Agile fundamentals for teams

Retrospectives are an effective way for you to reflect on your work and plan ways to improve. They help teams examine their performance, identify areas for improvement, and create actions. In this video, we’ll explore the purpose of a retrospective, how to run one, and the benefits it brings to your team. 

The main purpose of a retrospective is to reflect and plan improvements. It’s a time for a team to look back at the last delivery cycle and discuss how things went. The goal is to improve the quality of outputs and find better ways of working. By the end, the team should have identified key areas to focus. They should also decide on actions they can take to be more effective in the future. 

A typical retrospective lasts around 1 to 2 hours for a 2-week delivery cycle. They are usually held right at the end of a cycle. During this time, the team considers three key questions: 

1. What went well? 
2. What didn’t go well? 
3. What actions can we take to improve? 

This structure helps you reflect on both your successes and challenges. It then encourages you to consider ways to improve. Don't spend the time only discussing problems. It’s important that teams come away with actions they can put in place right away. 

There are many tools and templates available to help run retrospectives. Digital tools often include ready-made templates, to guide you through the session. Another option is to keep it simple and use sticky notes. 

Regardless of the tool or format, most templates follow a similar structure. They start by gathering feedback from the team. They then group the feedback to identify patterns or insights. They conclude by deciding on concrete actions to take.  

It’s important to find an approach that works for the team—whether it's a digital tool or an in-person session. 

Retrospectives offer many benefits to Agile teams: 

1. The team creates actions that will help them be more effective moving forward. 
2. They provide a space for team members to share their thoughts and ideas. This enhances collaboration and mutual understanding. 
3. Instead of waiting for issues to arise, you're encouraged to address challenges head-on. This can improve both team dynamics and the quality of your work.