MDA Retrospective

Outcomes

This retrospective attempts to uncover the deeper impacts of the process using the MDA (Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics) framework as a means to determine the current processes and their behavioural impact and emotional responses, and determine possible future processes given the desired emotional responses and behaviours.

Timings

Allow 30-60 minutes for this exercise

Equipment

• Sheet of flip chart paper
• Sharpies for everyone
• Post-it notes

Preparation

On a sheet of flip chart paper or on a whiteboard create a table with Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics in one column and Observations, Impacts and Changes as a title row.

MDA RETROSPECTIVE
	OBSERVATIONS	CHANGES
MECHANICS (Rules, Processes, Actions)
DYNAMICS (Behaviours)
AESTHETICS (Emotional Responses)

Connections

1. Invite the team to meet each other and briefly discuss the processes, behaviours and emotional responses that they currently observe in the current environment.

Concepts

1. Introduce the MDA framework as a means to uncover the processes, behaviours and emotional responses.

Concrete Practice

1. Ask the attendees to grab some post it notes and a sharpie, and write down what processes they see currently in their environment, placing these in the Mechanics section under the Observations header
2. Then ask the attendees to write post it notes for the behaviours that are caused by the mechanics and place these in the Dynamics section under the Observations header
3. Once this is done, then ask the attendees to write post it notes for the emotional responses that are caused by the behaviours and place these under the Aesthetics section under the Observations header
4. At this point give the attendees time to process their responses for a couple of minutes
5. Now challenge the attendees with writing post it notes for what are the desired emotional responses that they would like to have in their environment and place these in the Aesthetics section under the Changes header.
6. Next ask the attendees to write post it notes for what behaviours might lead to those desired aesthetics and place them in the Dynamics section under the Changes section
7. Finally, ask the attendees to write post it notes for the processes that might enable the dynamics and desired aesthetics, and place these in the Mechanics section under the Changes section

Closure

1. Finally derive some actions that might allow the desired Mechanics to be implemented, and this becomes an action plan or tasks to be placed on a backlog to be ordered along with the work
2. Invite the team to share their observations and insights about the session.

References

1. Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great, Esther Derby, Diana Larsen, (2006)
2. Training From The Back of The Room, Sharon L. Bowman, Pfeiffer, 2009