The Sprint Retrospective: Do you really Care?
Retrospectives are the only meeting where free food rivals the quality of the conversation! Look at this spread, we should call this meeting “Dessert-O-Spective”. I bet they source these pastries from a secret bakery run by unicorns. I love this hazelnut-infused donuts they are truly exquisite.
Ok, ok, ok, now its time to STOP dreaming. Let’s get into the reality and take a step back and just recall all the Retro’s you have attended. Have you seen anything unusual/strange.
Have you come across any of the scenarios listed below.
· For some Retrospectives just an opportunity to enjoy some snacks and chat with coworkers.
· Do you ever notice how many stakeholders join the Retros, even though they are not part of the Scrum Team? Sometimes it feels like they are outnumbered by the team.
· How often do people really talk about increase quality and effectiveness?
· Why only few people in the team talk?
· Why there are anonymous questions? What are they scared about?
· Why most people vote not to change the Definition of Done?
· How about the issues between offshore and onshore.
The list is endless, maybe you are able to comprehend, maybe not. You might have a perfect team and having the perfect Retrospective experience.
Well in that case, I am going to ask you the question again; do you really Care? If yes keep reading to understand all about retrospective.
Do we really need a Retrospective?
I guess “no argument there”, definitely we do need a Retrospective. Without that it is an opportunity lost for the Scrum Team to reflect.
What is the purpose of the Retrospective?
“The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.” (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 10)
Who is responsible to make it happen?
The scrum master makes sure that the team spend some time on reflection, in collaboration with the product owner.
Who all are involved in Retro’s?
Only the Scrum Team, no one else. Not even a project co-ordinator/Manager. None of the Management staff.
How often does it happen?
Once in every Sprint
Why Retrospectives are important?
Without a retrospective, the Scrum Team will not have time to inspect, improve, and adapt.
· Retrospectives are an opportunity to learn from each other’s insights and grow as a team.
· Retrospectives are a chance to improve things and take positive actions, not to blame or criticize each other.
· Retrospectives provides a chance to dig deeper into the team’s processes, communication patterns, team dynamics to identify the root causes.
“The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done.” (Ref. Scrum Guide 2020. Page 10)
Did you Know:
The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint.
What do you discuss in those sessions?
The retrospective is a chance for the team to embrace agility and learn from their experiences. The team chooses what topics and areas they want to explore, depending on their field and industry. They mainly focus on how they communicate, how they work, and what tools they use.
Scrum Team aims to improve their performance by learning from their past errors and avoiding repetition.
Did you Know:
For shorter Sprints, the Retrospective event is usually shorter.
How do we get better at Retro’s?
· The scrum master ensures that everyone has a voice and a chance to contribute during the discussions. They encourage the silent ones to share their thoughts and feelings openly and freely.
· The Scrum team reflects on their Sprint and identifies what worked well and what didn’t. The Scrum master selects a topic from the list and tries to find out the root cause of the problem and how to solve it.
· The Scrum Master is responsible for making the retrospective a structured and fruitful activity. They plan and organize the retrospective carefully, as it has a limited time frame.
· The most critical issues are addressed first, and those could even become a backlog.
Now you know the importance of the retrospectives, I have couple of requests to make.
Dear Team Members please share your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas. Sprint Retrospectives is an opportunity to embrace transparency and contribute towards continuous improvement. Retrospectives provides a structured forum for teams to engage in honest self-reflection, openly discuss what’s working and what’s not, and collectively identify areas for improvement.
Dear Stakeholders get off Scrum Teams back and give them space to observe during Retros. Sprint Retrospectives are not just about pointing out flaws; they’re about understanding the underlying reasons behind those flaws. the more you become involved, the more damage you are creating, by not trusting the team to do the right thing.
Dear Managers, it is not a performance review session, please don’t punish people who share. Sprint Retrospectives creates a safe passage for team members to voice their opinions and suggestions without fear of judgment. Don’t keep scores. This open dialogue fosters a culture of psychological safety, where team members feel empowered to contribute their unique perspectives without hesitation, don’t hinder the adoption process.
By approaching each retrospective with a willingness to learn and adapt, teams can continuously refine their processes and deliver exceptional value to their customers.
Let me know what you think. Make some suggestions in the comments section, share your experience and ideas.
This is a part of Decoding Scrum Guide 2020 series.
Article 2 — How does Scrum help to achieve continual improvement?
Article 3 — How to make Scrum Successful?
Article 4 — Why everyone despise scrum theory?
Article 5 — Daily Stand-ups are waste of time.
Article 6 — Let’s get rid of Scrum Master.
Article 7 — Who are Product Owners and what do they do?
Article 8 — Who are Developers? What are their Accountabilities?
Article 9 — The notorious Scrum Team.
Article 10 — Why do we need Sprint Planning?
