Building Team Backlogs to unleash the power of retrospectives

1. Building Team Backlogs to unleash
the power of retrospectives
Experience report
by
Bhuwan Lodha | Kanchan Khera
@bhuwan | @k_khera

2. We are here to share our
experiences on building
team backlogs
And making retrospective sessions
enjoyable and effective
And would love to learn from your experiences
as well…
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3. ONE WORD
Give us the ONE WORD that comes to your
mind about retrospectives (in your teams)
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4. Watch video at https://vimeo.com/49589446
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5. Most of us understand the IMPORTANCE of retrospectives…
So what’s missing?
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6. So here is our take on the key
challenges..
1. Recipe is unclear
2. Spice is missing
3. Is the Kitchen right?
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7. Challenge #1 – Unclear Recipe
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No clear framework for retrospectives

8. Introducing a new framework
Choose your style
Team
Backlog Great
Team
Action items Continuous Improvement
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9. Build a team backlog for a great team
Retro # Priority Action Item Owner Status Effort Impact Impact
# sprint
1 1 Setup build monitor Rahul Impediment Large Medium
(8 pts)
1 2 Block weekly standing Veena Pending Small Large
time with sponsor team (12 pts)
1 3 Complete first 4hr Rahul, Done Large Large Sprint 3
training session on Pete (12 pts)
Selenium
2 4 Get better headset for Biju Done Medium Medium Sprint 3
Veena (5 pts)
1 5 Set up leave calendar for Abhishek Done Small Medium Sprint 4
the team (5pts)
2 6 Have team lunch Rahul Pending Small Medium
(5 pts)
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Average velocity of impact : (12+5+5)/2=11

10. Measuring impact:
Great
Team’s journey from Good to Great
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20
15
10 Impact
5 Good
0
Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3 Sprint 4 Sprint 5 Sprint 6
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11. Working with a team backlog
Who owns the backlog
Team backlog is owned by somebody on the team or a scrum master
- keeps track of progress
- helps team steer action items to closure
- helps team prioritize
Leveraging Retrospectives
- Every retro has first 5 min dedicated to talk about the action
items
- And last 5 min to plan and prioritize on next action items
identified
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12. Working with the team backlog
Play it like a game
Start early and set rhythm
Have clear roles, who is doing what
Make rules
(sample)
- No Laptops
- No two retrospectives sound the same
- Only on Fridays
- On Time or Ice Cream
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13. Working with the team backlog
The 5 Whys technique to get clear action items
Flurry of leaked bugs Technical issue
Very little automation testing
Lack of skills (selenium)
Lack of training for Selenium
No one talks about trainings
Manager does not believe in trainings People issue
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14. Challenge #2
We do it the same way.. over and over again
SPICE is missing…
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15. Here are a few MASALA references
I hate.. I love..
Rate yourself
Happiness meter
Hey, Stranger!
Focus Focus Focus !
Appreciation only
What did I learn?
The Big Picture
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Is this our best?

16. IHate.. I Love..
Text
 Suitable for teams that have a lot of emotions
which do not come out in traditional retro
sessions
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17. Rate Yourself
 Text
 Suitable for teams which are complacent and
need to define the next level
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18. What did I learn?
 Text
 Suitable for teams which are too involved in the
project work. Need to get the spirit of learning
imbibed
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19. Focus Focus Focus
 Text
 Suitable for teams which need to focus deeper
on certain topics (For
example, testing, collaboration etc.)
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20. What’s your favorite flavor?
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21. Challenge #3
The RIGHT Kitchen
Retrospectives do not fly far unless
the organization nurtures a culture
that supports them
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22. All this works because we have
teams with motivated
individuals, wanting to take on a
journey from being Good to
GREAT…
THANK YOU…
bhuwan_lodha@mckinsey.com
kanchan_khera@mckinsey.com
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