Posts How to run a remote retrospective A sprint retrospective is an Agile/Scrum event held at the end of every sprint. It’s an all-hands-on-deck event that requires everyone involved in the development process to attend. While this takes up time
Posts Who collaborates on understanding the work of the sprint? Sprints are the very heart of agile work. They are short periods of time where the development team works to achieve a set of predetermined tasks. Working this way allows teams to focus
Posts What do all agile frameworks have in common? Scrum, Kanban, XP, Lean, RAD, SAFe… The list of agile frameworks is long and diverse, and we spend a lot of time focusing on the differences between each. Today, we’re going to look
Posts Scrum of Scrums 101: What is it and how do you make it happen? Scaling a business and its processes can be difficult if not handled correctly. Simply increasing the number of people on a project can lead to a messy, chaotic process, even for the creators
Posts What is a SAFe agile release train? Here's what you need to know Agile frameworks typically deal with bite-size chunks of work performed by small teams to gradually build a product piece by piece. As the business grows, so will your workload. At a certain point,
Posts What to do when a scrum master encounters resistance & 8 ways to overcome it While Agile places responsibility on the entire team, someone has to take charge to make sure the project runs smoothly. In the world of Scrum, this falls to the Scrum Master.
Posts Which scrum master certification is best for you? 5 courses to consider 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the “Manifesto for Agile Software Development,” which outlines Agile methodologies’ central values and principles. Few could have predicted the impact this document would have, especially over such
Posts What is a release retrospective and how do you run one? If you search “agile retrospective,” you’re instantly bombarded with information on sprint retrospectives and little else. Even at EasyRetro, we’re a little guilty of placing all the focus on sprint retrospectives!
Posts 9 challenges your work-from-home product team may face (and how EasyRetro can help!) The forced period of remote working has opened our eyes to an entirely new way of working. We learned that remote teams could be just as, if not more productive than workers in
Posts The essential guide to sprint methodology Regular readers of the EasyRetro blog will have seen countless entries about every aspect of working with sprints. There’s truly no better place to learn about sprint and agile methodologies than our blog.
Posts 5 conflict resolution techniques for agile teams We all want our agile teams to work together with minimal friction, but no matter how hard we try, issues pop up occasionally. We can’t all share the same mind (and it would
Posts How often should scrum team membership change? 6 signs it might be time to mix it up Scrum teams are a self-organized, multifunctional powerhouse. They live and breathe agile methodologies to get the best result possible from any task or project they undertake.
Posts What is the Futurespective Prime Directive? By now, we all know the importance of retrospectives and the value they can bring to your team, your product, and even your business as a whole.
Posts What are the 5 Scrum values, and how do you implement them in a team? It can be challenging to get the best out of agile frameworks if the team doesn’t understand why they’re using them. That’s often down to poor implementation when a company switches to scrum.
Posts What is ESVP? The explorer, shopper, vacationer, prisoner method explained It’s no secret that at EasyRetro, we live and breathe retrospectives, but even we get a little tired of them from time to time.
Posts 47 examples of Scrum & Agile terminology and what they *actually* mean How often do you sit in a meeting and just nod along to the conversation while not really understanding half the words you’re hearing? Don’t worry. It happens to everyone!
Posts Everything you need to know about starbursting At EasyRetro, we love to inject a little fun back into the workday. Brainstorming sessions are one of the best opportunities to have fun while still making meaningful progress on a project. You’re
Posts Post-mortems vs. retrospectives: What’s the difference? The end of a project is always everyone’s favorite part. The hard work has paid off, and the team can enjoy a well-deserved break. That said, there’s a lot you can learn from
Posts Lesser-known insights about making decisions as a team Collaboration is essential for businesses that want to thrive. The benefits are almost endless, with companies that promote collaboration and employee engagement seeing more than double the rate of success compared to companies
Posts What is a sprint burndown chart? The world of Agile methodology is a confusing one. There are so many “cool” names for things, jargon and buzzwords to get your head around that it can seem a little overwhelming when
Posts Collaboration tools, frameworks and exercises you might not be using yet The best teams work together to solve problems rather than working alone to try and get ahead of the pack. This is why enabling collaboration between your team members is important — collaboration
Posts 9 Scrum antipatterns to have on your radar 9 Scrum antipatterns to have on your radar As with everything in life, working with Scrum has its highs and its lows. It can be easy to fall into a routine that resembles
Posts What does it take to create an agile work environment? The environment in which we work has a huge influence on what we produce. No wonder companies spend millions on their office design! But as we move into 2022, there’s a new type
Posts Where to get Planning Poker cards [+ TEMPLATES] Planning Poker is one of the most popular estimation techniques — and with good reason. It’s a fun, collaborative process that gives everyone an equal voice, resulting in more accurate estimations.
