A sprint retrospective, sometimes referred to as an agile retrospective, is a short meeting that gives team members the opportunity to stop and reflect on past stages of a given project. Sprint retrospectives are useful project management tools as they allow project teams to brainstorm, reflect on their progress, and identify areas for improvement.
Sprint retrospectives come from the Scrum methodology, which is a framework for developing complex products. Within this methodology, sprints are defined as short time periods where scrum masters task scrum teams with completing a determined amount of work.
Sprint retrospectives are typically conducted face-to-face using tools such as whiteboards and sticky notes, but the advent of remote teams is leading them to be increasingly organized online.
There are many different ways to approach sprint retrospectives, but the following elements are usually included:
Pro Tip: As mentioned above, there are many different approaches to answering these questions in sprint retrospectives. Some common examples include Start, Stop & Continue, Glad, Sad & Mad, and The Sailboat.
Using sprint retrospectives is worthwhile because they...
Have we piqued your interest? Great! Here at Slite, we want to make sure that your team is working together as efficiently and collaboratively as possible (and having fun while you do it!) Luckily, we've got the template for you!💕
Our sprint retrospective template looks awesome, is 100% customizable, can easily be edited and worked on collaboratively... and did we mention that it's free? What more can we say?
Ready to go? Begin developing your sprint retrospective template by:
Establishing Key Information
Sprint reviews are short in nature, so make sure to establish the exact scope of your meeting right off the bat. More specifically, take note of the relevant team, date & timeframe, and work completed within that sprint from the get-go.
Experimenting & Trying New Things
As previously mentioned, there are tons of different approaches that can be used when approaching sprint retrospectives that all answer the same questions.
Once you've established the questions and action items that your team wants to address, don't be afraid to experiment with different approaches to your sprint planning. This prevents team members from getting bored and keeps them on their toes. You can also do a quick Google search for creative ideas.
Sailboat one week, Glad, Sad & Mad the next, anyone?
Brainstorming With Your Team
This will vary depending on how familiar your team is with Scrum methodology, but it won't hurt to organize a quick brainstorming session with your team when putting your template together. Even if sprint retrospectives are new to you, think about which meeting styles and structures have worked well in the past, and which haven't.
Keeping It Short & Sweet
Last but not least, don't be tempted to include too many details in your sprint retrospective template. It should be comprehensive, but the best sprint meetings are concise and efficient. Stick to the basics!
...voila! You're well on your way to putting together an awesome sprint retrospective template for your next meeting. Get ready to take things to the next level!