Contents
1 Introduction to Retrospectives
Prime Directive for a Retrospective
The Darker Side of Retrospectives
2 Anatomy of a Retrospective: A Case Study
Preparing for the Retrospective
Preparing for the Facilitator’s Job
3 Engineering a Retrospective: Making Choices
First Consideration: What is the purpose of this retrospective?
Second Consideration: How healthy is this organization?
Third Consideration: Do I have the skills to lead this retrospective?
Who Should Attend the Retrospective?
Where Should the Retrospective Be Held?
When Should the Retrospective Be Held?
How Long Should a Retrospective Be?
Understanding the Market for Retrospective Sales
Segment 1 Sales Approach (Change As Habit)
Segment 2 Sales Approach (Change Due to Pain)
Segment 3 Sales Approach (No Change Requested)
Effective Selling Requires Listening
Sell Trust, Confidence, and Ongoing Support
5 Preparing for a Retrospective
Sample Effort Data Collection E-mail
Three Sample Retrospective Handouts
What Is a Retrospective? How Should You Get Ready?
Retrospective Pre-work Handout
When to Get the Legal Department Involved
Track Details with a Checklist
When to Arrive for the Retrospective
The “Artifacts Contest” Exercise
References for Further Reading
The “Develop a Time Line” Exercise
The “Emotions Seismograph” Exercise
The “Offer Appreciations” Exercise
References for Further Reading
The “Passive Analogy” Exercise
References for Further Reading
The “Session Without Managers” Exercise
References for Further Reading
The “Repair Damage Through Play” Exercise
The “Cross-Affinity Teams” Exercise
Preparing a Proposal for Management
The “Making the Magic Happen” Exercise
The “Change the Paper” Exercise
References for Further Reading
The “Closing the Retrospective” Exercise
Designing a Retrospective Meal
References for Further Reading
Transforming the Failed-Project Experience
Accepting a Lowered Self-Esteem
Qualifying to Lead a Postmortem
Some Important Differences Between Retrospectives and Postmortems
The “CEO/VP Interview” Exercise
The “Define Insanity” Exercise
The “Make It a Mission” Exercise
References for Further Reading
9 On Becoming a Skilled Retrospective Facilitator
Understanding the Facilitator’s Procedures
The “Dealing with Conflict” Procedure
References for Further Reading
The “Handling Resistance to Change” Procedure
References for Further Reading
The “Understanding Differences in Preferences” Procedure
References for Further Reading
The “Ingredients of an Interaction” Procedure
References for Further Reading
The “Congruent Messages” Procedure
References for Further Reading
Collecting Retrospective Reports
Conduct a Retrospective of Your Retrospective