A few times recently, I've been asked about retrospectives -- specifically how to keep them from becoming a gripe session. Here are a few things that I've found effective:
1. Start with the positive
While we certainly want to talk about and address any issues, I like to talk about the positive things that have occurred during the last period before we delve into things we might want to change. I haven't yet been involved in a retrospective where the list of positive things wasn't long. This helps set the tone for the rest of the retrospective.