What It Means
The Sprint Retrospective is the event that closes each Sprint in ScrumScrumA lightweight framework, defined in the Scrum Guide, in which a small team delivers work in fixed-length Sprints of one month or less and adjusts after each one. See more. Together, the Scrum TeamScrum teamThe small, self-managing group that does the work in Scrum: one Product Owner, one Scrum Master and the Developers, typically 10 or fewer people. See more looks back at how the Sprint went for the people, how they worked together, their processes and tools, and their Definition of DoneDefinition of doneIn Scrum, the formal description of the quality a piece of work must reach before it counts as part of the Increment. See more. From that, it picks the changes most likely to make the team more effective. The 2020 Scrum Guide caps it at three hours for a one-month Sprint.
Try It: Review or Retrospective?
Each topic belongs to one of the two end-of-Sprint events. Pick the one where it's discussed.
1. Our code reviews took three days each.
Right. That's about process, so it belongs in the retrospective.
This is about how the team works, which is the retrospective's subject.
2. A customer tries the new search page.
Right. Showing finished work to stakeholders is the review.
Stakeholders seeing the product happens at the Sprint Review.
3. Should "tested on a phone" join our Definition of Done?
Right. The guide lists the Definition of Done among the retrospective's topics.
The 2020 Scrum Guide puts the Definition of Done on the retrospective's list.
4. How far are we from the Product Goal?
Right. Progress toward the Product Goal is discussed at the review.
The guide places this at the Sprint Review, with stakeholders.
All four. Product at the review, ways of working at the retrospective.
How People Say It
- "Park that for the retro."
- "What's one thing we'll actually change this time?"
- "Same issue three retros in a row, we need to fix it."
The Breakdown
How to run a Sprint Retrospective
- Hold it after the Sprint Review, as the last event of the Sprint.
- Look back over the Sprint together: the people, how you worked with each other, your processes, your tools and your Definition of Done.
- Collect what helped and what got in the way.
- Pick the few changes that would help the most. As Buhata's own suggestion, one or two that really happen are worth more than a long list.
- Give each change an owner and put it where the next Sprint will see it.
- At the next retrospective, start by checkingChecking accountA bank or credit union account for everyday money going in and out, used by debit card, checks, transfers and direct deposit. See more whether last time's changes worked.
A simple format (Buhata's own suggestion)
| Column | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Keep | What worked well enough to keep doing? |
| Change | What slowed us down or caused friction? |
| Try | What's one experiment for the next Sprint? |
Short version to try today (Buhata's own example). After a busy week at home, take 15 minutes on Sunday: name one thing that worked, one that didn't, and one change for next week.
Where It Comes From
The Sprint Retrospective is one of the events in the Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. In the current November 2020 edition it concludes the Sprint, coming right after the Sprint Review.
Good to Know
Under the 2020 Scrum Guide, the retrospective can take up to three hours for a one-month Sprint and is usually shorter for shorter Sprints. The guide names the Definition of Done among the things the team inspects here, so it's a natural moment to decide whether "done" should ask for more. Its stated aim is finding the most helpful changes to improve the team's effectiveness, which is why a retrospective works best when it ends with a change someone owns.
FAQ
How long should a Sprint Retrospective be?
At most three hours for a one-month Sprint, per the 2020 Scrum Guide, and usually shorter for shorter Sprints. Many teams on two-week Sprints keep it well under that.
Who attends the Sprint Retrospective?
The Scrum Team: the Product OwnerProduct ownerThe one person on a Scrum Team accountable for maximizing the value of the product and for managing the Product Backlog, including the order of its items. See more, the Scrum MasterScrum masterThe person on a Scrum Team accountable for the team's effectiveness and for Scrum being understood and used as the Scrum Guide defines it. See more and the Developers. It's about how the team works, so outside stakeholders usually aren't part of it.
Does the retrospective come before or after the Sprint Review?
After. The 2020 Scrum Guide calls the Sprint Review the second to last event and says the retrospective concludes the Sprint.
Do It in Buhata
Rhythms (Team X), Decisions (Team X) and Tasks
Run the retrospective as a review thread in Rhythms with the Team X add-on, record each agreed change in Decisions, and add it to Tasks with an owner for the next Sprint.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Definition of done
In Scrum, the formal description of the quality a piece of work must reach before it counts as part of the Increment.
- Scrum master
The person on a Scrum Team accountable for the team's effectiveness and for Scrum being understood and used as the Scrum Guide defines it.
- Scrum
A lightweight framework, defined in the Scrum Guide, in which a small team delivers work in fixed-length Sprints of one month or less and adjusts after each one.
- Daily scrum
The 15-minute Scrum event where the Developers meet each working day to check progress toward the Sprint Goal and adjust their plan.
- Scrum team
The small, self-managing group that does the work in Scrum: one Product Owner, one Scrum Master and the Developers, typically 10 or fewer people.
Sources
Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, The 2020 Scrum Guide (scrumguides.org); Scrum.org, "What is a Sprint Retrospective?"; Scrum.org, "How Done makes your Sprint Retrospective more effective"
- scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html
- scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2020/2020-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf
- www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-retrospective
- www.scrum.org/resources/blog/how-done-makes-your-sprint-retrospective-more-effective-70
Last updated .