Agile Retrospectives

4.3 Activity: ESVP

Use this to set the stage in a longer iteration, release, or project retrospective.

Purpose

Focus people on the work of the retrospective. Understand people’s attitudes to the retrospective.

Time needed

Ten to fifteen minutes.

Description

Each participant reports (anonymously) his or her attitude toward the retrospective as an Explorer, Shopper, Vacationer, or Prisoner (ESVP). The retrospective leader collects the results and creates a histogram to show the data, and then guides a discussion about what the results mean for the group.

Steps

1. Explain that you are taking a poll to learn about how people view their participation in the retrospective.

2. Show the flip chart and define the terms:

   • Explorers are eager to discover new ideas and insights. They want to learn everything they can about the iteration/release/project.

   • Shoppers will look over all the available information, and will be happy to go home with one useful new idea.

   • Vacationers aren’t interested in the work of the retrospective, but are happy to be away from the daily grind. They may pay attention some of the time, but they are mostly glad to be out of the office.

   • Prisoners feel that they’ve been forced to attend and would rather be doing something else.

3. Distribute slips of paper or small index cards for people to record their attitude toward learning in the retrospective today. Instruct people to fold their paper in half for privacy.

4. As people finish writing and ...