The second edition of Agile Retrospectives is here!
For over fifteen years, the first edition of Agile Retrospectives has been helping teams facilitate better retrospectives.
The newly updated and expanded second edition includes a significant amount of new content. Here’s just a sampling of what we’ve added:
- How to facilitate retrospectives on distributed teams
- How to use data effectively in your retrospectives
- How to increase the odds your retrospectives lead to real change
- How to overcome objections to retrospectives on your teams and in your organization
- Example retrospective flows based on scenarios teams commonly face
- And much, much more…
“The single most valuable resource for helping people learn together.”
Tricia Broderick
Leadership Advisor, Ignite Insight + Innovation
What’s new in the second edition?
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Example Retrospective Flows
Learn how we might design a retrospective in response to common scenarios
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Retrospectives for Distributed Teams
Learn how to overcome the challenges of remote retrospectives
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Organizational Retrospectives
Learn how to handle issues that can’t be solved at the team level
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Catalyzing and Sustaining Change
Learn how to help your team catalyze change after the retrospective is over
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Overcoming Objections to Retrospectives
Learn how to gracefully overcome resistance in your organization to retrospectives
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Real-life Stories from Practioners
Learn from other practitioners who have shared their experiences and tips!
What people are saying
“Even if you think you know “everything” about retrospectives, you’ll learn something new in this book. If you only read the sections on remote teams and how to change, you’ll gain insights you did not consider before. A must for every team member who wants to support their team’s improvement—agile or not.”
— Johanna Rothman
Consultant and author of Modern Management Made Easy
“I found the second edition of Agile Retrospectives to be an excellent resource. It provides practical advice for both beginners and experienced retrospective facilitators, addressing common questions and challenges. I highly recommend this book as a valuable planning tool that you will refer to time and time again.”
— Joanne Perold
Director, Faethm
“I’m glad to see that this edition still contains what a newcomer needs to facilitate their first retrospective. Yet I’m delighted to find so much more in this book. I learned new things, and suspect I’ll be even more effective in the future.”
— George Dinwiddie
Author, Software Estimation Without Guessing
“This book is an essential aid for a beginner retrospective facilitator and moreover provides deep insights and the right amount of theoretical foundation for an advanced facilitator. In general, the book equips all facilitators to improve continuously.”
— Jutta Eckstein
Author, Retrospectives for Organizational Change
About the authors
Esther Derby
Esther Derby draws on four decades of experience leading, observing, and living organizational change. She works with a broad array of organizations. Based on experience and research, her approach blends attention to humans and deep knowledge of complex adaptive systems. Through her writing, workshops and consulting, she has influenced a generation of leaders in the software industry.
Diana Larsen
Diana Larsen contributes to the foundations and extensions of agile thought as consultant, mentor, and speaker. She has co-authored six books, including LiftOff: Start and Sustain Successful Agile Teams, also published by Pragmatic Bookshelf. Her theme of learning and improvement is central to the practice of cultivating team agility.
David Horowitz
David Horowitz is the co-founder and CEO of Retrium, the world’s leading platform for agile retrospectives that is used by thousands of companies across the world. Prior to co-founding Retrium, David spent a decade at The World Bank and International Finance Corporation as a software developer turned agile coach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you write a second edition?
Two big reasons:
- The world has changed. Agile software development and agile retrospectives are no longer novel.
- Sadly, we’ve observed that for some teams and some organizations, retrospectives still fail to deliver much in the way of useful results.
This second reason breaks our hearts!
So if you are a retrospective skeptic, or haven’t gotten the results you desire, we feel you. That’s why we’ve pooled our collective experience together in this second edition to share new ideas, approaches, and solutions with you.
Are there new chapters in the second edition?
Yes! The second edition includes a new chapters that cover how to…
- Design a retrospective in response to common scenarios
- Facilitate effective retrospectives for distributed and remote teams
- Productively handle issues that the team can’t solve on its own
- Catalyze change during the retrospective — and sustain it after
- Gracefully overcome objections from team members, management, and the broader organization
Which chapters from the first edition have been revised?
Every single chapter from the first edition has been updated and expanded to reflect recent research and our experiences over the past two decades.
For example, we’ve modified:
- Chapter 1, Help Your Team Inpect and Adapt, to include advice on how to use objective and subjective data in
- Chapter 2, A Retrospective Custom Fit to Your Team, to include how to shape the focus of your retrospective
- All of the chapters in Part II — Selecting Activities (we’ve removed some activites and added others)
In addition, interspersed throughout the second edition are stories from other practitioners. These individuals have generously shared their experiences, tips, and tricks for our collective benefit, so be on the lookout!
Is it worth purchasing the book if I already own the first edition?
We certainly think so! In fact, the reason we decided to publish a second edition was because we felt we had so much more to say!
The second edition includes a significant amount of new content that reflects recent research and our latest thinking and experience.
Where can I buy the book?
From our publisher, Pragmatic Programmers, from Amazon, or from many book retailers near you.
Are you available to work with my company or speak at my conference?
We are always open to exploring opportunities to engage with the community. Please contact Esther at esther@estherderby.com, Diana at diana@dianalarsen.com, or David at david@retrium.com.
Agile Retrospectives: A Practical Guide to Catalyzing Team Learning and Growth 