How to benefit from a Sprint Retrospective meeting

Link to the summarized video presentation: 

You just completed a sprint and you as a program/project manager know that there is a lot that can be learnt from the just completed sprint. That’s were a retrospective meeting helps. If you are clueless about how to do a retrospective, here are some tips to ensure you benefit from it.

• Ensure you include the relevant stakeholders from the scrum team… that includes the developers, testers, DB experts, UI designers etc. However, it is also a good idea to include the scrum master, product owner, and even the senior management who have an important stake in the project that is in progress. This would also depend on the kind of agile culture and the management support available.
• Go through the processes by categorizing them into what went well, what needs to be improved and what needs to be scrapped. A typical approach is the SALOMO approach i.e., find out what should go on as usual – Same As (SA), what needs to be scrapped or reduced – Less Of (LO), and what needs to be improved and needs to be added more – More Of (MO).
• There might be friction on certain topics or areas especially between developers and testers. It’s important for a project/program manager to bring in both the party’s perspective and be the anchor to help bring out a possible solution and discuss it more objectively in terms of deriving SALOMO.
• At the end of the meeting, go through the points and objectives discussed and agreed in the meeting. Post meeting, send a written communication or record the objectives and actions in a central system. Clearly mention what needs to go on as usual, what needs to improve and what needs to be reduced.
• Finally, take action. Stimulate the process change with a clear analysis on the process alterations with the pros and cons. Ensure that this is followed in the next sprint cycle. Once the print cycle is complete, again go through this entire process.

Over a period of time as you find the process stabilizing, you will find less of changes that need to be done. However, do not stop the retrospective as it helps to maintain the right focus.