Scrum Retrospective ideas
In the realm of Agile approaches and the Scrum framework, retrospectives are super important. As one of the key Scrum events, a Scrum Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements. Which can hopefully be enacted during the next Sprint. The importance of retrospectives in Agile and Scrum cannot be overstated as they foster a culture of continuous improvement, a cornerstone of Agile principles.
As a quick summary, the main ideas for Scrum retrospectives:
- understanding that the purpose is to identify successes, understand challenges, and create an action plan for improvements
- Prepare properly for retrospectives
- Apply a range of techniques, such as Start Stop Continue, Mad Sad Glad, Sailboat and Starfish.
Understanding Scrum Retrospectives
A Scrum Retrospective is a meeting held at the end of each Sprint, where the Scrum Team reflects on the past Sprint, discusses what went well, what didn’t, and decides on what changes to make in the next Sprint. The participants in a Scrum Retrospective are the Product Owner, the Development Team, and the Scrum Master.
The primary goals of a Scrum Retrospective are to:
- Identify and celebrate successes
- Uncover and understand challenges
- Generate insights for improvement
- Create an action plan for the next Sprint
These goals align with the Scrum principles of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. By reflecting on the past Sprint, the team can gain valuable insights into their performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
Preparing for a Scrum Retrospective
The Scrum Master, as the facilitator, prepares for the Scrum Retrospective by setting the agenda and ensuring a safe and open environment. The agenda typically includes a review of the past Sprint, discussion of the team’s observations, and creation of an action plan. The environment should encourage open communication, where every team member feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and feedback.
The Scrum Master should also ensure that the retrospective is time-boxed, to maintain focus and be effective. While the Scrum Guide suggests a time-box of three hours for a one-month Sprint, the duration can be adjusted based on the Sprint length and the team’s needs.
I actually find one to two hours is plenty of time, especially for a two week sprint. You can try different times of course, until you reach one that is right for you and your team.
Scrum Retrospective Techniques
There are several techniques that can be used to facilitate effective retrospectives. These techniques provide a structured approach to the discussion, making it easier for team members to share their thoughts and ideas. Here are some popular ones:
Start, Stop, Continue
This technique involves discussing what the team should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing. It helps the team focus on specific actions and behaviors, and decide on the changes to make.
I like that it provides opportunities to focus on different types of actions to change. I don’t however like that it doesn’t provide an opportunity to ask questions or challenge assumptions.
Mad, Sad, Glad
Team members share what made them mad, sad, or glad during the Sprint. This technique encourages team members to express their emotions, which can lead to deeper insights and understanding. People often feel emotional in retrospectives and want to vent. And this format can help with that.
It’s not really my favourite though. Retrospectives should be more about rational analysis and problem solving, than emotional venting. I rarely use this retrospective format. I don’t feel it often leads to concrete action items.
Sailboat
This technique uses the metaphor of a sailboat, where anchors are impediments, and wind in the sails represents helping factors. It helps the team visualize their progress and the factors affecting it.
Four L’s – Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For
Team members reflect on what they liked, what they learned, what was lacking, and what they longed for during the Sprint. This technique encourages team members to reflect deeply on their experiences.
This format has four categories (which I find to be a bit of a magic number). So that’s a plus in my book. However, I find the difference between “lacked” and “longed for” to be a bit confusing.
Starfish
This technique involves discussing more of, less of, start, stop, and keep. It provides a good overview of the team’s performance and potential improvements. I find it is better than the Start Stop Continue retrospective format (described above).
Speed Car / Sailboat
This technique uses the metaphor of a car, where the engine represents what drives the team, obstacles are impediments, and the brake is what slows the team down. It helps the team understand their momentum and the factors affecting it.
Another common version of the Speed Car is the Sailboat format. It is pretty similar, but you have wind in the sails (strengths), and rocks underwater (risks) and bad weather (impediments or issues). I find that it can work well as a break from the usual formats. If people are getting sick and tired of them.
