3 new Scrum Retrospective Ideas for any team
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As an introduction to this text on 3 varied Scrum retrospective methods, this quote by Matthias, one, fits perfectly Scrum Master of Eucon GmbH from Münster:
As a Scrum Master, it is often difficult to make retrospectives varied and exciting. Most of the time, this only works with some preparation time, which is not always available.
— Matthias Adames, Scrum Master, Eucon GmbH
For me as a Scrum Master and Psychologist, the variety in retrospectives is important. For this reason you will find 3 unusual retrospective methods here that will undoubtedly give you some variety with a bit of storytelling and team willingness: The Flitzebogen Retro, Sherlock Holmes Retro (for fans of the genre) and the Rocket Retro!
Scrum Retrospective Method 1: Retro Bow
The retrospective method consists of a total of 3 questions, which you can of course also modify or shorten. In principle, it works according to the generally known scheme. Let’s start with the positive:
- What are our arrows, with which we overcome resistance? So how have we as a team particularly successfully overcome difficulties lately? For example, we noticed that our dailies were extremely important in the last sprint. Information was exchanged there that was central to the success of the sprint. So we should definitely keep Dailys like this!
- Concentration and the archer’s balanced mindset are central to hitting the bullseye. What efforts, worries, and difficulties are disturbing our inner balance as a team? For example, we may have noticed that a higher-level manager twice subtracted a developer from the actual task of the sprint. Although appropriate communication should always run through the Scrum Master. As an action item, it is a good idea to start a conversation with the manager.
- The wind is hard to predict. It could prevent us from landing a bullseye. Which (air) resistance must we anticipate and take into account? It is becoming apparent that a team member will soon be on maternity leave. Could we organize a replacement now if necessary? Maybe we can get the trainees into the team already now. If we can do that, it’s against of the trainees also a nice signal of appreciation.
Of course you can play the metaphor even further here and ask, for example, which tendon the team accelerates. Or you call the whole thing “Robin Hood Retro” and take the beloved one with you into the set of questions that gives the team strength (who knows how the team will respond).
If you like this retro format and questions, you can open them directly in our team development tool Echometer:
Flitzebogen Retro 🏹: How the retro works
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- What are our arrows, or how have we as a team particularly successfully overcome difficulties lately?
- Concentration and the archer's balanced mindset are central to hitting the bullseye. What efforts, worries, and difficulties are disturbing our inner balance as a team?
- The wind is hard to predict. It could prevent us from landing a bullseye. Which (air) resistance must we anticipate and take into account?
Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
Flitzebogen Retro 🏹
And there we are with a second unusual Scrum retrospective method.
Scrum Retrospective Method 2: Sherlock Holmes Retro
For movie fans and especially creative hours, you can also do the Sherlock Holmes Retro. Possibly. some also know the Harry Potter Retro. It depends on the taste.
In any case, the retrospective method helps to bring up topics in an entertaining way and invites you to think outside the box (speaking of lateral thinking: Here is an extra workshop).
Sherlock Holmes Retro 🔎: How the retro works
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- What stones did the evil Mr. Moriarty put in our way?
- How have we as a team faced these stones?
- What support would we like from one another in the future?
- What difficulties could arise in the next few weeks and how will we face them?
Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
Sherlock Holmes Retro 🔎
If you like this retro format and questions, you can open them directly in our team development tool Echometer:
Depending on the team, you can of course leave out a question. The last question, for example, focuses on the future and uses techniques of Pre mortem method - that could be time-consuming in a classic retro. So let’s move on to the third Scrum Retrospective method, which is a little less time-consuming.
Scrum Retrospective Method 3: Rocket Retro
Similar to the racing car metaphor, this is about acceleration and velocity. This time we want to reach the sky and reach for the stars!
The questions can be asked in the past or in the future, for example for planning a project. This time I have put it in relation to the future:
Rocket Retro 🚀: How the retro works
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- What is the fuel that will shoot us into space as a team?
- What is the gravity that could constantly pull us down?
- The air may seem harmless, but the winds at altitude are treacherous. What resistance could arise on our way into space? How can we face it?
Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
Rocket Retro 🚀
As always, the retro should end with positive thoughts. In this respect, feel free to change the order of the questions or to add to the questions.
If you like this retro format and questions, you can open them directly in our team development tool Echometer:
Bonus - Scrum Retrospective Method 4: Echometer
Another way to design retros is of course to use what is there - Retro Tools! In particular, I would like to mention Echometer here, in whose development I myself participated.
It combines insights from psychology with agile best practices to get the best out of team health checks & fun retrospectives - to help to grow your team.
We also have a catalog of different retrospective methods - and it can be used both online remotely and offline.
The basic version is free. If you just want to try it out - right here or start for free.
If you would like to explore all the possible retrospective ideas in our tool, you can simply do so following the button:
More Scrum retrospective methods
There is many Scrum retrospective methods. I hope, however, that these four are new to you. And you can find three more retrospective Scrum ideas in this blog article - Hearsay, the team acronym and the conflict compass!
If you are searching for fun retrospective ideas, check out our post on 54 Kickass Retrospective Ideas for Agile Teams (including the Mario Kart Retro & the Team Morale Health Check).
One of the best methods for sustainably developing team members’ agile mindset is, by the way, the implementation of an agile health check. Our free team health check kit can help you ask the right questions - just click through.
