The magic technique to turn a boring Retrospective into an outstanding Retrospective is the rotation of the facilitator role equally among all team members. Check out the following ten benefits of this Retrospective facilitation practice, from boosting learning and skill development to ensuring continuity to encouraging ownership.
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While Scrum Masters are often the natural facilitator of Scrum events, it is most beneficial to the Scrum team if they can also participate as ordinary team members in a Retrospective most of the time.
Check out the following ten benefits of this Retrospective facilitator practice, from boosting learning and skill development to ensuring continuity to encouraging ownership:
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You may ask yourself now: How can Scrum Masters help their teammates acquire facilitation skills?
As you embrace the practice of rotating the Retrospective facilitator role, you can support your teammates with the following steps. Firstly, provide them with resources for self-learning. Here’s a list of three valuable sources for Retrospective facilitation practices:
Secondly, Scrum.org offers several articles on facilitation techniques as well as a free Open Assessment for their PSFS Professional Scrum Facilitation Skills certification:
Thirdly, offer guidance during the initial stages of their facilitation practice and encourage peer feedback after every Retrospective. Think of it as inspecting the previous Retrospective regarding facilitation techniques. Remember, the goal is continuous improvement, not perfection.
Rotating the Retrospective facilitator role is a wise move. It’s not just task rotation; it’s about fostering shared responsibility, diverse insights, and improving our overall team skills. It also provides a break for our Scrum Masters, promotes transparency, and staves off Retrospective fatigue. This practice encourages ownership and nurtures a truly self-managing team—a cornerstone of Scrum. As we aim for a thriving agile culture, it’s worth considering shared Retrospective facilitation. It’s more than a good idea; it’s smart Scrum practice.
What other Retrospective facilitation techniques have worked for you? Please share your experience with us in the comments.
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Support your team’s efforts regarding Retrospective facilitation by pointing to the free Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide:
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