Agile Retrospectives

10.3 Supporting Larger Changes

Iteration retrospectives usually generate compact changes—changes that the team can accomplish in the next iteration or stepwise over a few iterations. Larger retrospectives can generate broader changes that take longer to implement. Broader changes require more support and more attention to how people respond to change.

People experience predictable transitions as they let go of the old and take on the new, even when they’ve chosen and planned the change ( The Satir Model: Family Therapy and Beyond [Sat91], Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change [Bri03]). When a change is perceived as small, people adapt without external support. For larger changes, the transition takes longer and happens at different rates for different people. Understanding the four phases of change will help you support your team.

Four Transitional Phases in a Change

These are the four phases:

Loss    Starting something new always begins with letting go of the old. People experience loss—loss of competence, territory, relationships, certainty. Excitement about the new may pull them through this phase quickly, or they may take longer to adjust. Either way, they can’t, and won’t, move forward until they let go.

Chaos    Letting go of the old doesn’t mean we fully understand the new. People feel confused and strive to reorient themselves during a time of change. They explore how things will change and what this new way will mean for them. Along with confusion, chaos ...