I can’t tell you how often I have heard complaints about agile Retrospectives being rote, repetitive, and boring. I get it – many of them are these things, but they don’t have to be! In my many years as a consultant and Scrum Master, I have discovered that there are myriad ways to run a retro that keep them fun, fresh, and insightful.
Stop Doing the Same Thing Every Time!
Want to prevent boredom? Then stop doing the same thing and try something new! I know many Scrum Masters who use the same format for every Retrospective and trust me, it gets old fast. Each feels the same as the last, and no new insights are generated. The Scrum Team no longer sees value in the activity, and they start to check out. Eventually, some teams decide to do away with them altogether (thereby throwing away the whole empirical aspect of agile).
Switch up the Setting
Another factor that can cause a team to lose interest is always doing the Retrospective in the same place. It’s comfortable, familiar, and boring. Bring new attention to the event by changing the setting or the location from time to time. Do it outside when it’s pleasant or in a different conference room or space. You might be surprised how something as simple as a change of venue can do to bring life back to your retros.
Let the Scrum Team Choose
No rule says the Scrum Master must choose a Scrum Team’s Retrospective activity. However, they often do because the team looks to them as their leader, and the rest of the group is busy building the product. While the Scrum Master can decide which method to use, it doesn’t mean he always should. To mix things up, let the Scrum Team determine how they want to run their retro; they’ll be more invested if it was their idea.
Rotate Facilitators
Like choosing the Retrospective activity, nothing requires the Scrum Master to facilitate (although he may). Another way to keep things fresh is to rotate who facilitates. Not only does this add variety to the event, but it also allows team members to try something new.
Make sure there’s Psychological Safety
Nothing kills a Retrospective faster than the lack of psychological safety and, therefore, a lack of trust. For Retrospectives to be effective, the Scrum Team must feel that they can be truthful and vulnerable and no harm will come to them. Ensure that everyone can feel heard, not judged or blamed, and believe that everyone wants to get better together.
Bring in an Outside Facilitator
If people on the Scrum Team play a dual role, such as Scum Master/Developer, or Product Owner/Scrum Master, it can be tricky to try to facilitate and participate in a Retrospective. Sometimes, you might bring someone from outside your team or organization to run the meeting as a neutral third party. That way, the person doing double duty will get to participate fully.
Create your Own Retrospective Activity
Who’s to say you can’t get creative and develop your own Retrospective activity? People invent new ways of doing retros all the time. Brainstorm with the team to think up as many wild and wacky ways you can inspect and choose what to adapt. Then evaluate the options, vote on them, and try your idea out. It may or may not work, but at least you tried!
Rotate in-person and Online
Another way to break routines is to rotate conducting your Retrospectives in-person or online. Ever since COVID, virtual and hybrid teams have become more and more prevalent, and it’s nice to accommodate both.
Use Digital Collaboration Tools
Remote Retrospectives used to be enormously challenging. Due to COVID, however, many new digital collaboration tools were built or discovered by the mostly virtual workforce. There are now many delightful options for working together online. My favorite is Miro. Mural is another good one, and the list goes on and on. Take advantage of the technology to increase engagement.
Explore Online Resources
Google is always there for you. There are countless resources on the web that provide you with ideas for Retrospective activities with instructions, pictures, and explanations. All you need to do is search for them; seek, and ye shall find.
Books of Retrospectives
On top of online resources, you can also find numerous books, both printed and digital, that can give you new ways to run your Retrospectives. Many of the ideas might also exist online, though, so be sure to review the list of included activities before you go out and buy a book.
Use Props
Another way to add interest to your Retrospectives is the use of props. In addition to using standard tools like a whiteboard and post-it notes, why not do something different? Bring in props such as balls, Legos, stickers, postcards, crayons, etc. Even digitally, the sky is the limit; find a way to incorporate the props into your event to make it more fun!
Bring Food
I know this may feel a little bit like bribery, but it works! Offer to bring treats (donuts, bagels, bacon, etc.) or a meal. People usually love free food in the workplace – it makes them feel special. If you’re virtual or hybrid, you can also send the team gift cards to services like DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, or EatStreet so they can have food delivered during the event.
Celebrate!
If your Scrum Team accomplished something tremendous, be sure to celebrate it! Have cake, music, confetti, or whatever shows your appreciation. It’s often forgotten that the Retrospective is also an opportunity to recognize wins and to acknowledge the team’s hard work and accomplishments.
Final Thoughts
It is easy to sink into a comfortable but bad or boring routine with your Retrospectives, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Use some of the ideas in this blog to make minor (or major) adjustments, and watch the magic unfold as people start to appreciate Retrospectives again.
If there is anything I missed or you have other ideas to rescue your Retrospective, please let me know in the comments below!