You are used to the Scrum Master leading the retrospective, but what happens if he is not available? Don't worry, we have some tips and templates for you here to successfully organize the agile retrospective without a scrum master.
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
Tips for good retros without a Scrum Master
Here are a few thoughts in advance that will help you to conduct a good retrospective without a Scrum Master.
A volunteer moderator would be ideal
In a retrospective without a Scrum Master, it would be ideal to have a voluntary moderator from the team. This not only promotes the empowerment of the team members, but also enables a fresh look at the retrospective method. If the moderation is voluntary, it will also tend to take place with more enthusiasm.
Focus on a good conversation, not on time
Without a dedicated Scrum Master, time constraints can sometimes be neglected as the priority is on a quality conversation. This can have advantages and disadvantages. Have only one goal: That the team's core challenge is discussed, and that there is enough time to develop actions...
Take enough time to brainstorm good action items
The development of meaningful and feasible action items is a central component of every retrospective. Take enough time to develop high-quality action items together as a team. It is important to consider the perspectives of all team members and ensure that the measures are realistic. A thorough creation of action items leads to sustainable changes – and that is what it is all about.
Promoting active participation
Without a dedicated Scrum Master, participation in the retrospective can wane. Encourage everyone to actively participate. If your team seems less motivated, emphasize the following: This is not about you, it's about the team. If the retrospective only lasts 20 minutes, that's perfectly okay. The main thing is that the most important topics have been discussed.
Rule of thumb: If the retrospective is perceived as boring, then the right topics will not be discussed.
Focus on positive aspects
Agiles Project management means not only identifying problems, but also seeing strengths and positive aspects. If this is otherwise neglected, steer the retrospective in a positive direction without a Scrum Master by focusing on successes. Example question: "Share your personal highlights from the last sprint and let's talk about how we can build on these successes."
Agile Retrospective without Scrum Master Reddit: Exchange and inspiration
For further input and the exchange of experiences around the agile retrospective without Scrum Master, I recommend a visit to Reddit, you may even ask questions yourself on Reddit. This is where Agile enthusiasts share their best practices. So why not use the collective intelligence of this community to refine your retrospectives.
Use tools
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
Templates: Good retrospective questions make the difference
Choosing the right questions is crucial for the success of a retrospective without a Scrum Master. Make sure that the questions encourage the identification of concrete opportunities for improvement. For example, questions such as "What worked particularly well?" and "What obstacles did we experience?" could form the basis for an effective discussion and inspire concrete action measures.
As a retrospective tool, we at Echometer naturally have many more templates in stock. Here are a few examples. If you want to go even deeper: Here are 54 creative retrospective templates.
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
The What Went Well retro 👍
The "What Went Well" retrospective is probably the most popular or well-known among all the templates for retrospectives. It is based on the pattern that we find in many other retrospectives, but simply without all the gimmicks around it:
Open Feedback Questions
What went well?
What went not so well?
How can we improve?
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for: 4-L Retrospective 📘
The retrospective "LThe retrospective "Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for" is called 4l retrospective. I think the reason why is clear:
Open Feedback Questions
Like: What did you like?
Learned: What did you learn?
Lacked: What did you lack?
Longed for: What did you long for?
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
The Sailboat Retrospective ⛵️
Sailboat Retro is the first image-painting retro in this list of Agile Retrospective Templates. So get ready and weigh anchor:
Open Feedback Questions
⚓️ Your anchor: What holds us back?
🦈🧊 Your shark/iceberg: Which dangers or obstacles approach us?
💨 Your tailwind: What drives us forward?
🏝💰 Your paradise: What achievement or milestones are we working towards?
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
Working on a masterpiece? The Michelangelo retro 🧑🏾🎨 🖼
Michelangelo was a great artist, known for his artistic paintings. You as a team are basically painting a painting as well. How can you ensure that it will be a masterpiece?
Open Feedback Questions
What is the big picture we are working on?
Which details should we focus on in the next weeks?
Where do we have difficulties finding the right color?
Which new brush should we use, which new approaches should we try out in the next few weeks?
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
11. Not Satisfied With The Velocity? The Mario Kart Retro 🚗
Mario Kart is as unpredictable as today's work. You never know when a banana peel will be thrown, but you can mentally prepare for it. This time it goes as both a "futurespective" and a retrospective:
As futurespective
What bananas on the track do we have to look out for?
What’s an upcoming shortcut we could take advantage of?
What powerup could we pick up to ensure our win?
As a retrospective
What shortcuts helped us win?
Which bananas did we slip on?
What was the powerup that gave us an edge?
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
Your savior: Agile Retrospective Tools
As has probably become clear above, we can highly recommend that you make use of existing digital tools – such as Echometer.
Echometer is a digital tool that helps agile team leads with agile retrospectives and team Health Checks. Whether remote, hybrid or on-site: it makes team coaching measurable and professionalizes your work while saving you a lot of work. Just take a look at our website to find out more: www.echometerapp.com.
Retrospective without Scrum Master template
Conclusion: Good retros without a Scrum Master
Finally, another quick hint: If you would like to know how it feels to develop your team with our tool: You can start an agile retrospective below without logging in, in this case the "Keep, Stop, Start" workshop.
Alternatively, simply forward our website to the responsible colleagues: www.echometerapp.com.
