The meaning and definition of retrospective

Retrospective literally means "looking back". And a retrospective meeting is, in keeping with the original meaning of the word, a retrospective ceremony in which the team reflects on what has happened in the previous period and identifies the next steps for improvement. Retrospectives originated in agile software development - agile teams hold such meetings at the end of each iteration. 

However, it is also advisable to carry out a retrospective review, preferably on a regular basis, for organisations with a traditional operation.

Key questions for the retrospective

The following questions should be asked during the retrospective: 

• What worked well in the previous period? 
• What are the challenges that have arisen? 
• What can we do to improve the process? 

In an agile retrospective, the team reflects on how things went in the previous iteration and what changes are needed for the future. The meeting is team-centred: the team members decide together how the ceremony will take place and how decisions on improvements will be made, but of course the scrum master effectively supports them in this too. 

How to prepare for the retrospective? 

Preparations

The first step is to have a whiteboard where you will write "What worked well", "What needs to be improved" and "Action plan" in 3 different columns. You will also need to prepare a Post-it pad and writing utensils.

If the team is not physically in the same place, you can create a shared whiteboard with the 3 columns in a teamwork support application such as Mural.

Setting up rules

If you have done a retrospective before, touch on previous topics to give a sense of continuity. Be clear about exactly what time period the meeting will cover - it could be the last sprint, the last quarter or the project as a whole. 

In addition, it is worth clarifying the following rules: 

• Let's not get personal and take the comments personally! 
• Let's try to be open to the challenges and ideas raised! 
• Consider everyone's experience as valid!
• Focus on progress and try not to blame anyone! 

Answering the questions

First, let's answer what was good in the previous period! 

Each team member writes down their own ideas. It is a good idea to write one idea per slip of paper. Once the team members have finished, collect the slips and group similar or repetitive ideas. Finally, go through each comment and discuss it with the team.

The second point is to map the challenges, as before: by collecting, organising and discussing ideas. 

The action plan is also set up in a similar way to the previous points, but it is important to prioritise the tasks and set measurable targets. These actions will be launched as soon as the meeting ends.