 | Sprint Retrospective |
Overview
The Sprint Retrospective is an internal review in which the team can assess and make changes to its habits, protocols and approaches to the development process.
Attendees
The PO attends, as do all members of the Dev Team, including the Scrum Master. It is essential that all members are there because all members’ feedback is needed.
Objective
The Retrospective is a chance for the team to work on self-improvement. Stepping back from the product itself, they can reflect on which team dynamics are working and which are not. They can do the same for any other aspects of their development process (such as code structure) that could affect their ability to deliver quality increments at a sustainable pace.
Timing
The Sprint Retrospective is usually held immediately after the Sprint Review. Everyone is already together, and they have already been thinking about what they have produced on a higher level than they normally would in the middle of a sprint. It lasts no more than 3 hours for a 4-week sprint and can be shorter.
Important Considerations
The Product Owner is expected to participate in the Retrospective. The communication dynamic between the PO and the Dev Team is one area that could need to be inspected and adjusted before starting another sprint. One exception to this expectation could be if the Team Leader asked the PO not to attend because the Dev Team needed to discuss something that would be more difficult to speak freely about with the PO present.
The Process
The Team Leader runs the Sprint Retrospective. It begins with an overview of the latest sprint, with all team members giving their insights into what went well and what went poorly and ends with a plan for improvement in the next sprint. Along the way, the Team Leader reminds all members of the principles of Agile / Scrum that should be guiding their thought processes and leading to better outcomes.