Plusses & Deltas Retrospective

Outcomes

This technique is very quick and easy to use and is useful when a brief retrospective is needed.

Timings

Allow 3-30 minutes for this exercise

Equipment

• Sheet of flip chart paper
• Sharpies one for each team member
• Post-it notes

Tasks

1. On a sheet of flip chart paper draw up a grid of pluses, deltas and actions with pluses for "things that went well", deltas for "improvements", and actions as a list of to do items
2. Facilitate a discussion around the group to list out the positives and things that went well listing them under the "pluses"
3. When the discussion begins to "dry up" then move on to ideas for improvements and list them under the "deltas"
4. Lastly facilitate the discussion around how to make the "deltas" a reality listing actions next to each delta
5. Finally dot vote on the actions to indicate the priority items as viewed by the group, with 3 dots for each attendee, and then prioritise based upon the voting.

Don't forget to select at least one action to carry forwards to the next Sprint Planning session to be resolved in the next Sprint.

Alternatives

Possible alternatives to this method include:

• Give each person 3 minutes or so using Post-it notes to write down their own perspective of what went well, ideas for improvement and any potential actions, and then share back to the wider group adding their post it notes to the flip chart as they share them.