Sprint Retrospective: What Went Well Example

Are you looking for a powerful yet simple technique to boost your team’s performance and morale? The What Went Well retrospective is a highly effective method that helps agile teams review their accomplishments and areas for improvement. Learn how to harness the power of this valuable tool to foster a growth mindset, enhance open communication, and streamline processes for better results.

Key Takeaways

• What Went Well retrospectives are a powerful technique to encourage learning, celebrate successes, and optimize processes.
• They foster open communication and collaboration within the team while motivating members to share insights.
• The success of these retrospectives relies on setting objectives, balancing positivity with constructive criticism, adapting for different teams & situations and overcoming common challenges like groupthink.

The Power of What Went Well Retrospective

The What Went Well retrospective distinguishes itself from other sprint retrospectives with its emphasis on the project’s positive aspects. This straightforward approach bolsters team morale and fosters team unity.

Benefits of the What Went Well retrospective include:

• Celebrating successes
• Acknowledging excellent practices
• Fostering a supportive atmosphere
• Encouraging learning and ongoing enhancement

In the agile community, numerous retrospective techniques are available to choose from, such as the Stickies.io Retrospective Framework, the Mountain Retrospective, and the DAKI retrospective. However, the simplicity and effectiveness of the What Went Well technique make it an ideal choice for busy teams seeking to optimize their processes and achieve their sprint goals.

The Importance of Positive Reflection

Highlighting the positive aspects of a previous sprint allows the scrum team to acknowledge their strengths and encourages a mindset of growth. Recognizing victories and areas for enhancement aids the team in initiating the next sprint more effectively and with greater efficiency, setting the stage for success in future sprints.

Timely addressing of issues between team members is essential to prevent further disruption. By acknowledging and celebrating successes during the retrospective, team members feel more motivated and encouraged to share their insights, ultimately leading to a more collaborative and productive environment.

Encouraging Open Communication

The What Went Well retrospective promotes open and honest discussions, leading to better collaboration and problem-solving. Open communication is essential in a retrospective meeting as it fosters transparency, trust, and collaboration within the team.

Promoting open communication necessitates:

• Creating a comfortable and secure environment for conversation
• Motivating team members to share their achievements and areas needing improvement
• Providing opportunities for team members to express their ideas and suggestions

This open and inclusive approach helps to identify areas of development and encourages cooperation for future success.

What Went Well Retrospective: Step-by-Step Guide

A successful What Went Well retrospective involves a three-step process: preparation, execution, and follow-up. By following this comprehensive guide, you can ensure that your team reaps the full benefits of this powerful retrospective technique.

Whether you’re new to regular sprint retrospectives or an experienced practitioner, these step-by-step instructions will help you conduct a smooth and productive meeting that allows your team to learn from their successes and implement improvements for the next sprint.

Preparation: Setting the Stage

Prior to initiating the retrospective, clear objectives need to be set and ground rules established. The facilitator plays a pivotal role in creating psychological safety within the team and ensuring that everyone is heard. By defining specific objectives and establishing regulations, the facilitator sets the stage for an open and cooperative meeting.

Moreover, considering the key objectives before executing a What Went Well retrospective is a significant step. These objectives include:

• Focusing the discussion on actions taken
• Confining the scope of inquiry to the extremes of what went well
• Encouraging everyone’s participation in the retrospective

Execution: Running the Retrospective

The process of running a What Went Well retrospective involves several steps:

1. Private note-taking
2. Theming
3. Dot-voting
4. Discussing topics

Organizing notes into relevant categories based on commonalities of topics or themes helps streamline the discussion and save time.

Dot-voting is a technique wherein each participant is provided with a number of votes to assign to the topics they deem worthy of prioritization. This ensures that the most critical issues are addressed first, allowing the team to focus on making meaningful improvements.

As the retrospective progresses, the facilitator plays an essential role in guiding the conversation and maintaining a balance between positivity and constructive criticism.

Follow-Up: Turning Insights into Actions

After the retrospective, translating insights into actionable steps for enhancement is a necessary action. This involves:

• Prioritizing action items
• Assigning ownership
• Tracking progress
• Measuring effectiveness

To ensure that learnings from the retrospective are implemented in the form of actionable steps, it is recommended to:

1. Initiate the daily scrum by inquiring about the progress made on retrospective action items.
2. Utilize a tool such as a burndown chart to track completion rate and velocity.
3. Institute a regular review during the sprint.

Real-Life Examples of What Went Well Retrospectives

In practice, What Went Well retrospectives have proven to be highly effective in addressing various challenges faced by agile teams. Two real-life examples of successful retrospectives include a team that utilized the technique to address communication issues and another team that employed it to streamline processes.

These real-world examples demonstrate the versatility and adaptability of the What Went Well retrospective in helping teams overcome obstacles and improve their performance, regardless of the specific context or situation.

Example 1: Overcoming Communication Barriers

The What Went Well retrospective has been instrumental in overcoming communication barriers in a real-life scenario by:

• Increasing transparency
• Fostering open communication within the team
• Encouraging team members to share their successes and achievements
• Promoting a positive and collaborative atmosphere

This open communication assists in recognizing areas of development and encourages cooperation for future success. Following the retrospective, improvements in communication, increased collaboration, and more effective sharing of information among team members were observed.

