This document provides tips for effective retrospectives. It discusses the purpose of retrospectives, challenges that can occur, and strategies for overcoming them. Some key steps outlined are setting goals, checking in with team members, and using energizers. The document also discusses facilitating techniques like different coaching styles and focusing retrospectives on skills like emotional intelligence. Overall, the document aims to help teams improve retrospectives and maximize their effectiveness.

1. How to increase effectiveness &
fulfillment in Retrospectives
Gretchen Knode

2. Why have Retros?

3. The infinity loop of Retros

4. The Good, Bad, & Ugly of Retros
Retros are about improving – inspect and adapt – not continue to do what we
have always done regardless of if it makes sense to continue. If something
needs improving – improve it!

5. The Good, Bad, & Ugly of Retros
Making tons of Action Items, especially ones that aren’t clearly defined is not
the goal of retros, but this is often what happens.

6. The Good, Bad, & Ugly of Retros
It may be ugly sometimes, but retros should reveal the areas where attention
is needed – nothing can be fixed or maximized, if it isn’t exposed.

7. Stages of a Retro
(I often use 4 steps to set the stage)

8. Visual representation of a Retro

9. 4 steps to “Setting the Stage”
 Goal – every retro has a goal like; appreciating our
teammates, listening, or one of the 5 team values
(Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, & Courage). These
goals are based on what is going on with the team/ an area
that you see the need for review or growth.
 Focus ON &/or FOCUS OFF – quotes that help the team to
think deeply/ discuss/ learn about the goal.
 Check IN – a way to gauge how everyone is doing (ESVP,
story cubes, one word, several exercises I make up)
 Energizer – this is usually a get out of your seat and do
something as a team which always has a teaching moment
that relates to the goal and hopefully makes the team smile
and learn/see something in a new way.

10. Challenges in Retros
1. Is it more about HOW things are said, or WHAT is said?
BOTH!  Sometimes hard or uncomfortable things need to be said. Teach,
coach, and lead the team by example in how to say things in a constructive,
healthy way. I teach the basics of how to critique from art and acting classes.

11. How to Critique effectively
A critique is an oral or written discussion strategy
used to analyze, describe, and interpret works of
art. Critiques help students hone their persuasive
oral and writing, information-gathering, and
justification skills.
Some tips to critique effectively and productively
1. Say something nice.
2. Share why you feel/ think they way you do.
3. Share any ideas to improve the
challenge/issue.
4. Share any relevant background, experience
etc,.

12. Challenges in Retros
2. Ugh, what happened during the sprint?
Throughout the sprint jot down events as they happen and then add them to the
white board as “Things to Consider” when the team is Gathering Information to
remind them & they can chose to include it or not.

13. Challenges in Retros
3. What do you do with team members who are consistently negative?

14. Understanding
Not everyone sees things the same way.
Here is an example of how each group sees the world

15. Inspire
Coach the team to strive for more than they thought
possible & give them time to embrace the vision of
greatness.

16. Encourage everyone to fully own the
challenges of the team.

17. Encourage the team to create their
own path to the goals.

18. Challenges in Retros
4. What do you do if this happens?
Make sure this isn’t between you and a team member & if it is get help! 
Separate them – Remember that plenty of things are best spoken privately – Get
help from HR – Use diplomacy – Be looking for signs of tensions rising and diffuse
them before they get to this level – Coach the team on how to work out difference
of opinion in a respectful & peaceful way.

19. Remind yourself of this truth!
As a Scrum Master you are a change agent and some people don’t like change,
even when it is for their benefit. Change is also often messy and reveals
weaknesses which some also find very unsettling, some will inevitably not like it.
Pretend you are a personal trainer, people like the ‘after’ shots, but rarely like the
work it takes to get there nor do they always ‘appreciate’ being encouraged
beyond what they think they are capable of doing along the way.

20. Critical Mindsets to Master
 Be detached from outcomes – give the team space to come up
with the best ideas. Focus on HOW the team works together.
 Take it to the team – you are not the best person to solve the
problem. 
 Be a mirror – reflect back, with out judgment, the behavior or
symptoms you notice.
 Master your words and your face – to do this well practice non
judgment and nonviolent communication.
 Let there be silence – get comfortable with uncomfortable
silence. Do not fill it yourself!
 Model being outrageous – they will tell you when you have gone
to far, help them see outside the box.
 Let the team fail – not die, but teams that fail together and
recover are stronger – think the butterfly in the cocoon thing.
 Always be their biggest fan, but be careful – tell them how much
better they are doing as a team, not just individual praise about
their work.

