Product Description

See how to mine the experience of your software development team continually throughout the life of the project. The tools and recipes in this book will help you uncover and solve hidden (and not-so-hidden) problems with your technology, your methodology, and those difficult "people" issues on your team.

Project retrospectives help teams examine what went right and what went wrong on a project. But traditionally, retrospectives (also known as "post-mortems") are only helpful at the end of the project--too late to help. You need agile retrospectives that are iterative and incremental. You need to accurately find and fix problems to help the team today.

Now, Derby and Larsen show you the tools, tricks, and tips you need to fix the problems you face on a software development project on an on-going basis. You'll see how to architect retrospectives in general, how to design them specifically for your team and organization, how to run them effectively, how to make the needed changes, and how to scale these techniques up. You'll learn how to deal with problems, and implement solutions effectively throughout the project--not just at the end.

With regular tune-ups, your team will hum like a precise, world-class orchestra.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #140319 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 170 pages

From the Publisher
Project retrospectives help teams examine what went right and what went wrong on a project. But traditionally, retrospectives (also known as "post-mortems") are only help at the end of the project--too late to help. You need agile retrospectives that are iterative and incremental. You need to accurately find and fix problems to help the team today.
Now Esther and Diana show you the tools, tricks and tips you need to fix the problems you face on a software development project on an on-going basis. You'll see how to architect retrospectives in general, how to design them specifically for your team and organization, how to run them effectively, how to make the needed changes and how to scale these techniques up. You'll learn how to deal with problems, and implement solutions effectively throughout the project--not just at the end.
With regular tune-ups, your team will hum like a precise, world-class orchestra.

About the Author
Esther Derby is one of the rare breed of consultants who blends the technical and managerial issues with the people-side issues. She is well known for her work helping teams grow to new levels of productivity and is recognized as one of the world's leaders in retrospective facilitation. Esther's articles have appeared in Better Software (formerly STQE), Software Development, Cutter IT Journal, and CrossTalk. She writes regular columns for stickyminds.com, and Computerworld.com, and publishes the quarterly newsletter, insights. Esther is also a host and session leader at the Amplifying Your Effectiveness (AYE) conference.

Diana Larsen partners with leaders of software development projects to improve project performance, support and sustain change, and build collaborative workplaces. Diana serves on the boards of Agile Alliance and the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference, participates in planning for the XP 200x and Agile 200x conferences, and speaks at several software conferences every year. She's written articles for Software Development, At Work, Cutter IT Journal, and Cutter's Executive Update and e-Advisor series. Diana is a founder of the Annual International Retrospective Facilitators Gathering.

Customer Reviews

Useful handbook for agile teams
At last we have a book available that gives tips and advice on facilitating end of iteration retrospectives. Esther Derby and Diana Larsen are recognised experts in this field and have gathered knowledge from the international community of retrospective facilitators and presented it in an accessible format for readers new to facilitation.
The book will be really useful to agile coaches and team leads who want to apply retrospectives in their teams. A variety of exercises are described so that your retrospectives won't get boring and will continue to reveal process improvements that help your team optimize their process and stay sharp. This will become a well-thumbed trusty reference for agile teams.

How to make your scrum better
This book is just good. It can't be the other way. I have it on my desk, next to another book waiting for a full review and I wonder if I will manage to read it before the meeting where I will have to give it away to a lucky winner. I already envy him or her. Should I ask O'Reilly for my own copy?

Returning to the matter, this book is just about what it says in the title - agile retrospectives. Everyone who knows at least a bit about agile knows well how important is to improve the process. This book is simply about that and shows many methods and techniques that will help during a sprint or a project retrospective to make your team better. It's the must for everyone who is interested in improving his agile potential.

Well worn, often loaned, a prized guide :)
This is my standard reference for Agile Retrospectives which continues to remain practical and useful over the 2 - 3 years I've been facilitating (and joining) retrospectives. I have brightly coloured post-its scattered throughout my copy as reminders to many of the techniques and ideas I use regularly...

I've lent the book to other people who facilitate retrospectives and they also found it helpful.

Thank you to the authors for this great book :)