How can you host successful Scrum reviews and retrospectives?

If every retrospective style is the same, the team and the contributers will eventually get bored and won’t contribute as needed. To prevent this situation, find different retrospective techniques and make the team contibute.

Ensure all work items are clearly documented, stakeholders are invited, and the team is ready to showcase completed items. Facilitation is key! Lead with open-ended questions, ensure everyone has a chance to speak, and maintain a positive, constructive environment. Identify specific improvements for the next sprint and assign responsibilities for these action items. And finally don't forget to follow-up: Track the implementation of agreed-upon changes and measure their impact in the next sprint to ensure continuous improvement.

For scrum review, you would expect team to work as well oiled machine and follow demo, feedback and realign cycle. This will get better as you understand key influencers in the stakeholders and overall team cohesion also contributes to it. Retro is bit monotonous if you follow by the book. If you really want to get value out of it then you need to be creative, dont box yourself. Goal remains same but 'how' can be interesting.

Of course, without purpose and preparation we would be confused through out the sprint review process. There are few things which needed to be followed: For example if sprint review day is Wednesday then we have to plan the sprint review for the items which supposed to be done till Monday. There must be 2 days for rehearsal of Sprint Review. This will go one till the Project Closure. While making sprint retrospective we must be enjoying to write down our learnings and feedbacks because we lived that Sprint Review process as a good time, not just a formality to fulfil which only serves the meaning of providing the demo to the client.

Review: Set the stage: Begin with overview of goals that was aimed for. Demo: Let one team member present. Collect Feedback: Ask stakeholders for their feedback. Note their comments/concerns. Adapt: Based on feedback, adjust product backlog for upcoming sprints. Retrospective: Reflect on Sprint: Discuss three most important aspects from last Sprint - what went well, challenges faced and improvements to capitalise success. Identify Actionable Items: Encourage team to propose specific actions and assign owners and prioritise. Follow Up: Keep track of the actions and their progress. Review them in next retrospective. The success of these meetings depends on active participation, transparency, and a commitment to continuous improvement!

As an example, there are many online tools available which give good platform to do retrospective in an innovative way and that suits the project culture and process. This way it wont look like a monotonous same old way to do retrospectives or reviews and more participation can be observed.

For distributed teams, seamless video conferencing with collaboration platforms like Miro or MURAL facilitates interactive discussions and visual representation of work. Digital boards, virtual sticky notes, and live voting keep remote teams engaged. For on-site teams, physical boards and sticky notes offer tactile experience and promote movement. Voting dots provide visual cues on priorities. Being adaptable is key - recognize team preferences, stakeholder comfort with tools, and be open to hybrid approaches. While tools and formats are enablers, open dialogue and commitment to improvement make these events truly effective.

Th e adaptability in format and tools is key to successful Scrum reviews and retrospectives. In our startup, we’ve found that flexibility in choosing the right tools ensures that everyone can actively participate. For our remote sessions, leveraging video conferencing platforms like Gather which also play a part in our culture, and digital collaboration tools like Miro and Canva has been instrumental in maintaining the interactive and engaging nature of these meetings. Ultimately, selecting the format and tools that resonate with our team’s dynamics has been essential in driving meaningful discussions and progress and has helped us build a strong company culture even on a remote basis and a cohesive and efficient collaboration.

In my experience for remote retrospective sessions, visual tools are a great help. Giving the developers time to think through and add their perspective before the retrospective calls go along way. This ensures they have had the time to step back and analyse what worked well and what can be improved upon.

It is important to be adaptable and to choose the tools and formats that are right for your team. Consider the team's preferences, the stakeholder comfort with tools, and the possibility of hybrid approaches. For distributed teams, seamless video conferencing with collaboration platforms is essential. This will help to create a sense of shared presence and make it easier for everyone to participate. Online tools can be a great way to make Scrum reviews and retrospectives more engaging and interactive. There are many different tools available, so you can choose one that suits your team's needs and preferences. Some popular tools include Miro, Mural, and Zoom.

In my experience, I create or use a different template for each retrospective. I tried to be dynamic and use something that is representative of the sprint or any special event. For example, for a retrospective held on December, I created a template in Miro, where team members will reflect on 3 main topics: Santa’s List (things the team will love to improve), Santa’s Presents (Highlights of the month), Charcoal gifts (Things to stop doing).

Well-rehearsed demos in reviews ensure that work aligns with the definition of done and resonates with stakeholders. Dedicated demo environments reduce last-minute issues. Feedback forms help capture insights to align products with user needs. For retrospectives, a clear theme or focus helps teams discover areas needing improvement. Pre-planned activities like "Start, Stop, Continue" or creative techniques stimulate discussion. Thoughtful questions prompt introspection. Leveraging data and metrics like sprint burn-down charts or lead time adds objectivity, helping teams pinpoint improvements. Meticulous preparation makes these events meaningful, fostering transparency, feedback, and continuous improvement.

Anyone else feel like Reviews and Retrospectives have turned into poorly orchestrated theater with actors who don't really want to go on stage? Format. Tools. Agenda. Materials. Leave bureaucracy to the bureaucrats and make space for conversation. Yes, you want the basics in place. You need the right roles in each meeting. Demoed increments must align to the goals, meet the definition of done, and actually be usable. Introspection should be about the Sprint—what went well, what didn't, and what this means for Sprints in the future. Just don't overdo it with the preparation and planning. Leave some space to talk. To agree. To ask. To learn.

