What is an Agile retrospective and how to run it? Explained for beginners by Digimagg

What is an Agile retrospective?

A retrospective is an integral part of the broader Agile project management methodology. It provides an opportunity for team members to reflect on what's working effectively, what isn't, and how to enhance processes moving forward. For a retrospective to be effective, team alignment, shared understanding, active participation, and established follow-up mechanisms are essential.

How to run an effective retrospective meeting?

Horowitz dissects the process of a successful retrospective into five distinct phases.

Gather data

During the Gather Data phase of the retrospective, the aim is to ensure unanimity on the factual basis that will underpin the meeting's discussions. Horowitz highlighted the common occurrence in workplaces where individuals recall events differently. To illustrate this, he offered a simple analogy involving a couple deciding on a meal. The husband may claim last week's dinner lacked flavor, while the wife remembers it being delicious, leading to a disagreement on the upcoming meal choice. This disparity in recollection underscores the importance of establishing a shared understanding of past events before addressing any issues. In a retrospective, this phase may entail compiling a list of bugs encountered in the preceding weeks or presenting the burndown chart from the same period.

Generate insights

After ensuring alignment within the team regarding the data, the subsequent step is to extract insights. During this phase, straightforward questions can be posed, such as:

• What patterns emerge from the data?
• What aspects of the data surprise you?
• What insights did you gain?
• What new discoveries were made through analyzing the data?

While these questions may seem basic, they are designed to stimulate insights that may not have been previously recognized.

Setting the stage

Establishing an effective meeting begins with setting the stage. This phase involves a brief check-in to gauge the atmosphere of the room and align everyone's mindset for reflection. Horowitz emphasizes the importance of transitioning smoothly from deep technical work to introspective discussions. This can be achieved by prompting participants to share a single word describing their current emotions or by engaging in a collective deep-breathing exercise. These brief interventions serve to shift focus and prepare participants for the upcoming discussion.

Decide next steps

During this phase, the team converts the insights they've gained into actionable plans for moving forward.

Closing the retrospective

Once the team has agreed on a course of action, they can conclude the retrospective. This phase may involve providing feedback to the facilitator or expressing appreciation to participants for their contributions, as explained by Horowitz.

These five stages are further elaborated in the book, "Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great," where Horowitz is currently collaborating as a co-author on the updated edition.

Common reasons for Ineffectiveness in retrospective meetings

Through extensive interviews with numerous companies over the past six years, Horowitz identified three primary reasons why retrospective meetings can be ineffective: low participation, lack of psychological safety, and lack of follow-through. These challenges are outlined below, along with strategies to address them.

Lack of psychological safety

In some cases, individuals may speak up during retrospectives but withhold their true thoughts, opting to echo what they believe the team expects to hear. This reluctance to express genuine concerns or opinions impedes honest dialogue and prevents the team from addressing underlying issues. "While discussions may seem productive on the surface, team members may sense that crucial topics remain unaddressed," Horowitz elaborated, highlighting the importance of creating an environment where all team members feel comfortable sharing their perspectives.

Lack of follow-through

Even when team members actively participate and express their thoughts freely, the effectiveness of retrospectives can be compromised if there is no subsequent action to implement the outcomes of the discussion.

Low participation

Low participation often occurs when individuals perceive the retrospective meeting as merely a checkbox item rather than fully embracing its purpose. Consequently, they may remain passive and refrain from active engagement. "As a result, only the extroverts or senior leaders tend to contribute vocally, while others remain passive, simply waiting for the meeting to end," Horowitz noted. This scenario risks prioritizing the views of outspoken individuals over the collective intelligence of the team.

Tips for conducting an effective retrospective meeting

To address the lack of follow-through, Horowitz suggests paying attention to the ideas that generate excitement and momentum within the team. He advises team leaders to prioritize these energizing ideas over perfect but stagnant ones. This approach, known as "following the energy," can facilitate meaningful change and increase the likelihood of success.

Another strategy is to designate an action item ambassador from the team. This individual is responsible for overseeing the implementation of specific changes discussed during the retrospective. While they may not undertake all tasks themselves, they serve as the point person for tracking progress, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring accountability. The willingness of team members to volunteer for this role can indicate their level of commitment and enthusiasm for driving change.

Visualizations are also valuable tools for promoting follow-through. By creating tangible representations of action plans and goals, teams can better track progress and stay motivated. For instance, a simple chart listing each day of the week can visually depict daily interactions with stakeholders. As each interaction occurs, a checkmark is added to the corresponding day, providing a visual cue of progress and encouraging ongoing discussion and adjustment as needed.

While visualizing certain action plans may pose challenges, Horowitz emphasizes the importance of creatively exploring visualization options tailored to the specific goals and objectives of the team.