#+title: Retrospectives 
#+date: <2025-11-05 wed 20:46>
#+OPTIONS: num:nil tags:t toc:t
#+filetags: :learning:notes:
#+WIP:
#+COMMENTS: t
#+SLUG: retrospectives

* Dates:
- First retrospective meeting held at the end of sprint 1: <2025-11-04 Tue>
- Second retrospective (and subsequent biweekly ones): <2025-11-18 Tue>

** Retros from <2025-12-02 Tue>

[[../../assets/images/career/2025-12-02-retros.jpg]]

* Introduction:


Retrospectives are part of the agile methodology of working, and is a way for the team to discuss and reflect on the way the sprint went.

** Purpose of Sprint Retrospectives
- Continuous improvement: Teams inspect their work and processes to enhance quality and effectiveness.
- Reflection and learning: Members discuss what went well, what didn’t, and why.
- Actionable change: The goal is to identify specific improvements and implement them in the next sprint.

** Key Activities During a Retrospective
- Review the sprint: Examine interactions, tools, processes, and outcomes.
- Identify successes and challenges: Celebrate wins and analyse problems.
- Generate insights: Explore root causes of issues and assumptions that led to missteps.
- Plan improvements: Decide on changes to try in the next sprint, often adding them to the backlog.

** Who Participates
- Entire Scrum Team: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers.
- Optional stakeholders if their input is valuable, but the focus remains on the team’s internal dynamics.

** Common Retrospective Techniques
- Start, Stop, Continue: What to begin, cease, or keep doing.
- Mad, Sad, Glad: Emotional reflection on the sprint.
- 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for): A deeper dive into team sentiment and learning.

** Timing and Format
- Held at the end of each sprint, typically lasting 60–90 minutes.
- Can be in-person, remote, or hybrid, using tools like sticky notes, voting widgets, and templates.

** Best Practices
- Keep it constructive and focused.
- Ensure psychological safety so team members feel comfortable sharing.
- Follow through on action items to avoid stagnation and disillusionment.

* Frameworks used

Boat model:

[[../../assets/images/career/2025-11-05-retrospective_boat_model.png]]
