This event is central for reinforcing Agile philosophy and continuously improving the processes involved in project execution. As a candidate working towards your Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) exam, understanding the Sprint Retrospective is of tremendous importance.
What is a Sprint Retrospective?
In brief, a Sprint Retrospective is a meeting held by a Scrum Team at the end of a Sprint to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint. As the Scrum guide succinctly puts it, the Sprint Retrospective is an “opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint.”
This event marks the end of the Sprint process and is designed to encourage team-building and communication. It follows the Sprint Review and happens before the next Sprint Planning session.
Performing a Sprint Retrospective: The Basics
A usual Sprint retrospective covers three general questions:
- What went well in this Sprint? This question allows the team to recognize the positive elements of the work process during the past Sprint, building a sense of team achievement and paving the way for these positives to be reinforced in the future.
- What could be improved for the next Sprint? A critical aspect is creating an environment where team members can openly discuss challenges faced during the Sprint without fear of judgment or blame.
- What will we commit to improving in the next Sprint? The team agrees on specific actions that it will aim to implement in the following Sprint with the goal of improving its functionality or productivity.
The Five-Step Approach for Conducting a Sprint Retrospective
- Set the Stage: This first step is about ensuring everyone is present and setting the right mood for the event. As a Scrum Master, ensure a safe and trusting environment is created for everyone to express their opinions freely.
- Gather Data: The team reviews the various events that occurred during the Sprint, including obstacles faced, metrics achieved, etc. It’s good to have a range of data sources — from objective to subjective, quantitative to qualitative.
- Generate Insights: The Scrum team discusses the data gathered to identify patterns, underlying issues, or potential improvements. This stage requires critical thinking and is the heart of the Sprint Retrospective.
- Decide What to Do: The team agrees on a list of specific and achievable modifications to implement in the next Sprint. These changes may relate to workflow, communication, resource application, or any other aspects the team decides should be improved.
- Close the Retrospective: In this final step, the team reflects on the Retrospective meeting, appreciates each other’s contributions, and gets ready to embark on the next Sprint.
Important Aspects of Sprint Retrospective
A Safe Environment: As a Scrum Master, you have a responsibility to create a welcoming and safe space for the team members to share their thoughts and experiences without fear of retribution or judgment.
Tangible Improvements: It’s important not to get lost in extensive discussion and lose sight of the main aim – improving the next Sprint. The team should leave with concrete actions to take away.
Foster Collaboration: Sprint Retrospectives are about the power of the collective. It is less about individual performances and more about how the team works collectively.
In conclusion, understanding and effectively conducting a Sprint Retrospective is very critical for obtaining the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification. Remember, the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to inspect and adapt the process, and it’s not a platform for blaming. Instead, it should be a constructive and collaborative event that fosters open communication, continuous improvement, and team bonding.
Practice Test
True or False: The Sprint Retrospective is an optional step in the Scrum process.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Sprint Retrospective is an essential step in the Scrum process. It is a meeting that occurs after the Sprint Review but before the next Sprint Planning, facilitating the team in discussing and learning from their experience in the previous Sprint.
Which among the following is a purpose of the Sprint Retrospective?
- a) Decision-making for the Product Backlog
- b) Assessment of the Sprint and identifying ways to improve
- c) Removal of unnecessary team members
- d) Progressing on the Product Backlog
Answer: b) Assessment of the Sprint and identifying ways to improve
Explanation: The Sprint Retrospective is used to inspect the last Sprint and determine what could be improved in the next Sprint, fostering continuous improvement within the Scrum team.
True or False: The Sprint Retrospective should only involve the Scrum Master.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Sprint Retrospective is a meeting designed for the entire Scrum team – including the Scrum Master, Product Owner and Development team. Everyone gets the opportunity to voice their thoughts and ideas for continuous improvement.
Who facilitates the Sprint Retrospective meeting?
- a) Product Owner
- b) Stakeholders
- c) Scrum Master
- d) External Agile Coach
Answer: c) Scrum Master
Explanation: The Scrum Master facilitates the Sprint Retrospective meeting, ensuring that the team is open and helping them learn from previous experiences.
True or False: The Sprint Retrospective meeting often leads to modifications in the Scrum process.
Answer: True
Explanation: The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to enable the team to inspect their actions and make adaptions accordingly, which often leads to modifications of the Scrum process.
Which of the following is NOT an outcome from the Sprint Retrospective?
