The document discusses using A3 Thinking and the scientific method to structure team retrospectives. It presents a process for defining a goal as a hypothesis to test in the next sprint, then reviewing the results to see if assumptions were correct and how close the team is to the target state. The goal is to close the loop on continuous improvement by experimenting with changes and reviewing outcomes to guide future adaptations.

1. Close the Loop!
Simplifying A3 Thinking
for Team Retrospectives
Cara Turner
South Africa
Agile Coach | User Group Chairman | Facilitation Fanatic

2. … Some Questions …
Who’s doing TDD?
Why define tests before
you start?
What is
Continuous Improvement?
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

3. INSPECT
ADAPT
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

4. How do we do that?
Retrospectives
A3 Thinking / Kaizen
Scientific method
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

5. The Improvement Process
?
Assess implications
Look clearly
Question and analyse
Check
results
Formulate an idea
Implement
Experiment
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

6. Credit: Claudio Perrone
A3 Thinking & Kaizen
Kaizen Memo – individuals, small
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

7. A3 Thinking & Kaizen
A3 Report – organization level
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

8. A3 Thinking & Kaizen
?
Teams
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

9. Where are we now?
Product Environment
Team
Factors
Product
Factors
Current
State
Org
Factors
Technical
Factors
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

10. Where should we be?
Product Environment
Team
Factors
Product
Factors
Target
Condition
Org
Factors
Technical
Factors
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

11. The Simulation
Before & After Retrospectives
(not the sprint)
Creating & reviewing
an experiment
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

12. Simulation Agenda
Study the problem
What are the factors influencing it?
Retro 1: Define a goal … as an experiment
“By [doing something], we expect [this result]”
Implement the goal
What happens in our Sprint
Retro 2: Review the goal
What happened? What did it change?
?
Reflect
On the experiment

13. The Product
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

14. The Context
Product, Technical,
Team & Organisation Factors
+ Last Sprint
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

15. Retrospective 1
 Study the problem
 Create a testable hypothesis
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

16. Look clearly
Study the Problem
Product, Technical,
Team & Organisation Factors
+ Last Sprint
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

17. Question
and analyse
What Influences Change?
What will accelerate the rate of change?
e.g. resolve impediments 
escalating requirements 
What will reduce the rate of change?
e.g. stabilize code base 
discover impediments 
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

18. Question
and analyse
Set the Direction
describe a Current State
(the problem we have now)
define a Target State
(the long term ideal)
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

19. Example: Current / Target
Current State:
The number of bugs is affecting
our velocity,
so we need to improve quality
across the board
Target State:
Never have more than two
open bugs
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

20. Formulate
an idea
The Retrospective Goal
“Pair Program
on Integration Stories”
Short-term goal
for the next sprint only
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

21. Formulate
an idea
Target > Goal
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

22. Formulate
an idea
Target > Goal
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

23. Formulate
an idea
Target > Goal
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

24. Formulate
an idea
Do Science! Hypothesis
“By [doing something]
we expect [this result]”
(we try it and we’re right)
Pass Conditions /
/ Fail Conditions
(we try it and we’re wrong)
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

25. Formulate
an idea
Target > Goal
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

26. Formulate
an idea
Target > Goal > Hypothesis
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

27. Formulate
an idea
Write a Goal hypothesis
“By [implementing our goal]
we expect [this result]”
(we try it and we’re right)
Pass Conditions /
/ Fail Conditions
(we try it and we’re wrong)
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

28. Example: Hypothesis
Current State:
The number of bugs is affecting our velocity, so we need to
improve quality across the board
By:
sharing domain knowledge and technical skill while coding
We expect:
to improve our code quality and decrease the number of bugs
Pass Condition:
We note improvements and discoveries while pair
programming, and our bug count decreases
Fail Condition:
We pair program but there are still many new bugs
being generated
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

29. “Real Life”
 The sprint’s events
 How your goal is affected
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

30. Implement
Experiment
Week 1
The development manager
expresses interest in your progress
You discover a dependency
on another team’s architect
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

31. Implement
Experiment
Week 2
While grooming you discover a potentially
large change that affects many
stories in the backlog
An integration issue
takes 2 days to resolve
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

32. Implement
Experiment
Week 3
You make a breakthrough
with an architecture change
The dev manager is unhappy
that you’re interrupting the
architect’s team
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

33. Implement
Experiment
What happened…
The development manager
expresses interest in your
progress
Accelerates change 
You hope the Dev manager will
use your experiment to sell
pairing to all the teams
You discover a dependency on
another team’s architect
Decelerates change 
You invite her to pair with your
team members
Goal Progress:
Pairing has started, but not as you expected
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

34. Implement
Experiment
What happened (2)
While grooming you discover
a potentially large change that
affects many stories in the
backlog
Accelerates change 
You have to re-plan your release,
and you need more time from
the architect.
An integration issue takes 2
days to resolve
Decelerates change 
Your team slows down, but
everyone learns a lot about your
integration challenges
Goal Progress:
Pairing on integration issue
improves knowledge
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

35. Implement
Experiment
What happened (3)
You make a breakthrough with
an architecture change
Accelerates change 
Take this into Release
Planning, and thank the architect
for all her help
The dev manager is unhappy
that you’re interrupting the
architect’s team
Increases pressure 
You discuss ways to work with
her team in return
Goal Progress:
Pairing has helped you resolve a difficult problem
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

36. Retrospective 2
 Study the results
 Review your hypothesis
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

37. Check results
What happened…
You have to
re-plan your
release 
You’ve missed
your sprint 
You did
manage to
pair quite a
lot 
The
architectural
breakthrough
will help save
time 
You had to
deal with
some
organization
dynamics 
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

38. Assess
implications
Review your Experiment
“By doing [something]
we expect [this result]”
Were our assumptions correct?
Pass Conditions / Fail Conditions
/
Which of these did we see?
What does that tell us?

39. Example: Hypothesis
Target State:
Never have more than two open bugs
By:
sharing domain knowledge and technical skill while coding
We expect:
Not clear yet
to improve our code quality and decrease the number of bugs
Pass Condition:
Our goal didn’t focus on bug counts
We note improvements and discoveries while pair
programming, and our bug count decreases
Fail Condition:
We pair program but there are still many new bugs
being generated
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

40. Assess
implications
Review your Experiment
“By doing [something]
we expect [this result]”
Were our assumptions correct?
Pass Conditions / Fail Conditions
/
Which of these did we see?
What does that tell us?
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

41. Assess
implications
Review your Experiment
How much closer are we
to our Target state?
What might we need to
adjust to get there?
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

42. Share with the team
next to you
2 minutes each way
and then we’ll debrief
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

43. Review your Experiment
What discoveries did you make?
What adjustments do we need
to get to our Target state?
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

44. Almost
The End
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

45. debrief
How do tests help us?
How does reviewing both the outcome and the
test, change how we think about improvements?
How can we bring this into our retrospectives?
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

46. Really
The End
Thank You.
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives

47. Get in Touch
Cara Turner
Cape Town, South Africa
twitter: @cara_faye
facilitatingagility.com
krs.co.za
sugsa.org.za
Close the Loop! Simplifying A3 Thinking for Team Retrospectives