Retrospectives
Definition
Retrospectives are regular team meetings (typically at the end of each sprint or iteration) where the team reflects on their processes, identifies what went well, what needs improvement, and commits to specific actionable changes for the next iteration. Retrospectives focus on HOW the team works (process), not WHAT was built (product). They are the primary knowledge management and continuous improvement mechanism in adaptive projects.
Related concepts
- Resources Domain
- Adaptive Development Approach
- Monitoring and Controlling
- Build an Empowered Culture
Exam angle
- Retrospective vs. sprint review: retrospective = process improvement (team internal); sprint review = product feedback (with stakeholders) — these are separate events with different participants and purposes
- Wrong answer: “hold a retrospective to gather stakeholder feedback on the product increment” — that describes a sprint review, not a retrospective
- Continuous improvement mechanism: retrospectives are how agile teams improve their velocity, quality, and collaboration over time; skipping them is a process risk