Terms like Agile methodology, Agile software development, Agile transformation, Agile project management, and Agile adoption, are taking the community of software developers and IT service providers by storm. At a time when the Agile culture is trending with an increasing number of software development companies adopting it, an Agile Scrum Master certification online can set you apart from the crowd.
The Agile Scrum Master certification online is just the first step. But, what is next? Once you are in an Agile environment, you’ll know that one of the essential Agile activities is the ‘sprint retrospective.’ However, many Agile teams often miss out on this crucial step, which is a deciding factor in improving the production process, product quality, customer satisfaction, and profitability.
Growing Adoption of Agile
If you’ve been wondering if an Agile Scrum Master certification online course is worth your time, then let us give you some latest trends in Agile adoption. The latest stats say that out of the 71% of companies that have adopted Agile, 98% are reaping the immense benefits of it. Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, and even the FBI are some of the big names that have benefitted from Agile. It doesn’t end here. Agile adoption has outdone the popularity of the Waterfall methodology with a success rate of 1.5 times more than the latter. While only 2% of the companies purely swear by Waterfall, 16% rely on pure Agile. Not just that, predictions show that the coming years will see an ever-increasing trend in Agile adoption, taking the AI software market to up to $15 billion in 2020.
What is Sprint Retrospective?
If we go by the literal meaning, then ‘retrospective’ means to look back or deal with past events and affairs. Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, developers of the Scrum Guide, explain sprint retrospective to be a process during which the Scrum team inspects itself and develops plans for improvement, which it can implement in the subsequent sprint. If you’re clueless about what a sprint is, it is a fixed time during which the Scrum team completes a defined amount of work. In essence, sprint retrospective forms the very core of Agile and Scrum methodologies.
Sprint retrospectives play a crucial role in the Scrum framework and Agile development. It provides a safe space for the team to share and discuss honest feedback. During a sprint retrospective, a team deliberates on the positive aspects of the sprint, what improvements can be made, and what actions or processes will improve the next sprint. With the twin mottos of ‘inspect’ and ‘adapt,’ a sprint retrospective makes the subsequent sprints better and more productive. We’ll talk more about the importance of sprint retrospective in the following section.
Why is it Important in Agile?
Effective sprint retrospectives are crucial for the healthy functioning of an Agile team. They can help Agile teams identify changes that can positively impact the management of subsequent projects and help pinpoint process upgrades that will result in more productivity and collaboration. Flawed retrospectives cripple success and kill the team’s cooperative spirit, leaving the Agile team clueless and directionless. Hence, you must pay enough attention to sprint retrospective meetings.
Are you still not convinced? Then read on to know more about why retrospectives are crucial in Agile:
- Sprint retrospectives allow support teams to identify potential snags and resolve the problems at an early stage. Retrospectives offer the scope for continuous improvement.
- It helps project managers keep the project on the right path by establishing priorities. Retrospectives align teams and make each sprint better than the previous. At the end of the retrospective, teams can move on to the next sprint with a clear mind.
- Retrospectives have the added benefit that teams can identify the small and incremental changes that can have a massive impact on the overall product quality.
- Retrospectives provide a safe platform for Agile team members to share relevant insights and feedback. It is a space for cultivating the active participation of team members so that they can jointly arrive at a mutual solution by sharing their views and opinions.
- Retrospectives are a significant boost to the team spirit since it provides a stage to celebrate wins and success. It also creates transparency and fosters trust and confidence among team members.
- Sprint retrospectives can cut through rankings by giving an equal share of power to each team member. Team members feel that their opinions and views are heard and respected.
The sprint retrospective is crucial to the Agile and Scrum methodologies, and you can know more about it through an Agile Scrum Master certification online course.
Now, let’s take a brief look at the different sprint retrospective stages that contribute towards its importance in the Agile methodology:
Step 1: The first step entails that the environment and stage are set for the team members to prepare for the Agile retrospective.
Step 2: In the second step, data from previous projects are gathered and analyzed. It helps to get an insight into earlier actions while fixing the quality benchmarks for particular tasks.
Step 3: In the third stage, the collected insights, feelings, and facts are shared. It helps members to address all the pertinent concerns and find the most effective way to move forward.
Step 4: In the fourth step, fixed tasks and responsibilities are assigned to each team member. It ensures accountability and avoids misunderstandings within the team.
Step 5: The last step is the end of the retrospection, and it involves the appreciation and acknowledgment of each team member’s contribution.
The significance of the Agile sprint retrospective lies in the fact that it leads the team to recognize what went well, what could have been better, what improvements can help, and what they learned. The sprint retrospective is an excellent opportunity to drive the team spirit by giving them a platform to speak, share, hear, and discuss ideas. The core aspect of any Agile project management is continuous monitoring. And, sprint retrospectives contribute towards it for constant, sprint by sprint improvement of development projects.
