Agile Retrospectives : 5 Golden Rules Luke Brabin & Juan Pozo

Agile Retro. What’s that?

A special meeting at the end of a period of work where the team steps back and:

• Examines the way they work • Analyse and identify ways to improve

Is your retro a waste of time?

Lack of... • Focus • Participation • Insight • Buy-in from the team / manager • Following through on actions

...why should you really care?

• Continuous team improvement! • Over time, they help good teams become great teams.

The 5 Golden Rules

• Set the stage • Gather data • Generate insights • Decide what to do • Close the retrospective

1) Set The Stage

• Establish peoples focus / topic for this retro • Communicate the plan for the meeting • Get everyone involved and ready • Remove other concerns and distractions

1) Set The Stage - Technique

2) Gather Data

• Data is relevant to the FOCUS set on the STAGE • Collate both objective and subjective experiences • Get the facts out and visible, e.g. Whiteboard • Both positive and negative outcomes

2) Gather Data - Technique

Creative data categorising technique - Top Gear style

‘Cool Wall’.

3) Generate Insight

• Discuss why the team needs to improve within established facts • Understand influences and root causes • Identify patterns or toxic practices • Share awareness of problems

3) Generate Insight - Technique

Insights written on board next to data

4) Decide what to do

• Transfer discussion to solution focused action • Agree one or two actions or experiments to fix an agreed problem • Team commitment to shared actions • Target realistic and tangible outcomes with energy

5) Close the retrospective

• Re-iterate outcomes • Confirm communication of actions (add to sprint board) • Identify ways to make next retro better

Retro actions clearly visible on sprint

board

Remember...be creative! Thanks (:

Retrospective – 5 Golden Rules