This is really good format if you want an interactive and fun session which is great for team bonding.
It works best in person rather than virtual.
Bespoke question cards are created. They are placed face down on a table between then team and each person takes turn to pick one up, read out the question and answer it. Some questions are for the person who picked up the card (Question for me), some are for the whole group (Question for all), some are for a specific person (Question for [insert name]) and some the card picker can select a friend to answer (Question for a friend).
Continue until all cards have been picked/time runs out.
Instructions for running successfully
Create cards with the following statements on and print out
N.B you may need to fill in the blanks for certain people's names and/or roles in your development team
Shuffle and put into a pile/s on a table.
Going round the circle, each person selects a card, reads the statement and providers their answer.
Encourage discussions and note any actions which can be taken.
Card Statements:
QUESTION FOR [person]: How can we as a development team make your life easier?
QUESTION FOR ME: If time and money was no object, what suggestion would you make to improve the product/how it is built?
QUESTION FOR ME: If you could give one piece of advise to yourself when you started this role, what would it be?
QUESTION FOR ME: If you knew there would be no consequences to your actions, what would you change/do differently on the project?
QUESTION FOR ALL: What term or tool or new to you when you started this role?
QUESTION FOR ME: What piece of work/implementation/idea have you made here that you’re most proud of?
QUESTION FOR THE [insert role within development team]: What have we built that we’re most worried about it malfunctioning and why?
QUESTION FOR ME: If you could be [insert CTO name] for the day, what would you change/do/implement for the project?
QUESTION FOR THE [insert role within development team]: What’s stopping us from being even more effective?
QUESTION FOR ALL: How many story points do you think we have completed as a team for the project so far? [reveal answer after everyone has guessed]
QUESTION FOR ME: If you could have a superpower to help you at work, what would it be and why?
QUESTION FOR ALL: What assumptions did we make this sprint which might not be true?
QUESTION FOR ME: What is one skill or piece of knowledge which you want to improve?
QUESTION FOR ALL: What function or feature of the product do we feel the most confused about why we have it or how it will work?
QUESTION FOR ME: What are your ideal working hours?
QUESTION FOR [the designer]: How can we as a development team help to make your life easier?
QUESTION FOR ME: If you could invite a special guest to the retro who would you invite and why?
QUESTION FOR A FRIEND: What do you think is the greatest asset I bring to the team?
QUESTION FOR A FRIEND: How could we improve the way we communicate?
QUESTION FOR A FRIEND: Is there something I could do to improve my test writing?
QUESTION FOR ALL: How many tickets do we think we completed as a team last sprint? [answer to be revealed after everyone has guessed]
QUESTION FOR ME: What do you find most challenging about your role/working for the company?
QUESTION FOR ALL: What are our major strengths as a team?
QUESTION FOR ALL DEVS: How can we as a development team help to make your life easier?
QUESTION FOR A FRIEND: What’s something I could improve to help me be the best I can be?
QUESTION FOR A FRIEND: What do you think is the greatest asset I bring to the team?
QUESTION FOR ME: Are you a morning or afternoon person - when are you the most productive?
QUESTION FOR ME: What would you like to learn more about and who from the team could teach you?
QUESTION FOR THE [PM]: How as a development team could we help to make your life easier?
QUESTION FOR ME: What do you find most exciting about your role/working for the company?
