Principlev1
Begin each retrospective by reviewing previous action items
Begin each retrospective by reviewing previous action items and requiring explicit accountability—either completion or a decision to deprioritize—to prevent insight without implementation.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Open-Loop Cognitive Cost (Zeigarnik) (unresolved commitments consume working memory) and Human memory under stress and cognitive load is unreliable (memory unreliable for execution). The principle creates a structural mechanism to close the loop between reflection and action, addressing the failure mode where teams reflect but don't change.