The ‘Five Whys’ technique, applied to the process rather than individuals, is a core Lean/Agile practice for root cause analysis in a blameless context. It shifts the focus from personal failure to systemic issues, leading to genuine process improvements that prevent recurrence, which is the goal of a retrospective.

Agile emphasizes collaboration and customer collaboration over contract negotiation. The first step is always direct, respectful communication to understand the Product Owner’s pressures and educate them on the consequences of mid-sprint changes. This aligns the team and product owner on the ‘why’ behind sprint stability, seeking a sustainable pace.

Value Stream Mapping is a Lean tool to visualize flow and identify waste. Wait time is a classic form of waste (waiting). Its primary purpose is to make delays visible so they can be analyzed and eliminated, thereby improving the overall flow of value to the customer.

‘Decide as Late as Possible’ is about retaining flexibility and making decisions based on the most current, relevant information. A PoC or prototype allows the team to learn from actual use with minimal commitment, reducing the risk of early, irreversible decisions based on speculation.

Engagement comes from participation. Open-ended questions that connect the feature to the stakeholder’s real-world context invite them into the conversation, shift them from passive observers to active participants, and yield insights into actual usability and value, which is the goal of the review.

A wide ‘In Progress’ band is a classic visual indicator of high WIP, a core Lean/Agile concept. This causes multitasking, hidden bottlenecks, and delays in delivering value. The action would be to implement WIP limits to improve focus and flow.

The principle values human collaboration and responsiveness. It implies that processes are meant to serve the team, not the other way around. Teams should be trusted to tailor their processes and tools to what best enables their interactions and effectiveness.

Cross-functional, stable teams are a cornerstone of Agile and Lean because they reduce waste (handoffs, waiting, task-switching) and improve flow. A team that has all skills needed to deliver a piece of value can work more autonomously and efficiently, accelerating feedback and learning.

Healthy debate is a source of innovation and critical thinking. The facilitator’s role is not to choose a winner but to ensure the debate is constructive and grounded in shared goals (like user needs and product constraints). Timeboxing and refocusing on outcomes turns a personal argument into a valuable technical exploration.

The ‘Five Whys’ technique, applied to the process rather than individuals, is a core Lean/Agile practice for root cause analysis in a blameless context. It shifts the focus from personal failure to systemic issues, leading to genuine process improvements that prevent recurrence, which is the goal of a retrospective.0