RetroTeam Scrum Expert - How to Run Better Retros with the RetroTeam App

Remote work is quickly becoming the norm — especially in Scrum teams where talent is increasingly borderless. Of course, with distributed Agile teams come new challenges. New tools have to help teams address these new challenges as they arise.

One of the main meetings developers have to do remotely is the retrospective where everyone collaborates to decide on better ways of working. Tools that facilitate remote retros will become ever more vital to efficient Agile teams.

In this post, we’ll take a look at the RetroTeam app and how to get started with your own remote retro. I created this tool out of frustration after not being able to find a tool that fit my own team’s needs. Let me walk you through how the app works.

RetroTeam

Running Effective Retros with RetroTeam

Setting Up Your Account

First, you'll need to sign in to RetroTeam. Options include logging in via a social account, email, or setting up a board anonymously. Note that anonymous users won't be able to save their data if they clear local storage and cookies.

Choosing a Retrospective Format

Once logged in, select from various retrospective formats like Start, Stop, Continue; 4Ls; Went Well; Improve Action; or even create a custom format. Choose a format that suits your team's needs and start setting up your board.

Configuring Your Board

At the top of the board, you can enter details to track the results:

• Board name
• Your name
• Summary of the retro format
• Public or private board settings

Decide if the board should be accessible to anyone with the link or invite-only. Private mode enhances security, ensuring only team members can access the board, with end-to-end encryption for added protection.

Board Settings

You can modify your board's name and username via the settings icon. Additional settings allow you to:

• Mark yourself as complete
• Share the board
• Set a timer for activities
• Delete the board
• Rename the board
• Change your username (default names are randomly chosen adjectives and animal names)
• Show or hide the card author
• Limit votes per user
• Remove the “Mark when done” icon
• Lock the board

Managing Participants

Track participants by clicking the user icon. In private boards, you can remove or invite users. Invitations can be sent via email or shared link.

The Retrospective Process

RetroTeam breaks down retrospectives into four steps: Write, Group, Vote, and Discuss.

Step 1: Write

Participants enter their reflections by clicking the input field next to the "+" sign. Cards can be edited or deleted as needed.

Step 2: Group

The moderator and team group related cards, categorizing them into piles like "went well" or "improve."

Step 3: Vote

Participants vote on the topics they'd like to discuss further by clicking the "+" on the right side of the card. Votes are private until added and displayed in the final phase.

Step 4: Discuss + Actions

Discuss the cards with the most votes. Cards with the highest votes appear at the top for prioritized discussion. Bring the card being discussed to the foreground for clarity.

Meeting Summary and Export

For continuous improvement, follow up on action items is crucial. RetroTeam allows you to export your board to a PDF. Click the export icon in the upper right to generate and share a summary of the meeting.

The Inspiration Behind RetroTeam

As an engineering team manager, I conduct retrospectives every two weeks to evaluate our performance and plan improvements. Frustrated by the lack of suitable tools, I created RetroTeam. It's designed with a minimalist approach, focusing on ease of access and data collection. Privacy is paramount, so data is encrypted during private retrospectives, both in transit and in storage.

Start optimizing your retrospective meetings today with RetroTeam.