using the improvement kata for retrospectives

@NickOostvogels

Using the

improvement kata for

retrospectives

Who? Nick Oostvogels Agile & Kanban coach

Retrospective syndrome

•  Lots of actions stay untouched •  Only minor improvements

h"p://www.flickr.com/photos/photojonny/2268845904/  

Blindly implementing each idea will lead to:

h"p://www.flickr.com/photos/ciana13/1987634535/  

Some actions cannot be finished because:

-  We took a wrong assumption -  It is a long term change -  It is out of control of the team

h"p://www.flickr.com/photos/kaibara/1449448184/  

Kata : a pattern you practice to learn a skill and mindset. Improvement kata : a pattern for improving, adapting and innovating. It helps to improve continuously towards a goal instead of random hunting for improvements.

Improvement Kata

Current condition

Vision

Target Condition

PDCA PDCA

PDCA

1.  Formalize the vision

“What is important for us? How do we want to deliver software?

Current condition

Vision

Target Condition

PDCA PDCA

PDCA

2. Use the vision to agree on the next target condition

“What is the next step we can take to get closer to the vision?”

3. Use the vision as a cross-check

Does this improvement suggestion help us to get closer to the vision?

Results •  Better focus •  Long term thinking •  Systems thinking •  The vision is used as a referee

during discussions •  It may take several

sprints to get to the next target condition

Inspired by

Toyota kata •  How to make improvement part

of our everyday work? •  Use everyone's capabilities •  Create a routine to work

through obstacles

Toyota kata •  Using cost/benefit analysis in a

different way •  Avoiding sub optimization •  Longer term target condition •  Experiment to test hypotheses •  Coaching by team leaders

Exercise 1 Create a vision: “How would your group of people look like in an ideal world?”

Behavior, values, interaction, rules,

…

Exercise 2 Use the vision as inspiration “Brainstorm actions to improve as a group towards the vision”

From all the ideas, define a 1ste

target condition

Exercise 3 Vision poker “Score all branches of the vision”

Summary How to use in retrospectives •  Create vision and define next

step •  Use vision as inspiration •  Use vision as cross check in a

regular retrospective •  Vision poker

Thanks!

@NickOostvogels

http://skycoach.be

nick.oostvogels@skycoach.be