Using the Status Graph Method to Overcome Challenges in the First Phase of an Agile Retrospective

Agile retrospectives are pivotal moments for teams to reflect, improve, and align on their next steps. However, the first phase of a retrospective, Set the Stage, often presents challenges that can undermine the session’s success. This phase is about creating a focused and inclusive environment where everyone feels heard, and the team’s current state is clearly understood.

One engaging and visual way to address these challenges is the Status Graph Method. By using a symbolic journey from a stone quarry to a finished house, this method encourages teams to visualize the status of their tasks or challenges, setting the foundation for a productive retrospective.

In this article, we’ll explore common obstacles in the “Set the Stage” phase and how the Status Graph Method can help teams identify, celebrate, and prioritize their work.

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Challenges in the “Set the Stage” Phase

The “Set the Stage” phase may seem straightforward, but it often requires careful facilitation to address these common challenges:

1. Difficulty Identifying Current Status

Teams may struggle to assess where they stand on key issues. This can result in vague or unfocused discussions where critical topics are overlooked or misinterpreted.

2. Low Engagement

Participants may feel unmotivated to contribute, especially if retrospectives have become routine or if the last sprint was particularly draining. Lack of enthusiasm can hinder the team from surfacing valuable insights.

3. Overemphasis on Problems

Without a structured activity, retrospectives can become complaint sessions. Focusing too much on what went wrong may overshadow successes or obscure opportunities for improvement.

4. Unequal Participation

Some team members may dominate the conversation, while others remain silent. This can create an imbalance, where only a subset of perspectives is considered.

5. Lack of Prioritization

When everything feels urgent, it’s hard to identify the most pressing issues or celebrate completed work. Teams may leave the retrospective with a sense of overwhelm rather than clarity.

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The Status Graph Method: A Solution to Kickstart Focused Discussions

The Status Graph Method is a visual and symbolic activity that engages participants in evaluating the state of their tasks or challenges. The method uses three distinct symbols to represent progress:

  • Stone Quarry (Left): The work hasn’t started yet, or there’s a major obstacle preventing progress.
  • Brick Workshop (Middle): The team is actively working on it, with identified tasks and hurdles being addressed.
  • Finished House (Right): The task is complete, and the team can celebrate the success.

Participants can place topics or challenges on this visual graph during the “Set the Stage” phase, creating a clear picture of where the team stands.

How to Implement the Status Graph Method

Set Up the Graph

Prepare a large visual representation of the three symbols (stone quarry, brick workshop, finished house) on a whiteboard, virtual board, or slide deck. Ensure there’s space for participants to add topics under each category.

Introduce the Method

Explain the metaphor:

  • The stone quarry represents tasks or issues that are yet to be started or face significant blockers.
  • The brick workshop represents ongoing work where the team has identified hurdles and made progress.
  • The finished house represents tasks or issues that are completed and worth celebrating.

Engage the Team

Ask each participant to write down topics they feel are important to discuss. These might include challenges, successes, or areas needing improvement.

Place Topics on the Graph

One by one, participants share their topics and place them on the graph where they feel it fits. Encourage open discussion if there’s ambiguity or disagreement about a topic’s placement.

Summarize the Status

  • Once all topics are addressed, summarize the results:
  • Celebrate tasks in the finished house.
  • Reflect on progress in the brick workshop and identify what’s needed to complete these tasks.
  • Prioritize and discuss how to tackle items in the stone quarry.

Transition to the Next Phase

Use the visual graph as a foundation to guide the retrospective. Address unfinished tasks, celebrate successes, and identify concrete actions for tasks that are stuck.

Benefits of the Status Graph Method
  • Visual Clarity: The symbolic representation provides a clear and engaging way to map the team’s current state.
  • Balanced Focus: By dividing topics into three categories, the team can celebrate successes while still addressing challenges.
  • Encourages Participation: The activity invites every team member to contribute their perspectives.
  • Prioritization: The graph helps the team identify urgent and important tasks, ensuring a focused and actionable discussion.
  • Motivational Framework: Celebrating the “finished house” tasks boosts morale and encourages the team to push forward on unfinished work.
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Expanding the Role of AI Tools: Enhancing the Status Graph Method in Agile Retrospectives

AI tools like ChatGPT and copilots are invaluable for facilitating the Set the Stage phase of an Agile retrospective, particularly when using the Status Graph Method. These tools can assist at every step of the process: from identifying issues to clarifying their status, judging results, and smoothly transitioning into the next phase of the retrospective.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how AI can support and enrich each part of the Status Graph Method:

1. Identifying Issues in the “Set the Stage” Phase

The success of the Status Graph Method hinges on uncovering the right topics to place on the graph. AI tools like ChatGPT can help participants articulate and explore issues effectively by providing targeted prompts, insights, and frameworks.

Prompts for Identifying Issues

General Reflections:

  • “What were the biggest challenges or blockers during this sprint?”
  • “Which tasks, if completed, would have made the sprint more successful?”
  • “Were there any surprises (positive or negative) in this sprint?”

Specific Areas of Focus:

  • “Think about collaboration: did communication within the team or with stakeholders flow smoothly?”
  • “Reflect on technical work: did anything cause delays or confusion?”
  • “Consider personal workflow: did you feel productive and supported?”

