Scrum Retrospective

5 minutes 5 Questions

Scrum Retrospective is the last event of the Sprint, aimed at continuous improvement. This involves the Scrum team discussing what was successful during the sprint, what challenges they encountered, and how they can improve for the next one. The purpose of the retrospective is to make necessary adj…

Guide for Scrum Retrospective

Scrum Retrospective:
The Scrum Retrospective is an important part of the Scrum framework, a popular form of Agile development. At the end of each sprint, the Scrum team sits down to introspect about what happened during the sprint and identify ways to improve in the next one.

Importance:
Retrospectives provide an opportunity for a Scrum team to inspect and adapt their process. This increases the team's efficiency and effectiveness, and fosters continual improvement.

How it works:
The team engages in a structured discussion in the following steps:
1. Discuss what went well
2. Discuss what did not go well
3. Agree on what to improve
4. Plan how to implement these improvements

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Scrum Retrospective:
1. Understand the purpose: The purpose of retrospectives is to improve the processes and practices of the team, not to point blame.
2. Comprehend the key aspects: Understand that retrospectives address what went well, what did not, and where to improve next.
3. Remember the process: Recollect the order in which things in a retrospective take place.
4. Retrospective vs. Review: Keep in mind that a Scrum retrospective differs from a review. While a review focuses on the product, a retrospective focuses on processes and practices.
5. Key participants: Know that the entire Scrum team (Scrum Master, Product Owner, Development Team) participates in the retrospective.
6. Output: The key output of a retrospective should always be a list of improvements to be implemented in the next sprint.

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PSM I - Scrum Retrospective Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Scrum Retrospective

Question 1

During the retrospective, the team realizes that a significant reason for not meeting the sprint goals were technical debts. How do you, the Scrum Master, proceed?

Assist the team in identifying the most critical technical debts to include in the Sprint Backlog for incremental improvement. Recommend dedicating an entire sprint exclusively for technical debt, postponing any new features or product backlog items until these are resolved. This approach might seem beneficial in the short term, but could lead to significant delays in delivering value to stakeholders and should be balanced against the needs of the product and organization. Suggest that the product owner should prioritize technical debt items above new features until all debts are cleared. Advise the team to allocate a fixed percentage of each sprint's capacity solely for technical debt resolution without adjusting their planning.

Correct Answer: Assist the team in identifying the most critical technical debts to include in the Sprint Backlog for incremental improvement.

The correct approach involves helping the team to integrate the handling of technical debts into their regular sprint cycles, focusing on the most impactful ones first. This offers a balanced way to continue delivering value while also improving the codebase. Allocating a fixed percentage of sprint capacity to technical debt might sound structured but can be inflexible. Prioritizing technical debt to the extent of overshadowing new features may not align with stakeholder or business priorities. Committing a whole sprint exclusively to technical debt might not be the most efficient use of time, especially in a fast-paced development environment where delivering incremental value is key.

Question 2

At the end of the sprint, during the retrospective, the team has determined that a lack of communication was the cause for several key tasks being overlooked. As a Scrum Master, what steps should you take in response to this?

Assign a team member the role of communication officer to oversee all team interactions. Implement a visual management board to enhance transparency and track progress more effectively. Conduct a detailed performance review of each team member to identify personal communication shortcomings. Instruct the team to increase the frequency of daily stand-up meetings to twice a day.

Correct Answer: Implement a visual management board to enhance transparency and track progress more effectively.

The correct response aligns with Scrum values of openness and transparency, and promotes self-organization within the team by providing a tool for better visibility rather than imposing additional meetings or roles, or singling out individuals for communication issues. Implementing a visual management board, like a task board or Kanban board, allows the team to see their work, progress, and impediments, fostering better communication naturally. Increasing meeting frequency, assigning dedicated communication roles, or conducting individual performance reviews on communication do not directly address the systemic issue and could potentially lead to decreased autonomy or morale.

Question 3

What is the primary objective of the Scrum Master during the Sprint Retrospective?

Present a comprehensive analysis of the team's performance and dictate necessary changes for the upcoming Sprint. Encourage the team to celebrate successful deliveries and avoid discussing areas that need improvement to maintain positive morale. Guide the team to identify improvements and create a plan for implementing changes in the next Sprint. Highlight individual team member's shortcomings and assign blame for failed deliverables.

Correct Answer: Guide the team to identify improvements and create a plan for implementing changes in the next Sprint.

The primary objective of the Scrum Master during the Sprint Retrospective is to guide the team in identifying improvements and creating a plan to implement changes in the next Sprint. The Scrum Master facilitates the meeting, encouraging the team to reflect on their processes, identify areas for improvement, and develop actionable steps to enhance their performance in the upcoming Sprint. The other options are incorrect because they do not align with the Scrum values and principles. The Scrum Master should not highlight individual shortcomings, assign blame, dictate changes, or avoid discussing areas that need improvement. Instead, the Scrum Master should foster a collaborative and safe environment where the team can openly share their thoughts and work together to continuously improve their processes and deliverables.

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