respond to both discussions separately
Theo - Week 7 Discussion Contains unread posts Theophile Azongho posted Jun 29, 2022 7:06 PM Subscribe The two articles by Francino and Denman (2021) and Mountain Goat Software (n.d) share some similarities. They both provide insight on what the sprint retrospective is and how to conduct the meeting with the scrum team. They also share the same definition of a sprint retrospective and emphasize focusing on ways to improve the next iteration. The differences in the articles lie in the recommended practices for conducting the sprint retrospective. Mountain Goat Software (n.d) recommends the start-stop-continue method for the retrospective where the question is asked for the team to identify what they should start doing, stop, doing and continue doing. The strategy recommended by Francino, and Denman (2021) ask similar questions but phrased differently. What worked well, what did not work well, and how to improve. The way questions are formatted has a huge impact on the content of the answer and the recommended questions by Francino and Denman (2021) is structured to receive a more thought-out response on the objectives of the retrospective. As an agile practitioner the article by Francino and Denman (2021) has more value to me for the reason stated above. I believe the structure of the questions they asked is what I would use to receive valuable feedback in a sprint retrospective. Their article also has added value by referencing the agile manifesto which is critical for agile practitioners to maintain an agile mindset. Francino, Y., & Denman, J. (2021, October 7). What is an Agile retrospective? Definition from SearchSoftwareQuality. SearchSoftwareQuality. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/Agile-retrospective Mountain Goat Software. (n.d.). Sprint retrospective. Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/agile/scrum/meetings/sprint-retrospective Best, Theo Week 7 Discussions - Maliha Jamil Contains unread posts Maliha Jamil posted Jul 2, 2022 12:40 AM Subscribe Agile and Scrum both use the iteration/sprint method for the work processes but the difference between Agile and Scrum is that the Agile project management uses a core set of values and principles, Scrum, on the other hand, facilitates the project by using the Agile methodology. (Stobierski, 2021). The two articles emphasize the importance of dedicating some time at the end of each iteration/sprint to reflect on how the team is doing. According to the Sprint Retrospective article, “The sprint retrospective is usually the last thing done in a sprint. Many teams will do it immediately after the sprint review.” (“Sprint Retrospective,” n.d.). In the retrospective phase, the entire team must participate including the Scrum Master and the Product Owner. The scrum retrospective could be scheduled for up to an hour and the Scrum Master can ask for ideas from all the team members and the team can brainstorm on ideas or things they like to start, stop, or continue doing. This brainstorming session then leads to creating a list of items that are supposed to be the focus during the next sprint. Although Scrum uses the Agile methodology to facilitate the project, the Agile retrospective is a bit different than scrum. The team focuses and reflects on what happened during the iteration and identifies the areas of improvement before moving forward. Each member of the team answers the following questions: · What worked well for them? · What did not work well for them? · What actions must be taken to improve the team process in moving ahead? According to the article Agile retrospective, “The Agile retrospective can be thought of as a "lessons learned" meeting. The team reflects on how everything went and then decides what changes they want to make in the next iteration.” (Fancino & Denman, 2021). Agile project management philosophy stresses on continuous improvement, therefore, having a regular retrospective is considered one of the most crucial Agile practices. As a matter of fact, it is the 9th Agile principle in the Agile manifesto. Reading both articles made me aware of the high importance of scrum and Agile retrospectives and I support both ways for improving a team’s work. However, the Agile retrospective seems to be more organized, and it seems to follow the Agile manifesto quite precisely. The Agile retrospective not only gives a chance to each member of the team to participate in improving the team’s performance at every given iteration, but it also highlights the efforts and skills of the team members to encourage them for their work. References Agile vs. Scrum: What’s the difference? (2021, April 9). Northeastern University Graduate Programs. https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/agile-vs-scrum/ Cohn, M. (n.d.). Sprint retrospective. Mountain Goat Software. https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/agile/scrum/meetings/sprint-retrospective What is an Agile retrospective? Definition from SearchSoftwareQuality. (2021, October 7). SearchSoftwareQuality. https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/Agile-retrospective