How to Run Client Project Retrospectives (With Template)

Why 95% of Agencies Skip Retrospectives (And Why They're Wrong)

Project ends. Client is happy (or not). Team moves on.

No one asks:

• What went well?
• What went wrong?
• How do we improve?

Result: You make the same mistakes on every project.

Top agencies run retrospectives after every project.

What they learn:

• Process improvements that save 10+ hours per project
• Client communication gaps that cause scope creep
• Team dynamics issues before they explode
• Opportunities to upsell or improve service

One retrospective can save you $5,000 on the next project.

This is your complete guide to running effective project retrospectives.

What Is a Retrospective?

A retrospective is a structured meeting after a project ends (or at major milestones) where the team reflects on:

What happened:

• What went well?
• What didn't go well?
• What did we learn?
• What should we change?

It's NOT:

• A blame session
• A client feedback meeting (that's separate)
• Optional

It's a commitment to continuous improvement.

When to Run Retrospectives

Option 1: End of Project (Most Common)

Timing: Within 1 week of project completion

Best for:

• Fixed-scope projects
• Campaigns with clear end dates
• One-time deliverables

Option 2: Monthly (For Ongoing Clients)

Timing: Last Friday of every month

Best for:

• Retainer clients
• Ongoing management
• Long-term partnerships

Option 3: Major Milestones

Timing: After each phase

Best for:

• Multi-phase projects
• Large implementations
• 6+ month projects

Pro tip: For projects longer than 3 months, do mini-retrospectives monthly and a full retrospective at the end.

The 5-Step Retrospective Framework

Step 1: Set the Stage (5 minutes)

Purpose: Get everyone comfortable and set expectations.

What to say: "Thanks for joining. We're here to reflect on the [Project Name] and figure out how to improve for next time. This isn't about blame—it's about learning. Everything shared here stays in this room. Be honest. If something didn't work, say it. Ready? Let's go."

Set ground rules:

• No blame or finger-pointing
• Focus on process, not people
• Be specific (not "communication was bad" but "we didn't have a clear approval process")
• Assume positive intent

Step 2: Gather Data (15 minutes)

Ask everyone to silently write down (on sticky notes or in a shared doc):

What went well? (2-3 things)

• Examples: "Client gave fast approvals," "Design system saved us time," "Kickoff meeting was productive"

What didn't go well? (2-3 things)

• Examples: "Scope changed 3 times," "Didn't have content until week 3," "Internal handoffs were messy"

What surprised us? (1-2 things)

• Examples: "Client loved the blog strategy," "Ad costs were higher than expected," "Development took 2x longer"

Silent writing = better answers. People don't just say what the loudest person thinks.

Step 3: Generate Insights (20 minutes)

Group similar items:

• Put all sticky notes on a wall (or virtual board)
• Group similar themes together
• Label each group (e.g., "Client communication," "Internal process," "Scope management")

Discuss each group:

• Why did this happen?
• What was the root cause?
• Is this a pattern or one-time thing?

Step 4: Decide What to Do (15 minutes)

For each insight, ask: What will we do differently next time?

Examples:

Problem	Action
Client changed scope 3 times	Create formal change request process with pricing
Content delivered late	Add content deadline to contract + 2-week buffer
Design feedback took too long	Set 48-hour feedback turnaround in kickoff
Team didn't know who was doing what	Create RACI chart at project start

Prioritize: You can't fix everything. Pick 2-3 high-impact changes.

Step 5: Close (5 minutes)

Recap:

• What we learned
• What we're changing
• Who owns each action

Thank everyone: "Thanks for being honest. These insights will make us better. I'll send a recap email with action items by end of day."

Total time: 60 minutes.

The Retrospective Template

Copy this template for every project:

PROJECT RETROSPECTIVE - [Project Name]

Date: [Date]
Attendees: [Names]
Project Duration: [Start date] to [End date]

---

1. PROJECT SUMMARY
- Client: [Name]
- Scope: [Brief description]
- Timeline: [Planned vs actual]
- Budget: [Planned vs actual]
- Outcome: [Success? Goals met?]

---

2. WHAT WENT WELL?
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]
- [Item 3]

Why did these things go well? Can we replicate them?

---

3. WHAT DIDN'T GO WELL?
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]
- [Item 3]

What was the root cause? What could we have done differently?

---

4. WHAT SURPRISED US?
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]

What did we learn that we didn't expect?

---

5. KEY INSIGHTS
- [Insight 1]: [Why it matters]
- [Insight 2]: [Why it matters]
- [Insight 3]: [Why it matters]

---

6. ACTION ITEMS
1. [Action]: Owner: [Name], Deadline: [Date]
2. [Action]: Owner: [Name], Deadline: [Date]
3. [Action]: Owner: [Name], Deadline: [Date]

---

7. METRICS
- Project profitability: [X%]
- Client satisfaction: [Score/10]
- Team satisfaction: [Score/10]
- Hours: [Estimated vs actual]

---

NEXT RETROSPECTIVE: [Date]

Advanced Retrospective Techniques

Technique #1: The Timeline

What it is: Visual timeline of the project from start to finish.