Timeline
The team constructs a timeline of events during the Sprint and discusses the high and low points. This technique provides a detailed view of the Sprint, helping the team understand the sequence of events and their impact.
Timeline works well in my experience if you are at the end of a big project or release.
Each of these techniques has its strengths and can be chosen based on the team’s needs and the context of the Sprint. The Scrum Master can also introduce variations to these techniques to keep the retrospectives engaging and effective.
Tips for Effective Scrum Retrospectives
To ensure effective Scrum Retrospectives:
- Ensure everyone’s participation: Every team member should have the opportunity to share their thoughts and feedback. The Scrum Master can facilitate this by creating a safe and open environment, and by using facilitation techniques that encourage participation.
- Focus on team improvement: The retrospective should focus on improving team performance and not on blaming individuals. The team should approach the retrospective with a positive mindset, focusing on learning and improvement.
- Follow up on action items: The team should commit to the action items and follow up on them in the next Sprint. The Scrum Master can facilitate this by tracking the action items and ensuring that they are discussed in the next retrospective.
Common Challenges in Scrum Retrospectives and How to Overcome Them
Scrum Retrospectives can face several challenges, including lack of participation, a negative atmosphere, and no improvements after the retrospective. These can be overcome by ensuring a safe and open environment, focusing on positive aspects along with challenges, and following up on action items.
- Lack of participation: If some team members are not participating, the Scrum Master can encourage them by asking open-ended questions and ensuring that everyone has a chance to speak.
- Negative atmosphere: If the retrospective has a negative atmosphere, the Scrum Master can help the team focus on the positive aspects and the potential for improvement. The team should also remember the Scrum values of respect and courage, and approach the retrospective with a positive mindset.
- No improvements after the retrospective: If the team is not seeing improvements after the retrospective, it could be due to lack of follow-up on action items. The Scrum Master can help the team track their action items and ensure that they are implemented in the next Sprint.
Conclusion
Scrum Retrospectives are a vital part of the Scrum framework and Agile methodology. They provide an opportunity for the team to reflect, learn, and improve. By using effective techniques and overcoming common challenges, teams can make their retrospectives more productive and enjoyable, leading to continuous improvement and better product delivery.
FAQ Section
What is a Scrum Retrospective? A Scrum Retrospective is a meeting held at the end of each Sprint, where the Scrum Team reflects on the past Sprint, discusses what went well, what didn’t, and decides on what changes to make in the next Sprint.
How to conduct a Scrum Retrospective? A Scrum Retrospective is conducted by reviewing the past Sprint, discussing the team’s observations, and creating an action plan for the next Sprint. Various techniques like “Start, Stop, Continue” or “Mad, Sad, Glad” can be used to facilitate the discussion.
What are some effective Scrum Retrospective techniques? Some effective Scrum Retrospective techniques include “Start, Stop, Continue”, “Mad, Sad, Glad”, “Sailboat”, “Four L’s – Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For”, “Starfish”, “Speed Car”, and “Timeline”. These retrospective formats are described above.
How to ensure everyone’s participation in a Scrum Retrospective? To ensure everyone’s participation in a Scrum Retrospective, create a safe and open environment where every team member feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and feedback.Also, use facilitation techniques that encourage participation from all team members.
How to deal with negative feedback in a Scrum Retrospective? Negative feedback in a Scrum Retrospective should be addressed constructively. Focus on the issue, not the person. Use it as an opportunity for improvement. Remember, the goal of a retrospective is not to blame, but to learn and improve.
Scrum Retrospectives are a powerful tool for continuous improvement in the Scrum framework. By effectively preparing for and conducting retrospectives, Scrum Teams can enhance their performance, improve their practices, and deliver greater value in their Sprints. As the Scrum Guide says, “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.” This is the essence of a Scrum Retrospective, and the key to continuous improvement in Scrum.
This video below gives you some more ideas to try for your retrospectives.