21. 10 mind sets prevalent in people who have
the native wiring for coaching
1. They have an uncanny ability to “read a
room”.
2. They care about people more than products.
3. They cultivate curiosity, they know when
they don’t know, so they ask.
4. They believe people are basically good and
meet people where they are.
5. They know plans fall apart, so they act in the
moment with the team, rather than holding on
to any one idea or hope about how things
should work out.

22. 10 mind sets prevalent in people who
have the native wiring for coaching
6. They have a thirst for learning.
7. They believe any group of people can do good
things in the world. They believe excellence
exists and is worth pursuing.
8. They have a low tolerance for institutional
reasons that hold people back from excellence.
9. They believe that disequilibrium is essential –
messiness is expected.
10. They risk being wrong, and when they are
they own up to it and move on.
Coaching Agile Teams – Lyssa Adkins

23. 3 Agile Coach styles
Teaching – both the practices and
principles.
Coaching – when the team
transforms from compliance to rules
to internalization of values.
Advising – when the team has fully
integrated the practices, values, and
principles of agile and radiates good
health.

24. Questions to ask to determine
which style to use when
1. Is the team new to agile or each other? Do they
look at you cockeyed when you bring up the agile
manifesto? = Teaching
2. Does the team live by the ideals in the agile
manifesto? In all they do? Do they have basic
practices working well and improve each sprint?
= Coach
3. Has the team altered their practice of agile and
done so consciously keeping the values and
principles of agile alive? Have they broken
through walls of dysfuction? Are they truly self-
monitoring and self-correcting?
= Advise and let them go 
Coaching Agile Teams – Lyssa Adkins

25. More tips and resources to improve

26. Observe the team
 Study how each team member works and
interacts with others.
 Communicate in the format they prefer when ever
possible.
 Observe the team as a group and adjust
accordingly.
 When in doubt, ask!
 Respect each team member – don’t call on
someone unexpectedly to contribute if speaking
in a group setting is hard for them. The goal is to
provide a safe space for people to grow together.
Don’t be an enabler either!

27. Emotional Intelligence
The ability to bring awareness to your emotions as they arise, notice them for what
they are, and decide how to best use them (Bradberry & Greaves 2005)
I encourage you to take a test and see where your strengths and weaknesses
are and then encourage your team to take it as well so they can see the
same about themselves.

28. Example Retro focusing on
Emotional IQ
 Goal – to look at what Emotional IQ is
 Focus – Quotes on the value of Emotional IQ and how
to improve it
 Check In - Have the team take an Emotional IQ test
online and share their score (if they want) with the
team
 Energizer – Go Over Emotional IQ image and discuss
 Gather Insights – Speed Car Bridge/Abyss
 Action Items – SMART Goals and go over all past
Action Items for progress.
 Close Out – pick an area to grow and do less of from
Emotional IQ

29. Example Retro focusing on how your
thinking impacts your life

30. Details about the Retro
 Goal How your thinking impacts your life = the force
 Focus ON awesome quotes from Star Wars about this topic
 Check In the retro before the team had chosen at least one
trait they wanted to increase and one they wanted to
decrease after the Emotional IQ exercise. So to follow up on
how they did the team was asked to share a scene (ideally
from a Star Wars movie) where a character made the same
transition they did or want to.
 Energizer Star Wars Style Team Rock, Paper, Scissors done
with Light Saber, Force Choke, and Blasters – with team,
strategizing, and fun included
 Gather Info Star Wars Retro (Jedi - Good, Sith - Bad, Endor
– good but needs more work, Tatooine – bad and needs
more work)
 Check Out One Word

31. More important skills to master
 Be creative
 Observe everything – you will learn a great deal by
observing your team, body language, reading the
emotions and if there is tension or if the team is
relaxed.
 Remember everyone is different and be willing to
cater your style to the person you are focusing on –
love languages.
 Learn the art of facilitating = help others participate
 Show your team you care about them individually and
them as a team – be vulnerable and lead by example.

32. Resources
 Coaching Agile Teams Lyssa Adkins
 Agile Retrospectives Esther Derby & Diana Larsen
 Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Patrick Lencioni
 Essential Scrum Kenneth Rubin
 Scrum Mastery Geoff Watts
People to follow: Simon Sinek, Mike Cohn, James
Clear

33. Online Resources
https://www.frontrowagile.com
http://tastycupcakes.org/
http://www.funretrospectives.com
https://www.mitchlacey.com/resources
http://www.happymelly.com/
https://www.startwithwhy.com/
http://www.growingagile.co.za/