Agile Retrospective and Continuous Improvement Flashcards
Lessons learned are the knowledge gained during a project which shows how project _______ or ________ could be improved for future projects.”
Success
Failure
What are the four standard steps for gathering lessons learned in an Agile project? Fill in the blanks:
_______ what went well
Target Areas for _______
_______ (highest value-adding changes)
_______ Plan
Identify what went well
Target Areas for Improvement
Prioritization (highest value-adding changes)
Action Plan
Arrange the following words in the correct order to complete the Agile Manifesto statement:
adjusts
reflects
tunes
effective
“At regular intervals, the team ____ on how to become more ____, then ____ and ____ accordingly.”
“At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts accordingly.”
True or False: Norman L. Kerth describes a project retrospective in his Book “Project Retrospectives” as:
“A retrospective is a ritual gathering of the team at the end of a project to reflect and learn from the experience.”
True
According to Esther Derby and Diana Larsen in Agile Retrospectives (2006):
“A retrospective is a special meeting where the team _______ on past iterations, _______ successes and challenges, and _______ ways to improve.”
This definition aligns with which Agile Manifesto principle?
“A retrospective is a special meeting where the team reflects on past iterations, identifies successes and challenges, and decides ways to improve.”
📌 Aligned Principle:
“At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.”
According to the Agile Alliance, what is the primary purpose of a retrospective?
A) To celebrate team achievements and move on
B) To reflect on what happened in an iteration and identify improvements
C) To review only the mistakes made and assign blame
D) To plan the next sprint backlog without discussing the past
Correct Answer: B) To reflect on what happened in an iteration and identify improvements
📌 Agile Alliance Definition:
“A retrospective is an opportunity for a team to reflect on what happened in the iteration and identify actions for improvement going forward.”
In the scrum framework, how is a retrospective commonly referred to?
Sprint Retrospective.
True or False: A retrospective can be referred to generally as an “iteration retrospective”
True, for example in XP.
Retrospectives improve _________ by helping teams analyze inefficiencies, remove blockers, and continuously optimize their workflow.
Productivity
Retrospectives improve productivity by helping teams analyze inefficiencies, remove blockers, and continuously optimize their workflow.
How do Agile retrospectives enhance team capability?
A) By identifying skill gaps and learning opportunities
B) By increasing work hours to meet deadlines
C) By assigning blame for past mistakes
D) By ensuring everyone follows the same process
A) By identifying skill gaps and learning opportunities
Retrospectives help teams recognize areas for growth and skill development, improving their overall capability.
Match the retrospective benefit to its impact:
Productivity
Capability
Capacity
Quality
A) Helps teams refine their skills
B) Optimizes workflow and removes blockers
C) Improves ability to handle more work
D) Enhances deliverables by reducing defects
Which number matches Quality
4 → D) Enhances deliverables by reducing defects
Retrospectives help teams improve quality by identifying defects and refining processes for better outcomes.
How do retrospectives promote empowerment and ownership in Agile teams?
Retrospectives encourage team members to take responsibility for improvements, voice concerns, and contribute to decision-making, fostering a sense of ownership.
🔹 True or False? 🔹
Agile retrospectives automatically increase a team’s capacity by adding more team members and assigning extra work.
False!
Retrospectives don’t automatically increase capacity. Instead, they help teams identify inefficiencies and optimize workflows, allowing them to handle more work effectively.
How do Agile retrospectives contribute to team enjoyment?
Retrospectives create a positive and engaging environment by encouraging open communication, celebrating wins, and fostering collaboration—making work more enjoyable.
List four benefits of an having a retrospective mindset.
- More positive than other types of reviews because of the celebration of successes and the factors that contributed to them.
- Undesirable outcomes are framed as opportunities.
- Team is in control and does not need permission to make changes.
- Occur regularly, with short timespans in between.
What is Norman L. Kerth’s “Prime Directive” in Project Retrospectives? 🔹
A) It focuses on assigning blame for mistakes
B) It emphasizes that everyone did the best they could with the knowledge and resources available at the time
C) It encourages team members to remain silent and avoid sharing feedback
D) It prioritizes individual performance over team success
It emphasizes that everyone did the best they could with the knowledge and resources available at the time
📌 Prime Directive:
In Project Retrospectives, Norman L. Kerth’s Prime Directive states:
“Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills, and the resources available.”
Fill in the blanks from Norman L. Kerth’s Prime Directive in Project Retrospectives:
“Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they _______ at the time, their _______ , and the _______ available.”
knew
skills
resources
What is the best practice guideline for the duration of a retrospective?
