I am a consultant, and I can’t tell you how many organizations I have worked with that had employees who confused the Sprint Review with the Sprint Retrospective. Somehow, these people have the erroneous idea that they are the same! They are NOT! Let me help clear this up for you:
Sprint Review
Who?
The Sprint Review is for the Scrum Team and the key stakeholders. It’s not just for the Scrum Team. Without having stakeholders present, you’re missing the point. They are the people who care about what the team is building, and they are essential participants. Without them, there’s no one to review the done increment.
What?
The purpose of the Sprint Review is to “inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future iterations,” according to the Scrum Guide; this means that the team shares its completed work to obtain feedback. The second part of this event is to decide what to do next. Input from both the Scrum Team and the stakeholders is needed to make this happen.
When?
The Sprint Review is the next to last event of a Sprint. Like all other official Scrum events, it happens on a regular recurring basis.
How long?
This activity should take no longer than four hours for a 4-week Sprint. Sprint Reviews for shorter iterations will likely take less time.
Sprint Retrospective
Who?
The Sprint Retrospective is just for the Scrum Team – no one else. The retro is the key “inspect and adapt” opportunity in the Scrum framework. While others in the organization may be interested in attending this meeting, it’s inappropriate. In this setting, the team has trust and psychological safety to be vulnerable in honestly assessing the Sprint they just completed.
What?
How the Retrospective is conducted is a topic for a separate blog, but for this purpose, it’s the Scrum Team’s time to reflect on how things went in the previous Sprint. The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went regarding individuals, processes, tools, and the Definition of Done. If there were issues, the team discusses them to determine what could be done better in the future. If the team was successful, then they should celebrate!
When?
The Sprint Retrospective is the last event of a Sprint. This activity caps off the Sprint, and the next iteration begins immediately after that.
How long?
The Retrospective should take no more than three hours for a 4-week Sprint length. For shorter iterations, it will likely require less time.
Summary
| Event | Who | What | Where | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint Review | Scrum Team, Stakeholders | Inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future iterations. | At the end of each Sprint | 4 hours or less |
| Sprint Retrospective | Scrum Team | Inspect how the last Sprint went regarding individuals, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done | After the Sprint Review | 3 hours or less |
Final Thoughts
After reading this short blog, I hope you understand that the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective are two totally and completely different events with unique purposes. Although sometimes they occur back to back, about the only thing they have in common is that The Scrum Team participates in both.
How about you? Have you seen agile teams mistakenly confuse the Review with the Retrospective? If so, I would love to hear your story, so please leave it in the comments below.