Posts A beginner's guide to the Planning Poker estimation technique Planning poker is one of the most fun and popular ways to estimate the length of your project, but how does it stand out from other planning methods?
Posts 4 examples of retrospective meeting formats, exercises, and games A sprint retrospective is by far the best way to assess your team’s progress. It’s a chance for everyone to catch up, seek assistance, and pass on tips before diving into the next
Posts How Kanban works for team productivity (and how to succeed with EasyRetro) The Kanban framework is a visual system for managing work as it moves through a process. That might be organizing your email campaigns, planning an upcoming build, or following a recipe for dinner!
Posts When should a retrospective meeting be held — and how often? At EasyRetro, we live and breathe sprint retrospectives.
Posts Mastering design thinking — 15+ tips and insights from the best design thinking minds Design thinking is quickly becoming the go-to methodology when it comes to product design. Mega companies such as Google, Apple, and Samsung have taken their winning formulas and injected design thinking into the
Posts What is a breakout session and how do you run one? Breakout sessions have become a key feature since remote working became the norm. With just a click of the mouse you can send teams off into little groups to discuss new ideas, solutions
Posts Could you be your company's Agile Champion? Here’s how to get started… Working with Agile methodologies can be hugely beneficial to your company — provided you pick the right person or coach to oversee the transition. We call this person the “Agile Champion” and it’s
Posts 20+ Scrum best practices to reach your team's full potential If you’re reading the EasyRetro blog right now, then chances are you already know how powerful Agile and Scrum can be.
Posts Understanding Scrum development teams: who are they and what do they do? The EasyRetro blog often focuses on tips to help Scrum Masters get the best out of their team, but we rarely talk about the team themselves. To set that right, this blog post
Posts Troubleshooting in distributed Agile teams Distributed Agile teams had a secret weapon when we were all home to work: they’d been successfully managing remote and distanced working for months or even years.
Posts How innovative companies use design thinking Customer satisfaction is absolutely vital to the success of any product. Without it you’re destined to fail, fast. And yet, too many companies overlook their customers’ needs — using output and being ‘first
Posts Getting started with Liberating Structures (and their surprising power!) Have you ever felt like meetings take the same-old-same-old format every single time? You’re not imagining things. Presentations and brainstorming sessions are the norm in nearly every industry — and have been for
Getting-started Coaching Agile teams — do you have what it takes? Agile coaching is one of the hottest jobs on the market right now.
Posts How to use design thinking to shape your sprint strategy Sometimes, a tech company calls itself ‘successful’ if it can get a product idea to market before anyone else. Unfortunately, as innovation and speed became key priorities, some companies lost focus on what
Posts 40 Great Teamwork Quotes to Inspire Teams In the world of Agile, there are few tasks that can be done alone. We know this, but sometimes a team needs a little boost to help them collaborate when morale starts to
Posts Understanding Scrum Roles & Team Structure The Scrum methodology has been around in one shape or another since the 80s and continues to be the go-to workflow for tech companies across the world.
Posts What is a self-organizing team and how do you create one? “So, as it turns out, unless you’re a young child or a prison inmate, you don’t need anyone supervising you. People just come in and do their work on their schedule. Imagine that.”
Posts Top 5 podcasts for Scrum Masters and Agile coaches Over the past few years, podcasts have become a juggernaut of entertainment, relaxation, and learning. There’s something for everyone, from interviews with musicians to deep dives on popular TV shows.
Posts How to calculate sprint velocity Working with the Agile methodology can boost productivity, improve quality, and get the product in your customer’s hands faster than any other approach. The key to this workflow lies in good planning, execution
Posts Digital idea board: how to create and use one with your team If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you’ll already be up to speed with amazing tricks to facilitate brainstorming sessions, get the best out of dot voting and the benefits of
Posts Dot Voting - A Great Democratic Decision-Making Tool For Your Sprint Retrospectives Dot-voting (sometimes referred to as “dotmocracy” — democracy with dots!) is a quick and simple facilitation method that can make decision making a breeze.
Posts Free template for working from home bingo Mid-sprint lulls are always a tough thing to push through. Now the majority of us are working from home, it’s even tougher.
