The Sprint Retrospective is a Scrum event in which the Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done1. The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness1. The Scrum Team should focus on improving thequality of the product Increment, not on increasing the measured velocity. Velocity is a metric that indicates how much work the team has completed in a Sprint, but it does not reflect the value or quality of that work. Working product is one of the primary measures of progress in Agile.
Some actions that the Scrum Master can take in this situation are:
Facilitate a discussion on how to improve the quality to a level sufficient for production, even if the measured velocity will drop in the next Sprint. This action will help the Scrum Team to identify and address the root causes of the quality issues, and to plan actions for improvement. The Scrum Master should encourage the Scrum Team to inspect their Definition of Done, their testing and quality assurance practices, their technical debt, and their collaboration with stakeholders. The Scrum Master should also help the Scrum Team to prioritize quality over quantity, and to understand that delivering a potentially releasable Increment at the end of every Sprint is one of the goals of Scrum.
Stress the value of working product over measured velocity. This action will help the Scrum Team to align their work with the Agile values and principles, and to focus on delivering value to the customers and users. The Scrum Master should remind the Scrum Team that velocity is not a goal or a measure of success, but a tool for planning and forecasting. The Scrum Master should also help the Scrum Team to avoid falling into the trap of velocity-driven development, where they sacrifice quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction for higher numbers.
Some actions that the Scrum Master should not take in this situation are:
Agree and praise the Developers for their hard work, so they are motivated to do even more in the next Sprint. This action will not help the Scrum Team to improve their quality or effectiveness, but rather reinforce a false sense of achievement based on velocity. The Scrum Master should acknowledge and appreciate the Developers’ efforts, but also challenge them to inspect and adapt their work processes and outcomes. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to balance their motivation with realism, and to avoid overcommitting or overestimating their capacity.
Acknowledge the hard work, but remind the Developers that they need to improve to do even more in the next Sprint. This action will not help the Scrum Team to improve their quality or effectiveness, but rather put pressure on them to increase their velocity. The Scrum Master should not imply that doing more work is equivalent to doing better work, or that higher velocity is expected or desired. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to avoid burnout, stress, and fatigue caused by unrealistic or unsustainable expectations.
References:
The Sprint Retrospective - What It Is & Tips for Making the Most of Your Meeting | Scrum Alliance
How to Measure Sprint Velocity in Agile | Parabol
What is a Sprint Retrospective? - Zeolearn
What Is the Goal of Sprint Retrospective Meeting?| Wrike
What is a Sprint Retrospective?| Scrum.org
[Principles behind the Agile Manifesto]
[What is a Product Increment?| Scrum.org]
[Velocity-driven development: A trap waiting for you | Agile Alliance]
