AgileWoW - Retrospective Practices & Tools

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This session was designed to elevate your skills and understanding in conducting effective retrospectives, a cornerstone for continuous improvement in any Agile environment.

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2. Agile Principle# 12
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At regular intervals, the team
reflects on how to become more
effective, then tunes and adjusts
its behavior accordingly

3. Why Retrospective?
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Improving Customer
Satisfaction
Enhancing Remote
Cohesion
Building Emotional
Intelligence
Amplifying Non-Verbal
Communication
Enhancing Risk
Management
Adaptability and
Flexibility
Validation or Practices
and Processes
Ownership and
Accountability
Fostering Creativity
Catalyzing Cultural
Change
Reducing Employee
Turnover
Encouraging Holistic
Thinking

4. Common Challenges with Retrospectives
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Lack of Participation
Dominance by Certain
Individuals
Repetitiveness and
Staleness
Inadequate Follow-up Time Constrains
Lack of Facilitation
Skills
Insufficient PreparationSurface Level Analysis
Psychological Safety
Issues
Cultural Resistance to
Chance
Echo Chamber Effect ?

5. Practices for Effective Retrospectives
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Prepare for the
Retrospective
Set a Clear Agenda
Ground Rules and
Meeting Agreement
Focus on Actionable
Outcomes
Evaluate the
Retrospective process
Rotate the Facilitator
Theme based
Retrospectives
External Facilitator Follow-up mechanism
Change the Setting ? ?

6. Tools for Effective Retrospectives
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7. Books on Retrospectives
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8. 50 Retrospective Questions
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1. Reflecting on the process (10)
2. Team Dynamics and Collaboration (10)
3. Looking at Outcomes and Quality (5)
4. Personal Reflection and Development (5)
5. Innovative Thinking and Creativity (5)
6. Future Planning and Improvement (10)
7. Feedback and External Perception (5)

9. 50 Retrospective Questions
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Reflecting on the Process:
1.What went particularly well during this
sprint/project?
2.Which of our processes proved most efficient
this time around?
3.What was the biggest challenge we faced, and
how did we handle it?
4.Were there any unexpected outcomes,
positive or negative?
5.How well did we meet our deliveries and why?
6.What tools or technologies were most
effective, and which were not?
7.How effective were our communication
practices?
8.Did we allocate our resources effectively?
9.Were there any tasks that took longer than
expected?
10.How well did we handle project changes and
adaptability?
Team Dynamics and Collaboration:
1.How do you feel about the team's collaboration
and communication?
2.Did everyone feel they could contribute ideas
freely?
3.Were there any instances of conflict, and how
were they resolved?
4.How can we improve our support for one
another?
5.What can we do to make our team meetings
more effective?
6.How effectively did we integrate new team
members, if applicable?
7.Did we have the right mix of skills for the work
at hand?
8.How can we better recognize individual
contributions?
9.What did we learn from each other?
10.Were workload and responsibilities fairly
distributed?

10. 50 Retrospective Questions
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Looking at Outcomes and Quality:
1.Did the final outcome meet the
client's/stakeholders' expectations?
2.How did the quality of our work compare to
previous sprints/projects?
3.Were there any quality issues, and what
caused them?
4.What can we do to enhance product quality in
the future?
5.How effective were our testing and quality
assurance processes?
Personal Reflection and Development:
1.What did you learn during this sprint/project?
2.Were you able to grow and develop new skills?
3.What support do you need from the team or
management?
4.How can we make your work more fulfilling or
enjoyable?
5.Did you feel your efforts were recognized and
appreciated?
Innovative Thinking and Creativity:
1.Were we innovative enough, and if not, what
held us back?
2.How can we foster a more creative
environment?
3.What big idea should we experiment with in the
next sprint/project?
4.How can we better capture and act upon
creative ideas?
5.What can we do to encourage more innovative
thinking in our team?

11. 50 Retrospective Questions
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Future Planning and Improvement:
1.What is one thing each of us can do to
contribute more effectively to the team?
2.Are there any skills we need to develop as a
team?
3.What should we start doing that we aren't
currently doing?
4.What should we stop doing that isn't adding
value?
5.What should we continue doing that is working
well?
6.What are the most important things we should
tackle during the next sprint/project?
7.How can we better manage risks in future
projects?
8.What changes should we make to ensure we
meet our future deadlines?
9.How can we improve our response to
feedback and criticism?
10.What actions can we take to strengthen team
morale and motivation?
Feedback and External Perception:
1.How do stakeholders perceive our team's
performance?
2.What feedback have we received from external
parties?
3.How can we better align our work with the
company's goals?
4.Are there any external factors that are
impacting our team's performance?
5.How can we enhance our communication with
stakeholders?

12. Connect with AgileWoW
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