February 19, 2025 – Mitch Goldstein, Agile Transformation Consultant
“At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.” – 12th Agile Principle.
This principle, meant to be the cornerstone of team evolution, often gets lost in the shuffle. How many times has your team’s retrospective felt like a rushed formality, a mere checklist item? A quick exchange of sticky notes, a few platitudes, and then back to the grind. We’ve all been there, trapped in a cycle that misses the true potential for growth and, more importantly, human connection.
As coaches, we see the impact of this daily. The commodification of agility, while bringing structure, has sometimes diluted the very spirit of continuous improvement. Teams feel overwhelmed, disillusioned, and frankly, like cogs in a machine. Yet, witnessing a team rediscover its drive, its humanity, is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work.
Recently, I had a conversation with a team struggling with this very issue—a composite of many experiences I’ve encountered. They felt their retrospectives were failing, and it became clear that it was time to rethink not just the process, but the purpose.
“It’s been tough,” the Scrum Master sighed, the weight of their team’s frustration evident. “We’re trying to improve, but it feels like we’re running in place. We’re overloaded, and the team doesn’t see the value in our current retrospectives.”
Their process was a familiar one: a rushed 15-minute session, a whirlwind of notes, organization, and action items that vanished into the backlog abyss.
“And what happens to those action items?” I asked, knowing the answer but wanting to highlight the disconnect.
“They go into the backlog,” came the wry reply. “And they stay there.”
The problem wasn’t a lack of effort, but a lack of presence. A compressed timebox and a lack of meaningful, human discussion were hindering progress. It was time to remind them of the heart of retrospectives.
“Let’s start with the basics,” I suggested. “What does ‘retrospective’ actually mean?”
After a moment of thought, they admitted they needed a reminder.
“‘Retro’ means ‘backwards,’ and ‘spect’ means ‘to see.’ A retrospective is about looking back to understand how you arrived at your results. Fifteen minutes barely scratches the surface of two weeks of work, two weeks of human experience.”
I proposed a shift: extending the timebox to 30 minutes and adopting a daily review approach, a journey back through the lived experience of the sprint.
“Instead of trying to summarize two weeks in five minutes, let’s walk through each day of the sprint,” I explained. “Starting with the sprint planning, discuss what happened each day. What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them? Encourage everyone to take notes during this discussion, not just before it. Let’s remember the moments, the feelings, the shared experience.”
This “winding back the clock” approach allows for a deeper, more human understanding of the sprint’s dynamics. Dedicate 20 minutes to this daily review, roughly two minutes per day—two minutes to remember, to reflect, to connect.
“And the remaining ten minutes?” they asked, eager for practical steps.
“Focus on action, but action rooted in understanding,” I replied. “Discuss what could have been done differently, not as a judgment, but as a learning opportunity. If improvement items are consistently ignored, address your team’s working agreement and allocate dedicated time for improvement. It’s an investment in your team’s morale, productivity, and most importantly, their humanity.”
To facilitate this daily review, I suggested a simple tool: taking a picture of the sprint planning board.
“Start each retrospective by reviewing the plan. Discuss what happened to each planned item. This provides a tangible starting point for your daily review, a reminder of the human effort invested.”
This conversation sparked a renewed sense of possibility. By shifting from a rushed, surface-level approach to a more reflective, daily-focused retrospective, teams can unlock their potential for continuous improvement, and rediscover the human connection at the heart of their work.
Let’s remember: Retrospectives are not just about process; they are about people. They are about acknowledging the shared journey, celebrating successes, learning from challenges, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement that respects and values the human experience.
Next Steps:
- Embrace the “winding back the clock” approach: Dedicate time to walk through each day of the sprint, fostering a deeper understanding of the team’s journey.
- Focus on the human element: Encourage open discussion, active listening, and empathy.
- Prioritize improvement: Allocate dedicated time for action items and address any roadblocks to implementation.
- Capture the moment: Use visual aids like sprint planning board photos to spark memories and facilitate discussion.
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Read How REAL Retrospectives Get Your Team Improving by Mitch Goldstein, Agile Transformation Consultant.