This document discusses Agile Retrospectives, which are meetings held at the end of an iteration or project to inspect what went well and identify improvements for the next iteration. The document outlines how to effectively plan and facilitate a retrospective using different frameworks and activities. It emphasizes the importance of preparing well, deliberately facilitating the meeting, varying activities to engage participants, and tracking any actions identified to ensure continuous improvement.

1. Agile Retrospectives
Twitter: #agile101 @agilenewbies

2. Agenda
• Introductions
• Agile Retrospectives
• Group Exercise
• Wrap up
• Q&A

3. Introductions

4. “…special meetings that take place at the end of a period of
work—usually an iteration or software release”– Esther Derby
Agile Retrospectives?

5. Why Agile Retrospectives?
Makes Good teams Great!

6. Inspect and adapt
We will always
know more
than we know
here
Retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective
Retrospective

7. How do Retrospectives work?

8. How do you run an effective and
engaging Agile Retrospective?
• Prepare well
• Deliberately facilitate
• Use Retrospective
framework
• Vary retrospective
activities
• Track actions

9. Facilitate
Be deliberate…
• Clear
• Confident
• Aware
• Don’t contribute
(too much)

10. Anatomy of a Retrospective

11. Set the stage

12. Set the stage
Agree a ‘Goldilocks’ goal

13. Set the stage
Agree a ‘Goldilocks’ goal
Agree mind-set

14. Set the stage
Agree a ‘Goldilocks’ goal
Agree mind-set
Hear everyone’s voice

15. Set the stage: Check-in
Everyone answers a question
in one or two words:
“How was the sprint for you?”
“What is on your mind right now?”
“What are your hopes for
this retrospective?”

16. Gather data

17. Gather data
Generate shared memory
Observations not evaluations
Open up space to explore later

18. Gather data: Team Poll
Measure Satisfaction with Teamwork, Quality,
Engineering, ???

19. Gather data: Pair Interviews
• Pose a question like “What were the high and
low points of this sprint?”
• Pair-up, each person to interview the other
• Not a conversation; encourage interviewees to
keep to the role
• Report back

20. Generate insights

21. Generate insights
Explore, interpret, analyse the data
Look for patterns and themes
Think creatively

22. Generate insights:
Fishbone Diagram

23. Generate insights:
Fishbone Diagram

24. Generate insights:
Challenge Cards
Two Teams
• Challenge Team brainstorms
potential problems
• Solution Team brainstorms
features and strengths of the
team

25. Generate insights:
Challenge Cards
To Play:
• Challenge Team plays a card, solution team
picks a card that addresses the challenge
• Winner decided and points awarded
• If there is no solution, team designs a new
solution card together

26. Generate insights:
Challenge Cards

27. Decide what to do

28. Decide what to do
Move toward conclusions
Focus on improvement
Identify 2-5 actions

29. Decide what to do: Prioritize
Activities to prioritize:
• Dot voting
• Absolute order

30. Decide what to do: Create actions
Actions are return on investment
Ask:
• “Can ‘we’ achieve this?”
• “What does success look like?”
• “What’s the first step?”
• “Who is going to own this?”

31. Close the retrospective

32. Close the retrospective
Find out how the meeting went
What worked?
What didn’t?

33. Close the retrospective:
Feedback wall

34. Tracking actions
• Recorded
• In your face
• Reviewed
• Celebrated
• Disposable

35. How do you run an effective and
engaging Sprint Retrospective?
• Prepare well
• Deliberately facilitate
• Keep to Retrospective Framework
• Vary retrospective activities
• Track actions

36. Group Exercise

37. Awesome Retrospectives
Continuously improve
Respond to change
Think creatively
Happier team

38. Poor Retrospectives
Habitual thinking
Lack of focus
Lack of participation
No actionable outcomes

39. My team are literally allergic to the word
‘Retrospective’

40. My team talk to each other and we fix things
when they come up (you idiot)

41. My team/project is special because [reason], so
we don’t do retrospectives

42. Summary

43. Be prepared
Invest time
• More in = more out
• 2x meeting length

44. Be prepared
Decide
• Focus
• Duration
• Agenda
• Plans A & B

45. Be prepared
Gather
• Materials
• Snacks
• Help
• People

46. Questions?

47. References
Agile Retrospectives: Making Good
Teams Great (Derby and Larsen)
Gamestorming: A Playbook for
Innovators, Rulebreakers, and
Changemakers (Gray, Brown and
Macanufo)

48. Credits
The Art of Retrospectives - http://www.slideshare.net/chris_smith1976/the-art-
of-the-retrospective/5
Agile Retrospectives - http://www.slideshare.net/estherderby/agile-
retrospectives-4976896