Thirty to 45 minutes for every week of work.
What are the four dependencies to consider for the length of a retrospective?
Size of Team
Duration of Iteration
Complexity of the work
Overall level of team conflict.
True or False: the following should be considered when selecting a room for retrospective.
- Size is large enough for all participants.
- access to materials to display and share captured information.
- Classroom configuration to promote listening
- Room lighting for clear visibility.
- Changing the room if the factors are not satisfied
False: the room configuration should be U-shaped or clustered to allow for face-to-face communication.
True or False: Timing should be considered for when to conduct a retrospective, and ideally this is before a common trigger time such as before lunch, the end of the workday or the end of the work week.
True
What are the five phase in Derby’s and Larsen’s agile retrospective framework.
Set the Stage
Gather Data
Generate Insights
Decide What to Do
Close the Retrospective
What is the approximate percentage of time spent in each phase of Derby and Larsen’s retrospective framework?
Set the Stage: ______%
Gather Data: ______%
Generate Insights: ______%
Decide What to Do: ______%
Close the Retrospective: ______%
Set the Stage: 5%
Gather Data: 40%
Generate Insights: 25%
Decide What to Do: 20%
Close the Retrospective: 10%
What is the facilitator’s role during the “Set the Stage” phase of Derby & Larsen’s retrospective framework?
A- Create a safe environment, clarify the purpose, set ground rules, and engage the team
B - Focus only on gathering data from the team
C - Assign tasks to team members
D - Review the entire project history
A- Create a safe environment, clarify the purpose, set ground rules, and engage the team
How does the facilitator confirm safety in the “set the stage” part of the retrospective framework
Ask the question “how safe do you feel to share your thoughts and ideas” and use the fist of five voting. If anyone has 2 or fewer fingers, the root causes should be identified and mitigated or to not proceed with the retrospective.
Why is the “Gather Data” stage important in an Agile retrospective?
A) It allows the facilitator to assign tasks and priorities.
B) It helps the team reflect on past actions and identify key patterns or issues.
C) It provides time for team members to engage in unrelated personal conversations.
D) It focuses solely on reviewing the project timeline without considering team feedback.
Correct Answer: B) It helps the team reflect on past actions and identify key patterns or issues.
The “Gather Data” stage is critical for collecting insights, understanding what worked and what didn’t, and identifying areas for improvement in the team’s processes and interactions.
🔹 True or False? 🔹
The “Niko-Niko Calendar,” as described by Derby and Larsen, is a tool used to track the team’s emotional state over time by having team members mark their mood daily with smiley faces, providing insights into team morale.
True!
The “Niko-Niko” concept uses smiley faces to help the team reflect on their current emotional state, creating awareness and encouraging open conversations about how the team is feeling.
The generate insights part of Derby ‘s and Larsen’s retrospective framework allow the team to ________, ________________________________, identify ____________, and collectively consider _________________ to help make the team work more effectively.
Step back
See the big picture
Root causes
Possible solutions
What is the purpose of the “5 Whys” technique in the Generate Insights phase of Derby and Larsen’s retrospective framework?
A) To assign blame for problems
B) To identify the root cause of an issue by asking “why” repeatedly
C) To prioritize tasks for the next sprint
D) To brainstorm creative solutions without analyzing underlying problems
Correct Answer: B) To identify the root cause of an issue by asking “why” repeatedly
The “5 Whys” technique helps the team dig deeper into the underlying causes of an issue by repeatedly asking “why” until the root cause is identified, promoting deeper insights and solutions.
What happens during the “Decide What to Do” phase of Derby and Larsen’s retrospective framework?
The team generates ideas for improvement and selects actionable items to implement in future iterations
In the “Decide What to Do” phase, the team chooses specific, actionable improvements to implement in future work, ensuring the retrospective leads to tangible results for continuous improvement.
What is the main purpose of the “Close the Retrospective” phase in Derby and Larsen’s retrospective framework?
The main purpose of the “Close the Retrospective” phase is to acknowledge the team’s contributions, reflect on the session’s effectiveness, and express appreciation for the team’s participation. It often includes a closing activity or a final check-in to ensure the session ends on a positive note.
What is the purpose of the ROTI Table in Derby and Larsen’s retrospective framework?
A) To collect feedback on the team’s individual performance
B) To assess the retrospective’s effectiveness by asking participants how satisfied they are with the session
C) To generate ideas for the next sprint’s backlog
D) To track the team’s emotional state during the retrospective
B) To assess the retrospective’s effectiveness by asking participants how satisfied they are with the session
The ROTI Table (Return on Time Invested) helps the team evaluate the value of the retrospective by asking participants to rate their satisfaction with the session, helping identify areas for improvement in future retrospectives.
