Holding a Non-Traditional Retrospective

Holding a Non-Traditional Retrospective Mary Thengvall, Director, Developer Relations, Camunda #GitLabCommit #GitLabContribute @mary_grace 1

We’re going to cover… ● What is a retrospective? ● How should a community retrospective be conducted? ● When the retrospective is over, what happens next? #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 2

What is a retrospective? 🧐 #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 3

What is a retrospective? A Retrospective is a ceremony held at the end of each iteration in an agile project. The general purpose is to allow the team, as a group, to evaluate its past working cycle. In addition, it’s an important moment to gather feedback on what went well and what did not. 5 Things You Need To Know To Facilitate A Retrospective, José Alberto Zimermann #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 4

What is a retrospective? … the open source community version ● Public, not private #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 5

What is a retrospective? … the open source community version To the company, I represent the community. To the community, I represent the company. I must have both of their interests in mind at all times. #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 6

What is a retrospective? … the open source community version ● Public, not private ● Follow-through is (even more) important #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 7

What is a retrospective? … the open source community version ● Public, not private ● Follow-through is (even more) important ● Code of Conduct must be enforced #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 8

But why? 🤷🏻‍♀ ● Encourages open and honest feedback #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 9

But why? 🤷🏻‍♀ ● Encourages open and honest feedback ● Gives you a tangible way to keep track of feedback #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 10

How should a community retrospective be conducted? 👩🏽‍🏫 #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 11

Prep: Questions to Ask ● Who do you invite? #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 12

Prep: Questions to Ask ● Who do you invite? ● What expectations do you have? #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 13

Prep: Questions to Ask ● Who do you invite? ● What expectations do you have? ● Who is officially responsible to run the retrospective? #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 14

Prep: Questions to Ask ● Who do you invite? ● What expectations do you have? ● Who is officially responsible to run the retrospective? ● Do you have the bandwidth to follow up on action items? #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 15

Execution: Setting Expectations ● Establish working agreement #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 16

Execution: Setting Expectations #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 17

Execution: Setting Expectations ● Establish working agreement ● Identify roles #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 18

Execution: Setting Expectations ● Establish working agreement ● Identify roles ● Confirm timeline #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 19

Execution: Setting Expectations #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 20

Execution: Walking Through Issues #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 21

Once the retrospective is over, what happens next? ☑ #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 22

Following up on Action Items ● Communicate feedback ● Update documentation ● Create content ● Schedule meeting #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 23

Following up on Action Items #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 24

Summary ● Public retrospectives give you insight into your community. ● Transparency is key. When is the retro taking place? How can people take part? What happens after the retro? What’s the status of the items that were discussed in the last retro? Communicate early and often. ● Set expectations. What do you expect from community members? What can they, in turn, expect from you? ● Follow through. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. #GitLabCommit @mary_grace 25

Thank You Mary Thengvall Director, Developer Relations, Camunda @mary_grace marygrace.community https://gitlab.com/mary_grace/open-source-retrospective-template #GitLabCommit 26