Example 2: Streamlining Processes

A What Went Well retrospective can be utilized to streamline processes by recognizing and concentrating on the elements that went well during a project or sprint. By analyzing what operated proficiently, the team can recognize patterns, strategies, or techniques that contributed to their success in the sprint retrospective. In this context, it’s essential to examine various sprint retrospective examples to identify best practices and learn from others’ experiences.

Subsequently, they can streamline their processes by incorporating these productive elements into their prospective work, eliminating superfluous steps or enhancing existing ones. This assists the team to optimize their workflow and attain better results in future projects.

Adapting What Went Well Retrospective for Different Teams and Situations

The What Went Well retrospective can be customized to suit the unique needs of various teams and situations, making it a versatile tool for agile teams of all sizes and configurations. By using a well retrospective template, adjusting the retrospective for remote teams and dividing large teams into smaller groups are potential options for adapting the process to meet specific needs.

With consideration to the unique characteristics and challenges encountered by various teams, the What Went Well retrospective can be adjusted to deliver optimal value and benefits, ensuring every team member has the chance to contribute to the project’s success and improve the team’s performance.

Remote Teams: Virtual Retrospectives

Conducting effective What Went Well retrospectives with remote teams can be achieved by leveraging virtual tools and platforms to aid the retrospective session. Key factors for success include:

• Establishing the focus of the remote retrospective
• Utilizing appropriate retrospective techniques
• Ensuring that all participants are actively engaged from the outset

By following these steps, you can conduct productive and successful virtual retrospectives with your remote team.

Utilizing suitable tools and techniques allows remote teams to fully gain from the insights and enhancements provided by the What Went Well retrospective, nurturing a culture of ongoing enhancement and collaboration, despite physical distances.

Large Teams: Breaking into Subgroups

When adapting the What Went Well retrospective process for large teams, it is recommended to consider:

• Breaking the group into smaller subgroups of 2-4 people
• This facilitates more concentrated discussions
• Guarantees that everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the success of the project.

Effective management of multiple subgroups during a retrospective involves:

• Dividing into smaller groups
• Assigning facilitators
• Setting clear objectives
• Rotating subgroup members
• Sharing insights across subgroups

With these strategies in place, the entire team can fully benefit from the What Went Well retrospective and work together to drive continuous improvement.

Common Challenges and Solutions in What Went Well Retrospectives

Even with its numerous benefits, staging a What Went Well retrospective can occasionally pose challenges. Two common obstacles faced by teams are groupthink and the challenge of striking a balance between positivity and constructive criticism.

By being aware of these potential pitfalls and implementing strategies to address them, teams can ensure that their retrospectives remain productive, focused, and effective in driving continuous improvement.

Overcoming Groupthink

Groupthink is a phenomenon of collective thinking which occurs when individuals prioritize conformity and unity over critical thinking and independent opinions. To overcome groupthink in What Went Well retrospectives, teams can:

• Consult opinions anonymously
• Encourage brainstorming and divergent thinking
• Seek alternatives within the group
• Include people from adjacent teams
• Change the environment

By fostering an environment that encourages open communication and diverse perspectives, software development teams can prevent groupthink from hindering the effectiveness of the retrospective process.

Balancing Positivity with Constructive Criticism

Keeping a balance between positivity and constructive criticism is a vital aspect of What Went Well retrospectives. A facilitator can ensure this balance by encouraging open dialogue, concentrating on particular observations, and employing positive language to discuss improvements.

Addressing one criticism per feedback and starting with a positive aspect can assist in preserving a balance between recognizing achievements and pinpointing potential improvements for progression.

Summary

In conclusion, the What Went Well retrospective is a powerful tool that can help teams celebrate their successes, identify areas for improvement, and foster a growth mindset. By following the step-by-step guide and adapting the technique to suit different teams and situations, teams can harness the full potential of this transformative approach to continuous improvement. Embrace the power of positivity and open communication to unlock your team’s potential and achieve greater success in your projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What went well in retrospective example?

Overall, the project was a success as we shipped on time with no bugs reported and had great collaboration in our paired coding sessions.

What makes a successful retrospective?

Successful retrospectives encourage constructive feedback, without hostility or finger-pointing. DPMs and Scrum masters should be nonjudgmental and unbiased facilitators to ensure that all team members feel comfortable providing honest input.

What do you answer in retrospective?

Following the most common advice, it is important to keep your retrospective simple by asking relevant questions and not including any unnecessary artifacts. A formal tone should be used when crafting the answer to ensure a clear connection with the reader.

How can the What Went Well retrospective be adapted for remote teams?

The What Went Well retrospective can be adapted for remote teams by leveraging virtual tools and platforms, establishing a clear focus, and encouraging active participation.

How can large teams effectively conduct a What Went Well retrospective?

Large teams can effectively conduct a What Went Well retrospective by breaking into smaller subgroups, assigning facilitators, and sharing insights across subgroups to gain a comprehensive understanding.

‍