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20+ facilitation tips for great retrospectives

Learn how to establish an effective change process through retrospectives

eBook preview - a practitioners guide to establishing a powerful change process using retrospectives
  • Written for Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches & Servant Leaders, who want to foster sustainable team development
  • Based on several years of experience with agile teams and agile transformations
  • 30 page eBook with tips that you don't learn in trainings

Readers about the eBook

"Well organized and really comprehensive guide to retrospectives!"
Tomasz Żelezny
Tomasz ŻeleznyScrum Master
"I enjoyed reading the eBook & as an experienced agile coach and scrum master, I can only agree with the tips."
Stacey Buys
Stacey BuysAgile Coach & Trainer, Management 3.0 Facilitator
"Great and easy read for anyone looking to take their retrospectives to the next level."
Carsten Lützen
Carsten LützenAgile Coach
"The eBook covers all aspects of retrospectives, it will definitely top up your experience, recommended!"
Eman Mostafa
Eman MostafaSenior Scrum Master
"Great read also for seasoned Scrum Masters to get some inspiration to revitalize their retrospectives."
Norbert Degenhardt
Norbert DegenhardtAgile Coach
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Insight into the topics of the eBook

Chapter 1: Get the Basics Right

Before you start with retrospectives, there are a couple of basics that you should take care of. Skip this chapter, and chances are that your retrospectives will suck and you can't figure out why.

  • Internalize the "Prime directive"
  • Don't confuse the "Vegas rule"
  • Team rules rule!
  • Consistency is key - don't cancel retrospectives
  • Facilitation rights need to be earned
  • Yes, you're creative - but start easy
  • Give room to nay-sayers

Chapter 2: Survive in the Jungle of Retro Formats

As many options as there are to design a retrospective, there are just as many ways to muck it up.

Instead of suggesting specific formats (there are enough out there), this chapter presents guiding principles that help you build your own retrospective formats and enable you to anticipate what may work and what doesn't.

  • Understand the double-diamond
  • Don't skip check-ins
  • Collect feedback upfront
  • The best retro is shorter than you think (avoid 60+ minutes)
  • No action items in the first half
  • Embrace silence & be comfortable to interrupt

Chapter 3: Taking Action

Everyone talks about creative retrospective formats. Reflecting about how to define great actions often falls short. Even though the value of retrospectives is highly coupled to the effectiveness of outcomes.

It's time to shift the attention!

  • When "no action item at all" is the best option
  • Take your time to get it right
  • Establish "Action Item Review"
  • Introduce a WIP limit
  • No backlogging
  • Visualize continuous improvements

What the author says about the eBook

Many teams use retrospectives without drawing any real added value from them.

The result is not surprising: retro fatigue in the teams.

With this eBook we want to help accelerating team development and change through retrospectives more effectively and sustainably.
Jean Michel Diaz
Co-Founder Echometer & Scrum Master

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