This is an Agile game I came up with during some of our internal projects. I call it the backward retrospective, for it uses the creative visualization to empower your workflow.
It goes like this: a few iterations down a project, imagine for a moment that the project has ended. Instead of having the usual retrospective, you are in fact gathered to wrap up the project retrospective. Now, ask yourself how would you like this retrospective to sound like. In other words, how would you like your project to end?
The backward retrospective
Obviously, we all want a successful project! Yet, it is not only positive to visualize what we repeatedly want, it is also necessary to take heed on practices that may require more of our attention. For example, your integration tests may be lacking quality, and you are counting on this team meeting as an opportunity to improve them. Imagine yourself at the last retrospective, reporting how well Quality Assurance has improved over the last iterations despite some initial hiccups. Think about what steps you set up to reach this point, using techniques such as root cause analysis or a fishbone diagram. Keep it both real and positive. The goal of this exercise is not to imagine an impossible fairy tale, but rather to help you achieve what you know is feasible and well within your grasp. This is the game objective. And once you have it, placard it somewhere in your area for all to see.
During following iteration reviews, use the game objective as an optimistic benchmark. Check how well it compares with your current project status, and determine what adjustments would be necessary from the next iteration onward to achieve your objective.
This game has the advantage of letting the whole team imagine the project’s end. As a result, when team members build their own vision, they commit in transforming this vision into reality. While this game can be applied for any and all projects, we have found it particularly valuable for projects that require even more vision and constant alignment to the end result, such as rebranding projects.
Are you ready to try it out? Imagine how you would like your current project to end. Or imagine the result of your efforts by the end of this month. Start with the end, and work your way towards that goal! Happy visualization!