retrospective - the most ignored event in scrum

Sanjay Saini – ©2016. All Rights Reserved 1

Sprint Retrospective Meetingthe most ignored event in Scrum


What is a retrospective?As per Wikipedia - “Retrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place”

Lesson learned

Knowledge sharing

Post mortem analysis

Blame game meeting


How does it fit into Agile?

Principle# 12 -

“At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.”


How do we do retrospectives?1. What went well?

2. What didn’t go well?

3. What can be improved?


References and acknowledgement

Esther Derby

Diana Larsen

David Horowitz

Luis Goncalves

None of the images being used in this slide deck are mine, thanks to all the owners


Five steps retrospective

Set the stage Gather data Generate

insightsDecide

what to do

Close the retrospectiv

e


Step# 1 – Set the stage


insightsDecide

what to do


e


Set the stage

1. Welcome everyone

2. Set the working agreements –

a) Inquiry rather than Advocacy

b) Dialogue rather than Debate

c) Conversation rather than Argument

d) Understanding rather than Defending


Step# 2 – Gather Data


insightsDecide

what to do


e


Gather data

Gathering data creates a shared picture


Gather data #1 - Triple Nickels1. Each team member write 2-5 data

items/notes, use separate paper for each item/note

2. Pass on the paper to your right

3. Each team member shall read the paper

4. Write down data item/note that build on the item/note already written on the paper

5. Repeat until the paper returns to the original writer

Everyone gets the chance to contribute equally in developing the data set


Gather data # 2 – Color code the timeline1. Think back over the sprint and

remember all the memorable and significant events

2. Each team member shall write them down on sticky note

3. Draw the timeline on a board and paste the sticky notes on it

4. Each team member will have 5-10 Green (high energy) and Blue (low energy) dots

5. Let each individual put the dots against each event on the timeline

When you have limited time, this technique filters topics for discussion


Gather data # 3 – Mad Sad and Glad1. Divide the board into three parts – Mad

Sad and Glad

2. Ask team to write down event when they were mad, sad or glad

3. Paste sticky note into respective section

4. Read each note and ask “Is this similar to earlier one”

5. Cluster into People, Process and Customer

Instead of Mad Sad and Glad you can use Prouds and Sorries


Gather data #4 – Locate Strength1. Prepare questions for identifying the

strengths so the team can build on them in next sprint

2. Form pairs and hand out the questions

3. Have the pair choose who will interview first

4. When the first interview is finished, switch roles

5. Share findings with the entire group

It helps team remember that even dismay sprints have good moments

Q# - What is the best thing happened during the Sprint?

Q# - Based upon your association so far share your best moment with the team?


Gather data #5 – Team Radar1. Identify the factors to be measured e.g.

engineering practices, process, product quality, team work, external factors

2. Give sticky notes to team members

3. Ask them to vote on each criteria between 1-5

4. Average out and plot on a spider chart

A quick and painless way to uncover emotional data


Gather data – Quick recap1. Triple Nickels

2. Color code the timeline

3. Mad Sad and Glad

4. Locate Strength

5. Team Radar


Triple Nickel Color code the timeline

Mad Sad and Glad Locate Strength Team Radar

1. Each team member write 2-5 data items/notes, use separate paper for each item/note

2. Pass on the paper to your right

3. Each team member shall read the paper

4. Write down data item/note that build on the item/note already written on the paper

5. Repeat until the paper returns to the original writer

Everyone gets the chance to contribute equally in developing the data set

1. Think back over the sprint and remember all the memorable and significant events

2. Each team member shall write them down on sticky note

3. Draw the timeline on a board and paste the sticky notes on it

4. Each team member will have 5-10 Green (high energy) and Blue (low energy) dots

5. Let each individual put the dots against each event on the timeline

When you have limited time, this technique filters topics for discussion

1. Divide the board into three parts – Mad Sad and Glad

2. Ask team to write down event when they were mad, sad or glad

3. Paste sticky note into respective section

4. Read each note and ask “Is this similar to earlier one”

5. Cluster into People, Process and Customer

Instead of Mad Sad and Glad you can use Prouds and Sorries

1. Prepare questions for identifying the strengths so the team can build on them in next sprint

2. Form pairs and hand out the questions

a) What is the best thing you like about the team?

b) Based upon your association so far share your best moment with the team?

