Comments on: Augmented Distributed Agile Teams – The Need of Local Retrospective http://blog.xebia.com/2009/05/21/augmented-distributed-agile-teams-the-need-of-local-retrospective/ Software development done right! Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:41:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ShriKant Vashishtha http://blog.xebia.com/2009/05/21/augmented-distributed-agile-teams-the-need-of-local-retrospective/#comment-91750 ShriKant Vashishtha Fri, 22 May 2009 08:44:33 +0000 http://blog.xebia.com/?p=1785#comment-91750 We never felt issues in terms of one-team. Also it had nothing to do with impressing somebody. Retrospectives are done to take steps on the points of improvements which helps the team to perform better. The team dynamics of an augmented team is a bit different than a normal distributed setup as you are dealing with the client and team-members at the same time. I'll write a separate post regarding the same. However retrospective is a formal and defined channel to take action points on the points of improvements identified. We named it as local retrospective as "retrospective" is nothing but introspect, identifying problems, come up with action-points and action-owner and act upon them. It worked very well for us and we fixed many issues which helped team to outperform in coming sprints. From team-spirit point of view also, it actually helped us as we could focus on improving upon engagement which by definition includes team-spirit also. We never felt issues in terms of one-team. Also it had nothing to do with impressing somebody. Retrospectives are done to take steps on the points of improvements which helps the team to perform better. The team dynamics of an augmented team is a bit different than a normal distributed setup as you are dealing with the client and team-members at the same time. I’ll write a separate post regarding the same. However retrospective is a formal and defined channel to take action points on the points of improvements identified. We named it as local retrospective as “retrospective” is nothing but introspect, identifying problems, come up with action-points and action-owner and act upon them.

It worked very well for us and we fixed many issues which helped team to outperform in coming sprints. From team-spirit point of view also, it actually helped us as we could focus on improving upon engagement which by definition includes team-spirit also.

]]> By: jmalik http://blog.xebia.com/2009/05/21/augmented-distributed-agile-teams-the-need-of-local-retrospective/#comment-91749 jmalik Fri, 22 May 2009 06:13:39 +0000 http://blog.xebia.com/?p=1785#comment-91749 Hi ShriKant, Good that it worked for you guys. But I am a bit sceptical how it would work with the true sense of a single team. Communication which is the back bone of any distributed team, makes sense here to keep whole of the local team on the same page and sometimes teams use local Scrum master for this job. But to call it and have local retrospective: Why do you need it? local team issues: The team have some local issues which needs to be addressed. to impress team on the other side: The local team come together to impress the team on the other side to prove that the distributed development work. to impress the client: If the client is part of the team, you keep local issues hidden and not to expose to the client. And few points you mentioned: points of improvements local in nature: I would say that it can be an action item for the local team to come up with some solution, do we need to name it as local retrospective. political and management issues: good, team up and fight for it. share mom: makes sense, means you no longer planning to hide it from people on the other side. Like other scrum meetings, having local standup helps the team to get started etc. but having local retrospective to resolve the issues more effectively, well have to try and see. And surely to see how it would effect the single team feeling. Moreover worth trying and fare enough if it works for the team. Hi ShriKant,

Good that it worked for you guys. But I am a bit sceptical how it would work with the true sense of a single team. Communication which is the back bone of any distributed team, makes sense here to keep whole of the local team on the same page and sometimes teams use local Scrum master for this job. But to call it and have local retrospective:

Why do you need it?

local team issues: The team have some local issues which needs to be addressed.
to impress team on the other side: The local team come together to impress the team on the other side to prove that the distributed development work.
to impress the client: If the client is part of the team, you keep local issues hidden and not to expose to the client.

And few points you mentioned:

points of improvements local in nature: I would say that it can be an action item for the local team to come up with some solution, do we need to name it as local retrospective.
political and management issues: good, team up and fight for it.
share mom: makes sense, means you no longer planning to hide it from people on the other side.

Like other scrum meetings, having local standup helps the team to get started etc. but having local retrospective to resolve the issues more effectively, well have to try and see. And surely to see how it would effect the single team feeling. Moreover worth trying and fare enough if it works for the team.

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