My presentation at XPDays Germany 2015

1. ConneXoX
The Art of Facilitating
Retrospectives
[And Other Team Meetings]
ConneXoX
Pierluigi Pugliese

2. Agenda
2
Facilitation:
Attitude
Facilitation:
Structure
Choosing a
Retrospective
Format

3. Facilitation Techniques?
3

4. Facilitation:
Attitude
4

5. “I’m here for you”
• Park your ego!
• It’s about
supporting
the team!
5

6. Be a Host Leader!
6

7. Host Leadership
• Hosting a party: what does it mean for
you?
7

8. Multidirected Partiality
• Support & appreciate everybody+ideas
• Promote agreement & support it
8
From: Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy

9. Facilitation Basics:
Team Dynamic
9

10. Team Phases
Bruce Tuckman,“Developmental Sequence in Small Groups”, Psychological Bulletin,Volume 63, Number 6, Pages 384-99
5.Adjourning
4. Performing 1. Forming
3. Norming 2. Storming
?
10
Proper start!
“Set the Stage”
Proper end!
“Close”

11. Facilitation Basics:
Structure
12
12 Useful ideas

12. Structure
1. Agenda + Structure
+ Minutes + Time[boxes]
2. Greetings - Introduction -
Set the Stage
3. Boundaries
• Identify
• Define
• Defend
4. Promote co-operation/Importance of
the group for the results
13

13. 5. Framing
14
1. What?
2.Why?
3. ForW
hat?/
Context?

14. Structure - Redundancy
6. Visual,Acoustic, Kinaesthetic
16

15. 7. Redundancy: Up/Downtime
17
Time
Attention
Time
Attention
Speaker
Listener

16. 8. Setting
18

17. 8. Setting
19

18. 9. Use their offers!
20

19. Structure - Other
10. Open non verbal language
11. Sense the room: where do
they need to go?
12. Closing properly
21

20. Choosing a Retrospective
Format
22

21. Retrospective format: how do you?
23

22. Three Steps to a Retrospective
24
1 Previous
History 2 Support
Needed
3 Suitable
Activities

23. Previous History
• Expected benefit? / Specific topic?
• Open conflicts? / Parties?
• Current team dynamic?
• Safe environment?
• Limitations? Time, space, logistics, …
• Previous [failed] attempts?
• Company/group/team style?
• Previous useful/dangerous
experiences?
25

24. Support Needed
26
Away from?
Maybe
one day…
Committed?
Towards!
But where?
OscillatingToday
Obstacles
Fog

25. • What? What order?Variations?
• Pitfalls?
• Cultural fit?
Suitable Activities
27
M
aybe
you
need
a
taxonom
y…

26. Taxonomy example: Starfish
• Type of retro?
• Team dynamics?
• Cultural fit?
• Usable in case of conflicts?
• To avoid when?
28
More of
Start doing
Stop
doing
Keep doing
Less of

27. Taxonomy example: Starfish
• Type of retro: open exploration
• Team dynamics: performing, no big
conflicts
• Cultural fit:“rational” groups [+]
• Usable in case of conflicts: yes, but…
• To avoid when: team in “fog” or with
heavy differences/conflicts, team in
forming
29

28. Timeboxing Activities
•Time pressure: +delivery, -creativity
•No timebox: +creativity, open-ended
•Timebox as time awareness: ++, but
interrupts flow
30

29. Retrospectives: Research
•Please support Marina Haase’s research
project:
Retrospectives:
Exercise in Futility or
Catalyst for Change?
http://
retrospectives.marinahaase.de/
index.php/survey-on-retrospectives
31

30. ConneXoX
Questions?
Now or per email ppugliese: [at] connexxo [dot] com

31. Pierluigi Pugliese
http://blog.connexxo.com
ConneXoX