Posts How to Facilitate Meetings Effectively Hosting an engaging meeting is challenging regardless of whether it’s face-to-face or online. However, expecting employees to be fully immersed in the meeting while in the comfort of their own home and surrounded
Posts Daily Standup Meeting: the Ultimate Guide (Standup Agenda, Best Practices, Standup Questions and More) In the world of Agile, the daily standup meeting is an untouchable necessity. The focal point around which the whole team orbits, it is hard to overstate how useful these events are for
Posts Top 10 scrum tools to improve your team work Scrum is one of the most popular methodologies in product development — and with good reason.
Posts Design thinking tools for keeping your team productive Design thinking seems like an esoteric practice, but it’s really just disciplined, organized thinking. It can yield insights, solve problems, and even help creativity.
Posts What is the goal of the sprint retrospective meeting? Few development frameworks are as well-known and widely adopted as Scrum.
Posts What is the scrum master's role in the sprint retrospective? Dating back to the mid-80’s, Scrum remains one of the most popular frameworks for software development.
Posts 5 steps of a retrospective meeting agenda In the past, we’ve explored what sprint retrospectives are and why they matter to your business. Knowing that they’re important is just the first step though. Next you need to know how to
Posts Who should conduct retrospective meetings? Here’s a bit of an open secret: success in life is all about learning from the past.
Posts Top 10 agile tools for keeping your team productive Smart productivity is the key to team success. So the Agile methodology was designed to make teams more effective — to work smarter, not harder.
Posts Guide To Virtual Collaboration Best Practices, Software & Tools Working from home can be flexible, freeing, and cost-saving for employers and employees.
Posts Top Agile Blogs You Should Follow in 2020 Continuous improvement is critical for teams that want to stay one step ahead of the competition. But where do you go to learn about the latest developments in your industry? And what resources
Posts Project & Agile Retrospective Books Worth Reading When it comes to agile working, knowledge is power. The best agile teams are constantly looking to improve, learn from others, and level up their abilities and effectiveness.
Posts The 10 Most Important Agile Coach Interview Questions The agile methodology is one of the most widely used project management processes in the world. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. To keep an agile project on track, from concept all the
Posts 23 Questions To Ask During A Sprint Retrospective When it comes to holding a sprint retrospective, the Scrum Master’s primary concern is often what the outcomes of the exercise will be. But concentrating solely on results misses half of the equation
Posts Sprint Review vs Retrospective - which one do you need, when, and why? For teams new to the agile methodology, sprint reviews and retrospectives may appear to be identical.
Posts Top 25 scrum master interview questions The Scrum Master is responsible for supporting and promoting Scrum in a company — helping the Scrum team achieve its objectives, mitigate risks, and improve continuously.
Posts How your team can reduce the scrum retrospective time No matter what project management methodology your team is adhering to, continuous improvement should always be the focus. And the only way to achieve this is to get together regularly to discuss the
Getting-started Como fazer uma retrospectiva de sprint no EasyRetro Executar retrospectivas não é tão fácil quanto parece e pode ser uma tarefa difícil, especialmente se você não planejar antecipadamente ou não tiver uma estrutura em mente. Esta postagem irá te ajudar a
Getting-started How to run a sprint retrospective in EasyRetro Running retros is not that easy and it can be hard sometimes if you don’t have everything planned and a framework in mind. So this post will help you to do your first
Posts Quem deve e não deve ser incluído em uma retrospectiva de sprint? Muitas coisas podem dar errado no desenvolvimento de software e mesmo que o Time de Scrum tenha um bom sprint, sempre há oportunidades para melhorar. As equipes devem sempre reservar um breve período
Posts Who should and should not be included in a sprint retrospective A lot of things can go wrong in software development and even if the Scrum team had a good sprint, there are always a lot of opportunities to improve. The team should set
Posts Our list of remote work tools Here is a list of remote tools we use at EasyRetro. It’s not a definitive list but a list of tools we tried and like to use. Remote work is growing every day
Posts What are smart goals Far too many projects fail due to a lack of clarity. How do you get to your destination if you are not 100% clear on where you are going? Many teams struggle for
Posts O que é uma retrospectiva de sprint? Grandes equipes estão sempre crescendo e melhorando. No entanto, o crescimento e a melhoria constante não pode acontecer sem antes se ter uma pausa e refletir sobre o trabalho que a equipe já
Posts What is a sprint retrospective Great teams are always growing and improving. However, constant growth and improvement can’t happen without a chance to pause and reflect on the work the team has already done and the work ahead.
Posts Ideas to make your retrospective more fun The sprint retrospective is held at the end of every sprint and follows the review meeting. The idea behind the retros is to discuss what went well, what went wrong, and how to
Posts How EasyRetro adapted to GDPR After a couple of months trying to understand GDPR and adapting EasyRetro to it, that’s the summary of things I learned in the process.