When done well, the sprint retrospective is the most important scrum ceremony because it provides an opportunity to openly discuss what went well during the previous sprint and what can be improved for the next and helps develop a high performing team. However, a well-run retrospective requires honesty, openness, trust, and a commitment to actionable, continuous improvement.
In order to get raw, honest feedback about the process, the scrum team needs to be comfortable sharing personal beliefs and opinions. In order to facilitate with this process and bring the scrum team closer, I find it rewarding to lead with a fun question. Examples include:
- Who is your favorite superhero (or villain) and why?
- What would your spirit animal (patronus 😂) be and why?
- What is your favorite board game?
- What is your favorite vacation destination?
- What famous historical figure would you like to me and what would you ask?
The goal of the exercise is to reward honesty with recognition and joy while demonstrating to the individual that the team is supportive and invested in the individual’s opinion.