What are the five levels in the ROTI Table (Return on Time Invested) used to assess a retrospective?
- Very little or no value
- Some value or benefit, but below expectations for invested time.
- Equal value or benefit met expectations.
- Good value or benefit, surpassed expectations.
- High Value or benefit exceeded expectations.
What is Alistair Cockburn’s definition of “Process Analysis” from his book Agile Software Development?
A) Analyzing the profitability of agile methodologies
B) Reviewing past projects to determine the success rate of team members
C) Examining processes to identify inefficiencies and improve their effectiveness
D) Evaluating the project timeline and adjusting deadlines
C) Examining processes to identify inefficiencies and improve their effectiveness
In Agile Software Development, Process Analysis is the practice of examining existing processes, identifying inefficiencies, and continuously improving them to make teams more effective and adaptable.
Which criteria best matches the team factor of Open Communication in promoting successful process analysis?
A) Encourages transparency and sharing of insights to identify process improvements
B) Brings different perspectives to analyze and improve processes from multiple angles
C) Ensures that process analysis is not a one-time event, but an ongoing effort
D) Provides focus and alignment for analyzing processes effectively
A) Encourages transparency and sharing of insights to identify process improvements
Which criteria best matches the team factor of Clear Goals in promoting successful process analysis?
A) Brings different perspectives to analyze and improve processes from multiple angles
B) Fosters a culture of trust and learning, enabling teams to address inefficiencies without blame
C) Encourages transparency and sharing of insights to identify process improvements
D) Provides focus and alignment for analyzing processes effectively
D) Provides focus and alignment for analyzing processes effectively
Which criteria best matches the team factor of Diverse Skill Set in promoting successful process analysis?
A) Ensures that process analysis is not a one-time event, but an ongoing effort
B) Brings different perspectives to analyze and improve processes from multiple angles
C) Provides focus and alignment for analyzing processes effectively
D) Fosters a culture of trust and learning, enabling teams to address inefficiencies without blame
Which criteria best matches the team factor of Continuous Improvement in promoting successful process analysis?
A) Brings different perspectives to analyze and improve processes from multiple angles
B) Provides focus and alignment for analyzing processes effectively
C) Encourages transparency and sharing of insights to identify process improvements
D) Ensures that process analysis is not a one-time event, but an ongoing effort
D) Ensures that process analysis is not a one-time event, but an ongoing effort
Which criteria best matches the team factor of Constructive Feedback in promoting successful process analysis?
A) Provides focus and alignment for analyzing processes effectively
B) Fosters a culture of trust and learning, enabling teams to address inefficiencies without blame
C) Brings different perspectives to analyze and improve processes from multiple angles
D) Encourages transparency and sharing of insights to identify process improvements
B) Fosters a culture of trust and learning, enabling teams to address inefficiencies without blame
What does Kaizen mean?
Kai = Change
Zen = Good
Match the Kaizen Event to the description:
1. Orientation
2. Understand the current situation
3. Develop Future State Design
4. Make the Improvements
5. Report and Celebrate
A) Share the results, recognize achievements, and celebrate the improvements made
B) Design the future state by creating a new, improved process that addresses identified issues
C)Evaluate the current state of processes, identify issues, and gather data for improvement
D) Implement the changes or improvements based on the design created.
E) Introduce the team to the process and set expectations for the Kaizen event
1 - E
2 - C
3 - B
4 - D
5 - A
True or False: Agile reviews follow the scientific method?
True
The Agile reviews follow this process:
Make observations, think of questions, formulate hypothesis, develop predictions, gather data/experiment.
What are the common feedback methods?
Protypes, simulations and demonstrations.
Why is effective product feedback important in Agile project management? (Select all that apply)
A) It ensures continuous improvement through iterative refinements.
B) It helps align development with user needs.
C) It slows down the development process to allow for more planning.
D) It reduces risk by identifying issues early.
A, B, D
What does IKIWISI stand for? Why is it important?
IKIWISI = I’ll know it when I see it.
It is important as it embodies the principle of “working software is the primary measure of progress” and acknowledges that customer’s true requirements only emerge once there is a tangible solution.
The basic learning cycle is:
__________ something, having an experience.
__________ on the experience
___________ from the experience
___________ the next steps to apply the experience learnings.
Doing
Reflecting
Concluding
Planning
