12 Steps to Running a Sprint Retrospective like a Pro: Step 7

by Scrum Alliance, John McFadyen

Join Certified Scrum Trainer® John McFadyen for a 12-part video series exploring the scrum event known as the sprint retrospective. Throughout the series, he’ll share tips and tricks for creating impactful, engaging, and effective sprint retrospectives for your teams.

The seventh tip for running a great sprint retrospective is using metaphors to simplify the conversation. McFadyen suggests using one of the retrospective games that help the team visually describe movement. Teams have used several options for years—a speedboat, sailboat, rocket ship, horses, or any other transportation metaphor you can imagine!

Using the speedboat example, you’ll ask the team, “What is driving our speedboat forward?” Give the team time to reflect and answer, initiating a meaningful conversation. The team will talk about things that are valuable to them, helping them move forward as a high-performing team.

The next question is, “What is helping the speedboat go faster?” The team may reference obstacles removed from the team’s way or process improvements that help them deliver work faster.

Then, the team will discuss what’s dragging them down. An excellent way to get into this conversation is to have team members draw their thoughts. This visualization activity is a great way to express what’s happening in a simple-to-understand way.

The fourth question is, “What’s dragging you down?” The team may draw anchors or friction, which are metaphors for what’s happening on the team.

The final conversation concerns what’s slowing you down as a team. What things are getting in your way? You can visualize a destination, like a harbor, and how the team is going to get there. You can also discuss what is happening around the direction you're traveling. If a team member feels happy, that person might draw the sun or the sky. Perhaps objects are swimming around the water, causing you to slow down. How do you get around them?

Remember, there are many options for fun retrospective activities using metaphors and drawing to visualize your journey. The critical thing to remember is that when you close the retrospective, you should get feedback to improve how you facilitate the next one.

Need to watch any of the other videos in the series? Find the links below!

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Presenter(s)

Scrum Alliance

John McFadyen

John McFadyen is an Executive and Enterprise Agile Coach with proven experience working on some of the UK and Europe’s largest, most complex Agile Transformations. As a Certified Scrum Trainer, John brings a wealth of experience as an Agile coach, Agile practitioner and software developer into each of the 4 core courses he provides. Certified ScrumMaster Certified Scrum Product Owner Advanced Certified ScrumMaster Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster The war stories, the insights into successful Agile transformations and everything he has learned from coaching high-performance Agile teams combines to provide course delegates with a unique, compelling training experience that transforms as much as it empowers. John is passionate about cultivating high-performing Agile organisations that unleash people’s passion and creativity. As an Agile coach, John has worked with C-Suite level individuals on cultivating and embedding Business Agility within the DNA or large organisations. In addition to being an Agile coach and Certified Scrum Trainer, John is also a founding partner of Agile Centre. As an entrepreneur, John works at growing Agile capability with clients from around the world. Agile Centre has fast established itself as a pioneer in the cultivation and development of Agile capabilities within organisations great and small. John leverages his experience as an Agile coach, consultant and trainer to help organisations embed Agile values, mindsets and develop a high-performance culture of Business Agility. John is also deeply invested in growing the next generation of great Scrum Masters via the Agile Coaching Academy. An 18-month journey that helps practitioners move through an apprenticeship in Agile coaching through to journeyman and practising Agile coach. John is also an international keynote speaker, author and Business Agility mentor. Visit www.johnmcfadyen.com for more insights into John’s writing, thought leadership and mentorship.