This document provides guidance on how to improve retrospective meetings by making them more fun and focusing on system thinking. It recommends three key elements: more fun, system thinking, and an alternative phase model. Specific techniques are suggested such as using metaphors like a soccer game or pirate adventure to structure the retrospective. The power of causal loop diagrams and current reality trees for understanding the system is also discussed. The document advocates applying systems thinking models like the ABIDE model to help participants view their work in the context of complex interactions within the overall system.

1. Your
Retrospective
Sucks!
...and what you can do about it
(Marc Löffler, @marcloeffler)

3. What do you
expect to take
home from this
session?

4. Retrospectives
Suck!

5. • Talking about the same things again and again
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djou/139156784

6. • Repetition
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeena/8723831952
Repetition

7. • No effect
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/3847233358
No effect

10. Elements
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hfiguiere/4802869688

11. First Element:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leesean/5114553800

12. Second element:
More Fun

13. Third element:
System Thinking

15. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/5357658539

16. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kareneliot/2710464400

17. Hypothesis
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/3384297473

18. Alternative
phase model

19. More Fun

20. Retrospective Cookies
retrospectivecookies.com

22. • Cookie Rezept
150 g
50 g
1 Prise
3 große
250 g
100 g
3 Tr.
Wheat flour
Almond, kibbled
Salt
Eggs, only the egg white
Sugar
Butter, soft
Bitter almond oil

23. Change
the
location

24. The power of metaphors

25. Benefits of using metaphors
• Thinking outside
of the box
• New, creative
ideas
• „Distance“ to
real events
• Fun!

26. Soccer Retrospective
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manusascorner/9479514795

27. What
soccer
terms come
into your
mind?

28. Imagine your
last sprint
was a
soccer
game of 90
minutes

29. Next steps…
• Game
Analysis
• Prepare for
the next
game

30. Pirate Retrospective
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joriel/3230590513

31. Pirate
Saber
Corsair
Treasure
Map
Eye patch
Treasure
Island
• To board
• Jolly Roger
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

32. Preparation
Combat
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52518980@N00/1407558031
Navigation
Loot

33. Arming
Supplies
Ship
Enemy
Personell
Captain

34. Preparation
Combat
Navigation
Loot

36. System Thinking

37. Make them aware
of the system they
are in!

38. Systems thinking is the
process of
understanding how
things, regarded as
systems, influence one
another within a whole.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking)

40. http://www.flickr.com/photos/benbeltran/216647711

41. Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD)

42. • Velocity Beispiel

43. Current Reality Tree (CRT)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52518980@N00/1407558031

45. The
ABIDE
Model

46. Attractors
Barriers
Identity
Diversity
Environment

47. Purpose
Fun
System Thinking

48. What about
your
hypotheses?

49. Questions?

50. Contact data
Marc Löffler
Email: marc.loeffler@spoonique.de
Web: http://www.scrumphony.com
Twitter: @marcloeffler