- a) Understanding of what went well
- b) Actions for improvement
- c) Feedback from the stakeholders
- d) Understanding of what didn’t go well
Answer: c) Feedback from the stakeholders
Explanation: The Sprint Retrospective focusses on the Scrum team’s actions and experiences rather than obtaining feedback from the stakeholders.
The duration of the Sprint Retrospective should be:
- a) Same as the Sprint Planning meeting
- b) Three hours for a one-month Sprint
- c) As long as the Product Owner needs
- d) As long as the Scrum Team needs
Answer: b) Three hours for a one-month Sprint
Explanation: Scrum Guide suggests that a Sprint Retrospective should last up to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint.
True or False: Sprint Retrospective meetings can only review negative aspects of the team’s work.
Answer: False
Explanation: Sprint Retrospective meetings review both what went well and what didn’t go well. The aim is not to solely focus on the negatives, but to identify opportunities for improvement.
Who should attend the Sprint Retrospective?
- a) The Scrum Team only
- b) The Scrum Team and stakeholders
- c) The Scrum Team, stakeholders, and end users
- d) The Scrum Team and end users
Answer: a) The Scrum Team only
Explanation: The Sprint Retrospective is an internal meeting for the Scrum Team itself–including the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and the Development Team members.
True or False: The objective of the Sprint Retrospective is to assign blame for any issues that occurred during the Sprint.
Answer: False
Explanation: The objective of the Sprint Retrospective is not to assign blame. It aims instead to create an open and safe environment for the team to identify and discuss opportunities for improvement.
Interview Questions
What is the main purpose of a Sprint Retrospective?
The main purpose of a Sprint Retrospective is to provide an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect and adapt the past Sprint, to identify improvements that can be implemented in the next Sprint, and to celebrate their achievements.
Who should participate in a Sprint Retrospective?
A Sprint Retrospective should include all members of the Scrum Team, that is, the Product Owner, the Development Team, and the Scrum Master.
How long should a Sprint Retrospective last?
According to the Scrum guide, a Sprint Retrospective typically lasts for around three hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, it’s usually shorter.
What is prime directive in a Sprint Retrospective?
The prime directive in a Sprint Retrospective states that regardless of what is discovered, every team member should understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what was known at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand.
Which are the three main areas on which Sprint Retrospective focuses?
The Sprint Retrospective meeting focuses on three main areas: what went well in the last Sprint, what didn’t go so well, and what could be improved for the next Sprint.
Who leads a Sprint Retrospective?
The Scrum Master typically facilitates the Sprint Retrospective, but the whole team participates and provides their inputs.
How does a Sprint Retrospective contribute to continuous improvement?
Sprint Retrospectives contribute to continuous improvement by enabling the Scrum team to inspect their past performance, identify strengths and shortcomings, and formulate specific strategies for improvement in the next Sprint.
Can you skip the Sprint Retrospective meeting?
No, the Sprint Retrospective is an essential part of the Scrum framework. Skipping it might hinder the team’s ability to improve and adapt.
What is the outcome of a Sprint Retrospective?
The outcome of a Sprint Retrospective is ideally a list of specific and manageable improvement items that the team agrees to implement in the next Sprint.
How should a Sprint Retrospective be conducted to be effective?
To be effective, a Sprint Retrospective should be held in an open, honest and blame-free environment. It should encourage team participation, introspection, and commitment to improve on identified areas.
What should a Scrum Master do if team members are reluctant to participate in a Sprint Retrospective?
A Scrum Master should foster a safe and open environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. They can also employ several engaging Retrospective techniques to make the session more interactive and engaging.
Should customer or stakeholders be part of a Sprint Retrospective?
No. A Sprint Retrospective is a meeting for the Scrum Team only. This lets the team have open discussions and reflect honestly on their performance.
What is the difference between a Sprint Review and a Sprint Retrospective?
A Sprint Review focuses on the product — what was done in the last Sprint and what could be the next steps, while a Sprint Retrospective focuses on the team’s processes and performance — what went well and what needs improvement.
Why is it important to action the items identified in a Sprint Retrospective?
It’s important to action items from a Sprint Retrospective to ensure continuous improvement. If no action is taken on the identified areas, then the same issues might continue to occur, stunting the team’s growth and effectiveness.
How can a team ensure that actions from the Sprint Retrospective are implemented?
Actions from the Sprint Retrospective can be added to the product backlog as items to be worked on. The Scrum Master plays a key role in ensuring follow up and implementation of these improvement actions.