How to do it:

1. Draw a timeline on whiteboard (or use Miro/Figma)
2. Add major events (kickoff, launches, client feedback, blockers)
3. Mark emotional highs and lows (green = good, red = frustrating)
4. Discuss patterns

When to use: Long projects (3+ months) where it's hard to remember everything.

Technique #2: Start/Stop/Continue

Simpler framework:

• Start: What should we start doing?
• Stop: What should we stop doing?
• Continue: What's working that we should keep doing?

When to use: Teams new to retrospectives (easier than traditional format).

Technique #3: 4 Ls

Ask:

• Liked: What did you like?
• Learned: What did you learn?
• Lacked: What did we lack?
• Longed for: What did you wish we had?

When to use: Creative teams (more playful framework).

Technique #4: Sailboat Retrospective

Visual metaphor:

• Wind (what pushed us forward): Helpful things
• Anchor (what held us back): Blockers
• Rocks (potential risks): Things that could have gone wrong
• Island (destination): The goal

When to use: Visual thinkers (designers, creative teams).

Common Retrospective Mistakes

Mistake #1: Skipping Retrospectives When Projects Go Well

The trap: "Project was great, no need to debrief!"

The reality: Even successful projects have lessons. What made it successful? How do you replicate that?

The fix: Run retrospectives after EVERY project.

Mistake #2: Turning It Into a Blame Session

The trap: "Why did YOU miss that deadline?"

The reality: People shut down. You learn nothing.

The fix: Focus on processes, not people. "Why did the deadline get missed?" (Answer: unclear handoff process), not "Why did you miss it?"

Mistake #3: Not Following Up on Action Items

The trap: Great insights. Clear action items. Then... nothing changes.

The reality: The retrospective was a waste of time.

The fix:

• Assign clear owners
• Set deadlines
• Review action items in the next retrospective
• Track completion rate

Mistake #4: Only Focusing on Problems

The trap: 45 minutes on what went wrong, 5 minutes on what went well.

The reality: Team leaves feeling demotivated.

The fix: Start with wins. Celebrate successes. Then address challenges.

"We used to skip retrospectives. Now we run them after every project. We've saved 15 hours per project on average by fixing recurring issues. That's $225,000/year."

Client Retrospectives (Separate Meeting)

After the internal retrospective, run a client retrospective:

Purpose: Get client feedback + strengthen relationship.

Format: 30-minute call, 1 week after project ends.

Questions to ask:

1. How did the project go from your perspective?
2. Did we meet your expectations?
3. What did we do well?
4. What could we improve?
5. Would you work with us again?
6. Would you refer us to others?

Follow-up:

• Send thank-you email
• Share 1-2 improvements you'll make based on their feedback
• Ask for testimonial (if appropriate)

Pro tip: This is a great time to discuss next projects or upsells.

Tracking Retrospective Insights Over Time

Create a "lessons learned" database:

• Document in Notion, Airtable, or Google Sheets
• Tag by category (communication, scope, timeline, technical)
• Review quarterly: What patterns are emerging?

Example:

Date	Project	Issue	Root Cause	Action Taken	Status
1/15	Brand X	Scope creep	No change process	Created change request form	Done
2/20	Brand Y	Late content	No content SLA	Added deadlines to contract	Done
3/10	Brand Z	Design revisions	Unclear brief	New brief template	In progress

Over time, you'll see patterns:

• "We have a scope management problem" (appears in 5 retrospectives)
• "Content is always late" (appears in 8 retrospectives)
• "Internal handoffs are unclear" (appears in 4 retrospectives)

Address systemic issues, not one-off problems.

The ROI of Retrospectives

Time investment: 1 hour per project

Average improvements from one retrospective:

• 5-10% time savings on next project
• 1-2 fewer client escalations
• Better team morale
• Stronger processes

Example:

• Average project: 80 hours, $12,000 revenue
• 10% time savings: 8 hours = $1,200 profit improvement
• Run 20 projects/year: $24,000 additional profit

One hour per retrospective → $24,000/year ROI.

Retrospective Checklist

The Bottom Line

Retrospectives:

• Take 1 hour
• Improve every future project
• Build better processes
• Strengthen team culture
• Increase profitability

Agencies that run retrospectives consistently:

• Learn faster
• Scale easier
• Have happier teams
• Make more profit

Agencies that skip retrospectives:

• Repeat the same mistakes
• Burn out teams
• Plateau at 5-10 clients

Your choice: Keep making the same mistakes, or get 5% better after every project.

Compounding improvement is the secret to world-class agencies.