Once a sprint has been completed, the last meeting to take place in the scrum cycle is the sprint retrospective. This meeting is focused on the agile principle inspect and adapt. The retrospective is a time where the scrum team comes together to discuss what went well in the sprint and what can be improved for the next one.
The retrospective is facilitated by the Scrum master. He is responsible for creating a safe space for the team to gather and feel comfortable having open discussions. The entire team must be in attendance including the development team and the product owner.
There are several different ways and to conduct a retrospective. One simple technique is to have the team write on sticky notes what they thought worked well and what they would like to do differently for the following sprint. This is an easy way to gather information and ensure that the entire team had a chance to provide feedback and make suggestions. For the best results, take small steps and only try one thing at a time. The new technique, strategy or change should also be added to the sprint backlog for everyone to see.
It is important that the retrospective remain positive and not turn into a complain fest. This will lower team morale and defeats the purpose of the meeting. The point is to reflect on the outcome of the sprint, acknowledge what went well and make suggestions for improvement in the areas that could have run better. The goal is to build the team up rather than bring them down. Get them to feel empowered about the work that was done and take ownership of the strategies they want to achieve for the following sprint.