Sprint retrospective output vs. outcome: 5 examples

You want to better understand the sprint retrospective output? Alright, I can help you with that!

Sprint Retrospective Output vs. Outcomes

To begin with, did you know there is a difference between outputs and outcomes? When googling “Sprint Retrospective Outputs”, this might be relevant to explain.

• Outcomes: Outcomes are, so to speak, your abstract overall goals, i.e. what the company ultimately wants to achieve. In essence, they are an “Objective” in the “Objectives and Key Results” or OKR -Terminology.
• Outputs: Outputs are the actions or specific elements that contribute to achieving this outcome. You could say they are the prerequisites or the operational tactics that are necessary to achieve the goal or outcome. In the “OKR” terminology this could be “Key Results” (it is no longer abstract but something specific).

Now, let’s simply give an example using the sprint retrospective.

Sprint Retrospective Output

5 Sprint retrospective Outputs and Outcomes

One of the obvious outputs of the retrospective are action items. Why do you need action items?

A good question! By asking the “Why” question, we can determine which goal we are pursuing with it - in other words, we can understand the “Outcome” behind it. In this case, the outcome of the output “Action Items” is simply: Continuous improvement. But let’s go a little deeper. Let’s develop a small hierarchy of outcomes and outputs for retrospectives.

I developed a small model. Our main goal/outcome as a Scrum Master or Agile Coach is continuous improvement. In my experience, the agile retrospective helps to achieve four abstract “sub-outcomes” or sub-goals thereof. I will give an example of a specific output that contributes to the 4 respective sub-outcomes.

1. Outcome: Continuously improving team performance..

   1. Sub-Outcome: Continuous improvement. That’s what makes a successful agile team - it always tries to improve. What would be an output of the retro that is related to achieving this goal?
      1. Sprint Retrospective Output: Action items Only if you put down action items in your retrospectives, you will implement improvements.
   2. Sub-Outcome: Learning the value of retrospectives It is not uncommon that the development team considers that the sprint retrospective is not necessary. What effect would this have on our team performance outcome? Well, over the long run, it would probably have a pretty negative effect. What would be an example of an output that has a positive effect on this?
      1. Sprint Retrospective Output: Nr. of successfully implemented improvements based on retrospectives. This could be a metric that you measure - how often have we successfully implemented an improvement from our retrospective? There are retrospective tools like Echometer’ to help you do so.
   3. Sub-Outcome: Positive vibes and energy for the next sprint Obviously, team morale and positives vibes are good for team health. So how can we foster this in retrospectives?
      1. Sprint Retrospective Output: Actively praising what works The question of what went well is a typical question in retrospectives - and that’s a good thing! It should be asked every time. Because it helps to improve or maintain morale in the team.
   4. Sub-Outcome: Improving team dynamics & spirit Variables like trust, psychological safety or communication etc. are all highly relevant for a successful team.
      1. Sprint Retrospective Output: Conducting a team health check every quarter… You don’t have to do this, but it is an example for the sub-outcome mentioned above. Agile Coaches that take their job seriously oftentimes have a need to make their work measurable. A team health check that is combined with retrospectives is a great way to do this. We have a blog post with 3 tips for developing a health check - and our Echometer Retro & Health Check Tool can also help you do so and talking about them in retrospectives.
   5. Sub-Outcome: Getting to know each other’s mental models. Mental models are the models by which humans perceive reality. The thing is: The more similar the mental models of teams, the better their performance. As a Scrum Master and Psychologist, I believe one of the core purposes of the agile retrospective should be to increase the awareness of each other’s mental models.
      1. Sprint Retrospective Output: Letting every team member explain their view of a problem / situation Openly sharing how each team member perceived a situation or would approach a specific challenge should be a typical routine in retrospective. Through this way, you are getting better at understanding their mental model.

Conclusion - Outputs vs. Outcomes of a Retrospective

Okay, a pretty interesting hierarchy about the goals of an Agile Coach or Scrum Master has just been presented. Would you have expected that? I didn’t when I started writing down my thoughts on this topic. 😄 But I like what I’ve outlined because it summarizes how to view the outcome and output of the agile retrospective.

If you want to learn more about the goals of an Agile Coach, or 5 KPIs to measure the performance of the Scrum Master feel free to read the post.