How to have a fun and effective retrospective? You can visit my website for more information: www.leaneffi.eu

1. TYPES OF
RETROSPECTIVES
To improve process, collaboration and fun.

2. Wheredoesthe
retrospectivefitinthe
Sprint?

3. Standard retrospective
◦ What did we do well this Sprint and should not be forgotten?
◦ What have we learned?
◦ What do we need to do differently next sprint(s)?
◦ What do we not yet understand? (But should)

4. The seastar
◦ Use the star to brainstorm your
retrospective (for instance by using post
it’s) In these five questions:
◦ What are we doing that we want more off?
◦ What are we doing that we want less off?
◦ What do we want to start with?
◦ What do we need to stop doing?
◦ What do we need to sustain or persist?

5. Narrative retrospective
There are many narratives you can use:
sports, cars, flying, traveling and so much
more. Choose a topic that engages your
team. I chose this one on the right.
I like narratives because they engage a
different part of brain and get different
results. You can see the questions in the
picture

6. There are many more ways to do a good
and inspiring retrospective
◦ KALM: Keep (something the team does well and wants to keep on doing), Add (something the
team wants to start doing), Less (something the team is doing, but is not working well for them)
and More (something the team is doing and it wants more of). You can do this as a brainstorm
and/or a group discussion.
◦ WWW: Works well, Works a little, Works poorly. You can do this as a brainstorm and/or a group
discussion.
◦ M&M retrospective: Each color stands for a question. People draw a m&m and answer the
question. You can choose any set of questions from this slide pack or make up your own
◦ Timeline of emotions during the Sprint. You have the Smiley’s on top and the angry faces at the
bottom and you and the team start to draw out your emotional journey during the Sprint. When
was energy high or low? When did you feel good?

7. Some tips
◦ The tools outlined in the previous Slides can be used in any retrospective as long as they fit the
mood and strength of the team.
◦ When a team is well versed in retrospective the scrum master and the team can choose to gives
the retrospective on one or two themes instead of having a brainstorm.
◦ Try to have some of the old kanban notes with you to jog people’s memories.
◦ Make sure to record improvement ideas during the Sprint so you do not have to remember
everything at the spot/retrospective.
◦ Try to help the team decide on what they want to work on in the next retrospective. Help them
choose so they do not take on to much improvement all at once. This increases the chances of
success.
◦ The retrospective is about how you work and collaborate. It is not about the product itself.