3. Have the pair choose who will interview first

4. When the first interview is finished, switch roles

5. Share findings with the entire group

It helps team remember that even dismay sprints have good moments

1. Identify the factors to be measured e.g. engineering practices, process, product quality, team work, external factors

2. Give sticky notes to team members

3. Ask them to vote on each criteria between 1-5

4. Average out and plot on a spider chart

A quick and painless way to uncover emotional data


Step# 3 – Generate Insights


insightsDecide

what to do


e


Generate insights

Make meaningful information from the data gathered in the previous step


Generate insights #1 – Five Whys1. Review the issues and themes that the

team has already identified

2. Divide the team into pairs

3. One member asks the question why an event or problem occurred

4. In response to the answer, the questioner asks why that happened

5. Record the response that come out till the fifth Why?

6. Have the pairs report what they discovered

7. Use this information as input into the next phase, Decide What to Do.

Dig deeper and don’t settle for the obvious e.g. we should do a better job at writing test cases.


Generate insights #2 - Fishbone1. Draw a fishbone diagram

2. Write the problem or issue at the fish’s head

3. Label the bones of the fish with categories

4. Brainstorm and write causes and factors for each category

5. Items appearing under more than one category will be the most likely causes

Look for reasons behind problems and breakdowns


Generate insights #3 – Learning Matrix1. Let the team discuss the data gathered in

previous step

2. Divide the flip chart or board into four quadrant

a) Smiley – what did we do well that we want to continue?

b) Frowny – what would we like to change?c) Light bulb – What new ideas have come up?d) Bouquet – who do we want to stop?

3. Ask team members to post their idea in the respective quadrant

4. Prioritize the ideas using dots.

Helps team members find what’s significant in their data


Generate insights #4 – Patterns and Shifts1. Facilitate a discussion for analyzing the data

gathered in previous step

2. Focus on an event at a time, go through event by event

3. Let the participants write notes on what they noticed or felt for an event

4. Looks for links and connection between facts and feelings, do you see a pattern or shift?

5. Review and ask question – how do these patterns or shifts contribute to our current issues?

6. Ask which ones are most important to address in the next Sprint and move to next step

Things were going smoothly but suddenly it got crazy or vice versa


Generate insights #5 – Identify Themes1. Form two or three interview groups

2. Each group will discuss the themes heard during the previous step

3. Each group will post their findings

4. After all groups are done, ask the entire group to sort the cards in clusters

5. Ask the group to select a cluster that they want to work on.

Find common themes for experiments, changes and recommendations


Generate insights – Quick Recap1. Five Whys

2. Fishbone

3. Learning Matrix

4. Patterns and Shifts

5. Identify Themes


Five Whys Fishbone Learning Matrix Patterns and Shifts Identify Themes

1. Review the issues and themes that the team has already identified

2. Divide the team into pairs

3. One member asks the question why an event or problem occurred

4. In response to the answer, the questioner asks why that happened

5. Record the response that come out till the fifth Why?

6. Have the pairs report what they discovered

7. Use this information as input into the next phase, ‘Decide what to do’.

Discover underlying conditions that contribute to an issue

1. Draw a fishbone diagram

2. Write the problem or issue at the fish’s head

3. Label the bones of the fish with categories

4. Brainstorm and write causes and factors for each category

5. Items appearing under more than one category will be the most likely causes

Look for reasons behind problems and breakdowns

1. Let the team discuss the data gathered in previous step

2. Divide the flip chart or board into four quadrant

3. Smiley – what did we do well that we want to continue?

4. Frowny – what would we like to change?

5. Light bulb – What new ideas have come up?

6. Bouquet – who do we want to appreciate?

7. Ask team members to post their idea in the respective quadrant

8. Prioritize the ideas using dots.

Helps team members find what’s significant in their data

1. Facilitate a discussion for analyzing the data gathered in previous step

2. Focus on an event at a time, go through event by event

3. Let the participants write notes on what they noticed or felt for an event

4. Looks for links and connection between facts and feelings, do you see a pattern or shift?

5. Review and ask question – how do these patterns or shifts contribute to our current issues?

6. Ask which ones are most important to address in the next Sprint and move to next step

Things were going smoothly but suddenly it got crazy or vice versa

1. Form two or three interview groups

2. Each group will discuss the themes heard during the previous step

3. Each group will post their findings

4. After all groups are done, ask the entire group to sort the cards in clusters

5. Ask the group to select a cluster that they want to work on.

Find common themes for experiments, changes and recommendations


Step# 4 – Decide what to do


insightsDecide

what to do


e


Decide what to do

Team develop proposals for action, create detailed plans for experiments and set measureable goals to achieve the results


Decide what to do #1 – Retrospective planning games

1. Work individually or in pairs to generate all the tasks

2. Compare tasks, eliminate duplicates and fill gaps

3. Cluster the tasks and again check for duplicates and gaps

4. Order the tasks

5. Let team members sign up for the tasks

Develop detailed plans for experiments or proposals


Decide what to do #2 – SMART Goals

1. Form groups around the items that the team prioritized to work on

2. Ask each group to develop SMART goals for the prioritized item

3. Identify action plans for accomplishing the goal

4. Confirm with the rest of the groups on the goals and action plan

Develop specific measurable actions e.g. pair programming at-least for 4 hours a day


Decide what to do #3 – Circle of Questions1. Invite team members to sit in a circle

2. Turn to the person on your left and ask a question e.g. “From your perspective, what is the highest priority for us to try in the next Sprint and why?”