Have the reviews and retrospective dates always agreed with the entire team and scheduled before hand, make them a mandatory part of the processes without skipping for convenience are really important as per my past experience.

The duties of the scrum master does not end when the meeting ends. One of the best things a scrum master can do is to encourage a culture of feedback so that individuals feel more comfortable speaking up during meetings. So much insight is lost because people decide their thoughts are not important or they are too afraid to speak it. It is your job to mitigate that through the avenues that your company provides you.

In my experience, as a scrum master I used to explain the retrospective theme or agenda of sprint review at the beginning which give a better vision of how the meeting would be drive. And then giving them sufficient time to add points or discuss on the feedbacks at the end of the meeting help the team to not miss any points. But surely, being a scrum master, need to make sure that all these has to be managed and adhere as per the timelines.

Most Scrum Masters don't understand the purpose of their role: It's to make themselves redundant. (And I'm saying that as a Certified Scrum Master.) Make sure everyone understands what's what, why they have the role they have, why they're in the meetings they're in, and what's expected by the team and the organization from them. Be the timekeeper. Help hold everyone accountable. Teach the principles and coach the team's members. Remove obstacles and fight for the empowerment, leeway, and tools the team should be given by the organization. But do it in a way that every time you're needed, it's for a "better" problem. If you're dealing with the same things over and over again, ask yourself how you can do what you do differently.

Making sure that everyone is heard will go a long way towards building trust and psychological safety in the team. Build on the excitement of more vocal contributors while gently drawing out team members who have been quiet. If you are co-located and there are remote participants, make sure they haven't been forgotten in favour of those physically in the room with you. Lastly, be aware of the potential barriers against speaking up experienced by under-represented groups (including racial minorities, women, neurodivergent or disabled team members, etc.) - never assume that someone is silent because they have nothing to say.

As the Scrum Master, you're the linchpin for effective reviews and retrospectives. Setting a positive tone is essential. Establish clear ground rules and set expectations, ensuring everyone understands the purpose and objectives. Utilizing the selected tools and format foster an environment where all feel empowered to share. Pose open-ended questions to stimulate discussion and actively listen, ensuring everyone's voice is heard. Summarizing points helps retain clarity while acknowledging contributions builds trust. Be attuned to the group's energy; gently steer it back if the discussion veers off or becomes counterproductive. Remember, the ultimate goal is collective growth and actionable outcomes.

I always keep a separate document to track feedback and actions. The benefit of a separate document is that it highlights the action items and can be used to track all of the feedback and actions from the sprint retrospective. This can be helpful for keeping track of the progress of each action item and making sure that they are not forgotten. Tools like Jira and Trello also help in keeping a track but a document on top of it just makes so much sense.

Post-event follow-ups are crucial to the success of Scrum ceremonies. It's essential to dissect customer feedback for reviews, ensuring that valuable insights are captured and integrated into the product backlog. Transparently sharing this feedback and subsequent action items with the team fosters a sense of ownership and alignment. Recognizing achievements maintains morale and underscores the value of the review process. For retrospectives, the emphasis should be on accountability. Documenting, assigning, and diligently tracking action items ensures that retrospectives lead to tangible improvements. Revisiting these in subsequent retrospectives reinforces a culture of continuous improvement and celebrates the team's dedication to growth.

My team usually adds the stakeholders' feedback to the Product Backlog at the highest priority. After that, the PO will re-prioritizing and talk with the team on the next planning meeting or the next Grooming meeting.

Review: What to do in the next Sprint. Not the Sprint Goal or Backlog, but the understanding of the work that matters most. If you don't come out of the Review with it and ground your decisions and trade-offs in it during the next Sprint, you're not really doing agile. Retrospective: What to do differently in the next Sprint. It could be one thing. A process. A tool. A notification. A new brand of coffee in the coffee maker. If you don't follow up on it, why bring it up in the first place?

Celebrating success is crucial to motivate the Scrum Team. My team celebrates successes to acknowledge the hard work and recognizing the efforts. When the team successfully completes a daily stand-up meeting, we celebrate the success by taking a break or going out for lunch together. This serves as an informal recognition ceremony which keeps the team motivated.

Making sure that in review whole team participates. Retrospective should be a safe place (emotional safety is from my experience key) for people to express themselves fully. There are team dynamics that might prevent people from speaking up - which is crucial to happen. To ensure this and to have really fruitful retros investing in team bonding (even outside of work) was one of the important elements. Also, cultural difference play a role how points are given and it’s also valuable that team understands them.

Don't talk about the Agile Manifesto or Scrum Guide. Talk about how to use them. Chess books for beginners spend 5% of their time introducing you to the rules and 95% showing you how to play by them—Scrum is no different. It's easy to get caught up in "This is what it says in the Scrum Guide" instead of "Here's what we can do if we apply these principles" because you're talking the talk, not walking the walk. So walk the walk.

Showing variety is the key. I remember one of the best retrospectives we had is to give everyone’s view of the last sprint with a meme. This increased the interaction between team members during the Covid time and everyone was able to figure out the funny side of the other person. Comedy is a serious business and conveying your perspective on the last sprint on what went well, did not go well and what can be improved in a funny manner can open a lot of doors for discussion.

One thing that I found useful is asking yourself 'What do I need to get out of this retrospective session?' Preparing for the session upfront and steering the session on such a way that every team member feels included is the key. Followup on the outcome is very important.