Redefining Scrum Retrospective by looking forward!

In the Agile world, retrospectives are a familiar practice where teams reflect on the past sprint, discussing what went well and what could improve. However, I’ve taken a new approach and redefined the scrum retrospective — introducing the ‘Prospective’.

The ‘Prospective’ is all about looking forward and focusing on action. Instead of reflecting on what we’ve done as a team, we visualize what we want to see and plan how to make it happen.

Our team’s ‘Prospective’ board is divided into 5 sections.

1. New Changes: This section captures any changes to the team, process changes, or improvements we’ve made. It’s all about keeping everyone in the loop and making sure we’re as transparent as possible.
2. How is it going?: Here, we share our feelings about the projects we are working on, the tasks we are undertaking, or the processes we are following. It’s a space for everyone to be heard and for us to understand where everyone’s coming from.
3. What would you like to see?: This is our virtual suggestion box. It’s a chance for everyone to think about what they’d like to change or see more of, fostering that all-important culture of continuous improvement.
4. Action Items: This is where we get down to business. It’s all about tasks that we’re going to tackle, usually based on what’s been shared in the ‘how is it going?’ and ‘what would you like to see?’ sections.
5. Kudos: Last but not least, we celebrate and acknowledge a team member who has made a noteworthy achievement to the team. This promotes a positive work culture and motivates team members.

Our ‘Prospective’ has a neat little agenda!

1. We start by quickly reviewing the status of the action items from the last ‘Prospective’.
2. I then share the link to our collaboration board with the team. I use IdeaBoardz.com, as it’s simple and easy to use. Each team member adds a sticky note to a section and can vote on others’ inputs.
3. Next, I set a timer for 4 minutes, allowing everyone to anonymously provide their inputs and feedback on each section.
4. We then go through and discuss each input in all sections, fostering open and constructive dialogue.
5. Finally, we celebrate the noteworthy achievements of individual members, fostering a culture of appreciation.

At the end of the session, I email the list of action items from the ‘Prospective’ to the team as a reminder.

The ‘Prospective’ has transformed our retrospectives into a more proactive, forward-looking practice. It has helped us become a more engaged and action-oriented team, and I encourage other Agile teams to give it a try.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.