templates for retrospectives: Users of Echometer confirm that Echometer has a uniquely wide range of retro board ideas.
  2. Echometer has a simple and intuitive structure for retrospectives that guides teams through retrospectives using best practices. This also makes Echometer very beginner-friendly.
  3. Echometer offers a generous free version.

Users of Echometer particularly appreciate the unique function of Echometer to insert Health Checks into their agile retrospectives: These agile Health Checks make a massive contribution to stimulating team reflection and actively involving every team member in the retrospective.

To summarize, even alternative retrospective software tools such as Parabol do not have the unique features of the Echometer retrospective tool, which are both simple and effective. Therefore, it can be said that Echometer is the best software app for conducting agile sprint retrospective meetings.

Yes, in Echometer you can get anonymous feedback from the team.

Echometer is one of the few online retrospective tools that can be used to collect feedback anonymously.

In Echometer, feedback can even be collected anonymously before the retrospective via asynchronous surveys, which is unique among online retrospective tools and distinguishes Echometer positively from tools such as the retrospective software Parabol.

Yes, Echometer offers a generous free version of the online retro tool that can be used permanently free of charge for one team. This includes all functions for team retrospectives.

You only have to switch to a paid version for additional functions such as SSO, multiple teams or an unlimited number of retrospectives.

Further information on the variants of Echometer's retro tool can be found on the pricing page here: Retro-Tool Price List

The greatest strengths of the Echometer retrospective tool are its impact on time savings, participant engagement and productivity.

  • With hundreds of ideas for retrospective templates in combination with the integrated surveys, Echometer makes it very easy to prepare great retrospectives in just a few minutes.
  • Thanks to the guided steps and the playful and interactive retrospective board, implementation is child's play, focused and results-oriented at the same time.
  • The integrated tracking of measures and team health makes it easier to recognize trends in the team at an early stage and ensure that measures from retrospectives are not forgotten

Combined with the unique features of the agile Health Checks and flexible whiteboards, Echometer is one of the best, if not the best, retrospective tool on the market, even better than the better-known Parabol retrospective tool.

Yes, Echometer's retro tool is technically secure and GDPR-compliant.

Several European financial institutions and insurance companies have chosen to purchase Echometer's retrospective tools over other alternatives due to strict regulatory requirements.

The data is stored and securely processed in Germany. The contract for commissioned data processing with details on the technical and organizational security measures of Echometer's processing can be viewed here: https://echometerapp.com/gdpr-and-security/

Echometer's tool for retrospectives offers the following integrations:

  • Jira (for easy tracking of measures from retrospectives in Jira boards)
  • Google login
  • SSO (only in paid version)

Echometer are particularly positive about the increase in the effectiveness of retrospectives and the improved measurability of team development through Echometer.

Here are some officially confirmed quotes from users and customers of the Echometer software tool, all of whom hold leadership positions in agile teams:

Duane Hill, Scrum Master Coach:

  • "Echometer is like a combination of Miro and a really smart retro board. It even provides metrics on the effectiveness of my coaching so I can easily spot trends in team development. I really love this tool – highly recommended for anyone who wants to make their retrospectives more effective!"

Lena Tölke, Agile Coach at Deutsche Bahn Sales:

  • "Thanks to the targeted questions in Echometer, we keep coming up with new insights for our further development in retrospectives and can make these transparent and measurable for all team members."

Clemens Schöne, Scrum Master at Communardo Products:

  • "Echometer is like the combination of Mural and EasyRetro – I am thrilled! With Echometer, remote retros can work much better and even be fun!"

Patrick Böttcher-Exner, management position at Relaxdays GmbH:

  • "One major advantage is that Echometer allows us to carry out and track both remote and on-site retrospectives in one tool."

Carina McLane, Senior Software Developer at Volvo:

  • "As a Scrum Master, it's not about the tools, but this one really makes the work a lot more enjoyable. After two years of experience with Echometer, I can recommend it to anyone who wants to enrich their retrospectives and understand their team better!"

Echometer is the perfect retrospective software tool for busy team managers, team leaders, engineering managers, but also scrum masters and Agile coaches in distributed or hybrid agile teams ("remote teams").

Users particularly appreciate how much time the tool saves for retrospective moderators and how it increases the engagement of participants in the retrospective. Therefore, people who value time savings, retrospective effectiveness and engagement benefit most from the functions of Echometer.

In addition, Echometer offers an easy, playful introduction to retrospectives and is therefore particularly suitable for teams that do not yet have much experience with retrospectives or are just starting out with agile working methods.

The Echometer retrospective software works as follows:

  • Simple preparation of retrospectives using templates for retro formats, surveys and whiteboards
  • Intuitive and step-by-step implementation of retrospectives. Possible both online and on-site. Simply use the QR code on site so that participants can take part via their smartphone with the Mobile Companion app.
  • Automatic follow-up through export functions and integrated tracking of developments and measures including retro archive.

The implementation of a retrospective in Echometer is as follows:

  • The retrospective board allows the agile team to start with a fun welcome screen where they can wait for the rest of the team while playing an interactive game.
  • Once all participants of the retrospective have arrived, continue with an icebreaker question. Echometer has several icebreaker question templates, including both open-ended questions and visual whiteboard templates with workshops and small games.
  • After the icebreaker, you reach the screen for tracking measures: Here, the team reviews the open actions from past retrospectives and decides whether to keep, close or discard the actions. This step is unique to Echometer and significantly improves the quality of the continuous improvement process of agile teams.
  • Then it's on to Team Health Check: all team members answer various questions, for example a question about satisfaction in the team or questions about psychological safety. This type of question increases engagement in the retrospective, even with introverted team members, as well as the creation of agile KPIs to track the mood in the team over time.
  • Then you continue with the retrospective board, where everyone can leave anonymous feedback on open questions – if this has not already been done in advance via a survey. There are hundreds of retrospective templates for different retrospectives on the Echometer retrospective board.
  • Feedback is first written face down on the retro board so that the participants do not influence each other. The moderator can then reveal the feedback column by column.
  • Once the feedback on the retro board has been uncovered, presented to the team and any queries about feedback have been clarified, the prioritization, i.e. the voting, can continue.
  • Voting in Echometer is anonymous. During the voting process, you can see how many votes have already been cast and how many are still open.
  • At on-site retrospectives, you can also vote using your smartphone.
  • As soon as the voting is complete, you can derive measures. To do this, you can either create a measure directly for the feedback or open the feedback on a new whiteboard to analyze the problem in more detail and brainstorm ideas for measures.
  • The brainstorming of measures on a separate whiteboard within the retro is a point of differentiation for Echometer compared to other tools for retrospectives such as Parabol. In Echometer, you can create a separate whiteboard for each topic within the retro and thus optimally control the focus of the discussion.
  • Finally, Echometer enables the retrospective to be concluded by anonymously asking the entire team about the ROTI score on a scale of 0 to 10 (i.e. the "Return on Time Invested"): This helps the team and in particular the retrospective moderator to continuously improve the quality of the retrospectives within the team itself.

Given this unique, structured and flexible retrospective process, combined with the range of functions, Echometer is often described as the best tool for agile retrospectives.

Further questions?

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