Retrospective

5 minutes 5 Questions

A Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint. The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase product quality and effectiveness. The Scrum Master encourages the team to impro…

Guide on Retrospective

The Retrospective is a key process within the Scrum framework. It is focused on continuous improvement and is held at the end of each sprint.
Importance: Retrospective meetings are important as they provide an opportunity for the team to reflect upon the sprint, discuss what went well, areas that need improvement, and addressing those issues before the next sprint starts. The process promotes a culture of continuous improvements, enhances team’s efficiency and ultimately increases their likelihood to reach project's goals.
What it is: Retrospective is a meeting that the team holds at the end of each sprint to inspect their work process and create a plan to improve it for the next sprint.
How it works: It is facilitated by the Scrum Master and involves all the members of the Scrum team. The participants share their thoughts and insights about what worked out well in the sprint, what could be improved, and how these improvements can be implemented.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Retrospective: Do remember that Retrospectives are never skipped and considered as a key inspect and adapt opportunity for Scrum Teams. Any questions pertaining to the Retrospective should be addressed with the understanding that it primarily focuses on process improvement. Improvements identified are owned by the Team and implemented as soon as possible. It is not a blame game or a session to point out individual mistakes. Answers should reflect on the element of collaboration, ownership and knowledge sharing within the team. Always keep the Scrum Guide in mind!

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PSM I - Retrospective Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Retrospective

Question 1

Despite numerous retrospective meetings and action items, your team keeps encountering the same challenges. As a Scrum Master, how would you address this?

Introduce root cause analysis in the next retrospective to understand the underlying issues. Conduct a separate meeting with the Product Owner to revise the product backlog without involving the team. Implement stricter rules for team members regarding task completion and daily updates to ensure accountability. Advocate for more comprehensive documentation of challenges faced by the team to ensure clarity in future retrospectives.

Correct Answer: Introduce root cause analysis in the next retrospective to understand the underlying issues.

The correct answer involves a proactive approach that engages the team in identifying not just what issues are recurring, but why they are happening, encouraging deeper insight and more sustainable solutions. Conducting separate meetings without team involvement or focusing solely on documentation may not address the root causes. Implementing stricter rules might address symptoms but not the underlying issues and could negatively affect team morale.

Question 2

Your team has completed a sprint and it's time for the retrospective meeting. Recently, discussions have become heated and members leave feeling deflated. What should you as a Scrum Master do to improve the situation?

Arrange for an external facilitator to conduct the retrospectives, believing that a new perspective might mitigate the heated discussions. This external facilitator could be someone from a different team or even a third-party mediator trained in effective team dynamics and conflict resolution. Their objective viewpoint and facilitation skills could help navigate the discussions more smoothly, ensuring that the team can focus on constructive feedback and collaborative improvement without the emotional intensity that might have characterized previous retrospectives. Institute a feedback box where team members can anonymously submit their retrospective points to be discussed by the Scrum Master only. Encourage team members to focus only on the positive outcomes of the sprint, avoiding negative feedback to prevent conflicts. Implement a rotating facilitator role among team members to foster ownership and accountability during retrospectives.

Correct Answer: Implement a rotating facilitator role among team members to foster ownership and accountability during retrospectives.

The key in improving retrospective discussions lies in fostering a productive and respectful environment where all team members feel comfortable and accountable to contribute. The correct answer supports this by rotating the facilitator role, encouraging diverse views and shared responsibility, which is crucial for a team's growth and cohesion. The wrong answers either avoid addressing the conflict directly, limit participation, or shift the responsibility away from team members, which could hinder the development of a self-organizing team capable of resolving its issues internally.

Question 3

During the retrospective, a team member consistently dominates the discussions and others are not getting an opportunity to voice their opinions. As a Scrum Master, what is the most appropriate way for you to handle this scenario?

Rearrange the seating pattern for each meeting to discourage side conversations and promote a more collaborative environment. This adjustment might unconsciously modify the team dynamics and reduce domination by a single team member. Use a speaking token that is passed around to indicate who has the floor to ensure equal opportunity for all team members to contribute. Individually approach the dominant team member to discuss the impact of their actions and encourage them to allow space for others. Implement a timer for each speaker to limit their speaking time, ensuring discussions remain concise and giving others a chance to speak.

Correct Answer: Individually approach the dominant team member to discuss the impact of their actions and encourage them to allow space for others.

As a Scrum Master, the goal is to facilitate a balanced and inclusive environment where all team members can contribute. Individually approaching the dominant team member to discuss the collaborative nature of retrospectives can be effective without publicly calling them out. Although the wrong answers might seem practical, they do not directly address the issue of a single team member dominating discussions. Techniques like using a speaking token or implementing a timer don't tackle the root cause of encouraging open communication and may inadvertently add unnecessary structure that could stifle the free flow of ideas. Changing seating arrangements might influence team dynamics but isn't a direct approach to ensuring everyone's voice is heard.

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