3. The team member answers, from his or her perspective, to the best of his or her knowledge and ability.

4. Then that team member becomes the questioner, turning to the person on his or her left to ask a question that extends the previous discussion or starts a new one.

5. The new respondent answers and, then in turn, asks a question and so on

Team members engage in a question asking and answering process to reach consensus on next steps


Decide what to do – Quick Recap1. Retrospective planning games

2. SMART goals

3. Circle of Questions


Retrospective Planning Games

SMART Goals Circle of Questions

1. Work individually or in pairs to generate all the tasks

2. Form pairs of pairs to compare tasks, eliminate duplicates and fill gaps

3. Cluster the tasks and again check for duplicates and gaps

4. Order the tasks

5. Let team members sign up for the tasks

Develop detailed plans for experiments or proposals

1. Form groups around the items that the team prioritized to work on

2. Ask each group to develop SMART goals for the prioritized item

3. Identify action plans for accomplishing the goal

4. Confirm with the rest of the groups on the goals and action plan

Develop specific measurable actions e.g. pair programming at-least for 4 hours a day

1. Invite team members to sit in a circle

2. Turn to the person on your left and ask a question e.g. “From your perspective, what is the highest priority for us to try in the next Sprint and why?”

3. The team member answers, from his or her perspective, to the best of his or her knowledge and ability.

4. Then that team member becomes the questioner, turning to the person on his or her left to ask a question that extends the previous discussion or starts a new one.

Team members engage in a question asking and answering process to reach consensus on next steps


Step# 5 – Close the Retrospective


insightsDecide

what to do


e


Close the Retrospective

Closing the retrospective provides moments for continuous improvement, for reflecting on what happened during the retrospective, and for expressing appreciation


Close the Retrospective #1 - +/Delta1. Draw a T on a piece of flip chart paper

2. Ask the group to list down strengths and changes

3. Compare the list with previous retrospectives

4. Thank the group for their candid feedback

Delta is the Greek alphabet symbol for change

Retrospective Improvement+

Identify strengths and changes for the next retrospective


Close the Retrospective #2 – Return on Time Invested

1. Discuss the rating scale with team

2. Going around the circle, ask each team member to say the number that reflects their ROTI

3. Ask those who rated 0 or 1, what they wanted but didn’t get

4. Ask those who rated 2 or more to say what benefits they received

5. A 0 doesn’t mean the meeting was bad, the person may was distracted.

Gauge the effectiveness of the session from the team members perspective


Close the Retrospective #3 - Appreciations1. Appreciate how others have contributed

during the session and during the sprint.

2. Demonstrate with a sample e.g. “Steve, I appreciate you for helping me in completing the unit test cases”.

3. Sit down, wait, someone will offer an appreciation.

4. Allow silence, some people need time to think before they appreciate.

End the retrospective on a positive note


Close the Retrospective – Quick Recap1. +/Delta

2. Return on Time Invested

3. Appreciations


+/Delta ROTI Appreciation

1. Draw a T on a piece of flip chart paper

2. Ask the group to list down strengths and changes

3. Compare the list with previous retrospectives

4. Thank the group for their candid feedback

Identify strengths and changes for the next retrospective

1. Discuss the rating scale with team

2. Going around the circle, ask each team member to say the number that reflects their ROTI

3. Ask those who rated 0 or 1, what they wanted but didn’t get

4. Ask those who rated 2 or more to say what benefits they received

5. A 0 doesn’t mean the meeting was bad, the person may was distracted.

Gauge the effectiveness of the session from the team members perspective

1. Appreciate how others have contributed during the session and during the sprint.

2. Demonstrate with a sample e.g. “Steve, I appreciate you for helping me in completing the unit test cases”.

3. Sit down, wait, someone will offer an appreciation.

4. Allow silence, some people need time to think before they appreciate.

End the retrospective on a positive note


Q&A

Share experiences from your retrospective meetings

retrospective - the most ignored event in scrum

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