What is the Weather Report Retrospective?

The Weather Report retrospective is a reflective exercise asking a team to report on the sprint’s “climate”, and how they adapted to turbulent storms or took advantage of easier conditions.

When the weather has been stormy, unpredictable and violent, you can feel off balance and overwhelmed. But it is during these moments that the team must band together, make adjustments, and navigate through the chaos with determination and skill.

Conversely, when the weather has been fair and the skies clear, it can be tempting to relax and enjoy the warmth, but it’s important to ask if the team has been truly challenged to grow and develop during that time.

By reflecting on the conditions they have faced, the team can learn to adapt, adjust, and be prepared for whatever weather conditions may arise in the future.

How to run the Weather Report retrospective

First the team add their points to the four weather sections:

• ‍Stormy – what was turbulent and completely interrupted our plans?‍
• Rainy – what was interruptive but we could manage through it?‍
• Changing Weather – where was there uncertainty?‍
• Sunny – what turned out to be cheerful and easy?

And after completing these sections the team are asked how they responded to each type of weather condition:

• ‍Adapted – how did we change our plans when forced to?‍
• Coped – How did we cope with any inconvenience?‍
• Embraced change – how did we embrace any changes?‍
• Benefitted – how did we take advantage of good conditions?

Then the team identify where they could have handled events better or use opportunities to develop. From this they devise actions or experiments to better prepare for next time.