Ever have been part of big, high-stakes projects with tight deadlines and lots of moving parts? When you’re working with a huge team, things can get messy—especially if it’s your first time handling something on that scale.

The Project: A Massive Collaboration

We recently wrapped up a project for a well-known gaming IP, that involved around 100 people. It took six months from start to finish and was a completely new experience for our company. Before the final review, nine teams ran their own internal retrospectives. Then, 25 people—including reps from every team and senior managers—joined a 4.5-hour online session to reflect on the whole experience.

We had the launch of a project with a famous gaming IP, that involved approximately 100 people. It took six months from inception to release and was the company’s first experience of this kind. Nine teams conducted preliminary retrospectives within their groups. A total of 25 people participated in the 4.5-hour online review, including representatives from all involved teams and C-1 level managers.

The Challenge We Faced

The retrospective took place in two stages, and with such a large number of participants, the entire process from planning to completion took a month.

During preparation, we faced three main challenges:

1. Team Coordination: All participants were involved at different stages of the project. Some teams never interacted directly but influenced each other’s work indirectly. Others joined in mid-process. Many critical aspects impacted multiple teams, so it was difficult to reflect on issues in real time. 
2. Organizing the Discussion: Gathering such a large number of people, accounting for all feedback, and conducting an effective discussion seemed almost impossible.
3. Time limits. At the beginning, we planned to involve external experts due to workload concerns. However, after two weeks of negotiations, and internal organization, we had to handle everything ourselves.The first external trainer backed out a week after finalizing the scope of work. The second trainer was unavailable due to time constraints and documentation issues. A major provider offered to facilitate the event for a hefty fee but couldn’t meet our timeline. 

Solutions

While negotiating with potential contractors, I gradually formed a plan for achieving the desired results. Once it became clear we had to proceed independently, we developed a roadmap:

1. Creating a Template: A framework for teams to analyze their work, challenges (both internal and external), and key takeaways over 1.5 weeks.
2. Built a Collaboration Framework: While teams conducted internal analyses, I designed a structured approach for inter-team discussions, covering work processes, cross-team difficulties, and strong solutions to carry forward.
3. Hosted the 25-Person Session: With an internal facilitator assisting, we met our deadlines and conducted an in-depth analysis of challenges faced across different project stages.
4. Shared Findings: We documented key insights and shared them with all project participants, eventually distributing artifacts and gratitude notes to stakeholders.

Behind the Scenes

For HR colleagues, here’s a closer look at how the meeting was structured:

• Warm-Up: We started with assessing project complexity and team satisfaction to initiate emotional reflection, where participants recalled key moments.
• Reconstructing the Project Timeline: Each team mapped out their responsibilities, involvement, and tasks, recreating the major milestones. This clarified overlaps, hand-offs, and dependencies across teams.
• Group Discussions: Teams were pre-arranged to maximize cross-team intersections.  They discussed specific challenges tied to different phases of the timeline.
• Prioritization & Root Cause Analysis: After listing key challenges, we identified root causes and formulated actionable steps for resolution.
• Acknowledgments & Feedback: During the discussion, we recorded expressions of gratitude and recognized key contributors. A constructive and appreciative atmosphere was a key. 

Areas for Improvement

Even though the retrospective was mostly successful, there’s always room to grow. Here’s what I could  recommend to do differently next time:

1. Start Earlier: Waiting until after the launch to plan the retrospective added unnecessary pressure. Next time, I’d begin planning midway through the project.
2. Involve External Facilitators Earlier: While we managed without them, having an external facilitator could have brought fresh perspectives and reduced the burden on internal resources.
3. Shorten the Session: 4.5 hours was intense. Breaking it into smaller, more frequent sessions might have made it more manageable.
4. Follow-Up More Consistently: We could have done more to ensure accountability for action items.

Key Takeaways

During the retrospective, participants relived the project journey in a condensed format. This deep immersion, inter-team reflection, and problem-solving approach enabled teams to:

• Evaluate their work effectively
• Identify and address growth opportunities
• Recognize limitations and strengths

The process was emotionally intense but highly productive. Disagreements were handled with respect, and everyone found opportunities to express appreciation for their colleagues.

The project exceeded our market expectations and unlocked new opportunities. The retrospective played a crucial role in extracting key learnings. As a result, we launched our next collaboration two months faster with reduced effort. We look forward to new challenges and future successes.

Final Thoughts

Even a month later, team members continued sharing gratitude across various communication channels. This experience demonstrated the power of true teamwork, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of such an inspiring project.

As I look back, I’m filled with gratitude for having been part of such an inspiring project. It wasn’t just a collaboration with a famous entertainment IP, it was a collaboration with each other. And that, more than anything, is what made it unforgettable.

As we gear up for our next big project, I can’t help but feel excited. The lessons we learned from this retrospective have already made us stronger, more agile, and more connected. And who knows? Maybe our next launch will be even smoother, thanks to the power of reflection and teamwork.