The Boat

A great technique for helping a scrum team think about the good and bad things that have happened during the last sprint is to use the metaphor of a boat.

The wind and sail symbolises what is pushing the team forward.

The anchor symbolises what is holding the team back.

Give the team 5 minutes to write post-its for each item that is pushing them forward and another 5 for the things that are holding them back.

Discuss each of the post-its and group any that are effectively the same issue.

Asses which item is the most important to the team by voting.

The scrum master should do everything he/she can to remove the blockers identified.