Encouraging Positive Feedback:

  • “What worked really well during this sprint that we should keep doing?”
  • “Which achievements are you most proud of?”

AI-Assisted Insights

Using sentiment analysis or patterns from team chat logs, AI can highlight recurring concerns or successes. For example:

  • If multiple messages mentioned “delayed code reviews,” the AI could suggest this as a topic for discussion.
  • If terms like “smooth delivery” or “on schedule” dominate, the AI might flag these as successes to celebrate.

2. Clarifying Placement on the Status Graph

Determining whether a topic belongs in the stone quarry, brick workshop, or finished house is essential for a productive discussion. AI can assist by offering structured follow-up questions to guide participants.

a) Questions to Clarify Placement

For the Stone Quarry (Work Not Started):

  • “What has prevented us from starting this task or addressing this issue?”
  • “Are there external dependencies or missing resources blocking us?”

For the Brick Workshop (Work in Progress):

  • “What progress have we made so far?”
  • “What challenges remain, and how are we addressing them?”
  • “What’s the likelihood we’ll finish this soon?”

For the Finished House (Work Completed):

  • “What was critical to completing this task successfully?”
  • “Is there anything we can learn from this success to apply elsewhere?”

b) AI Prompts to Refine Placement

  • “Based on your input, it seems like this topic is more about blockers rather than progress. Does it belong in the stone quarry?”
  • “You mentioned progress but not full resolution. Should this move to the brick workshop?”
  • “You described this as done. Let’s celebrate it—does it belong in the finished house?”
3. Judging the Result of the Status Graph

Once all topics are placed on the graph, the facilitator must assess whether the team’s input provides a balanced and actionable overview. AI can assist by analyzing the distribution of topics and generating insights.

How AI Can Help Evaluate the Graph

  • Highlight Distribution: AI can generate a quick summary of where the majority of topics are placed. For example: “40% of topics are in the stone quarry, indicating significant blockers.” or “30% of topics are in the finished house—great work! Let’s celebrate these.”
  • Identify Imbalances: If too many topics are in one category (e.g., the stone quarry), AI can flag this as an area for deeper exploration: “A high number of items in the stone quarry suggests we need to prioritize starting these tasks. What can we do to unblock them?”
  • Prompt Reflection: AI can suggest questions to help the team reflect on the graph’s results: “Are we satisfied with the number of items in the finished house?” or “Do the items in the brick workshop have clear next steps for completion?”
4. Proceeding with Results in the Next Phase

The Status Graph Method sets the stage for deeper discussions in the retrospective. AI can help facilitate a smooth transition to the next phases: Gather Data, Generate Insights, and Decide What to Do.

Transitioning to “Gather Data”

AI can generate targeted prompts to delve deeper into each section of the graph:

For the Stone Quarry:

“Let’s prioritize these unstarted tasks. What can we do to address the most critical blockers?”

“Are there specific actions or resources that could help us start work on these tasks?”

For the Brick Workshop:

“What’s working well in these ongoing tasks, and where do we need additional support?”

“How can we ensure these tasks move to completion by the next sprint?”

For the Finished House:

“What lessons can we learn from these successes to improve future workflows?”

“Is there a way to replicate this success across other areas?”

Supporting Actionable Outcomes

AI can help teams develop specific, measurable action items:

Stone Quarry Actions:

“Create a list of dependencies and assign owners to resolve each blocker.”

Brick Workshop Actions:

“Define a timeline for completion and identify additional support needed.”

Finished House Actions:

“Document key takeaways and best practices for future reference.”

AI-Generated Summaries and Next Steps

At the end of the session, AI can summarize the discussion:

  • “Based on the Status Graph, we’ve identified three tasks in the stone quarry to prioritize, two ongoing tasks that need additional support, and five completed tasks to celebrate and learn from.”
  • “The team will focus on unblocking X, completing Y, and applying lessons from Z.”
Conclusion

With tools like ChatGPT and copilots, the Status Graph Method becomes more than a retrospective exercise—it becomes a structured, insightful process for driving team improvement. By leveraging AI to uncover issues, clarify their status, assess results, and guide next steps, facilitators can transform retrospectives into highly engaging and productive sessions.

Streamline Your Retrospectives with Ready-to-Use Templates

Take it a step further with our editable Status Graph Template, designed to seamlessly integrate AI-powered insights into your retrospective workflow. Whether you’re working in-person or remotely, this slide deck makes it easy to apply the method, ensure balanced participation, and keep your team focused on actionable outcomes.

To make your retrospectives even easier, we’ve created this ready-to-use, editable PowerPoint slide deck featuring the Status Graph Method. The template includes:

  • Visual representations of the stone quarry, brick workshop, and finished house.
  • Space for adding topics and notes directly on the slides.
  • Guidance for facilitating the activity, whether in-person or virtual.

This template will save you time, foster engagement, and ensure a productive start to every retrospective.

Get Your Editable Status Graph Template Now!

The “Set the Stage” phase is more than a warm-up; it’s the foundation for a successful retrospective. By addressing challenges with the Status Graph Method, you can create a clear, structured, and motivating start to your session. Celebrate what’s done, tackle what’s in progress, and prioritize what’s left to start. With the right tools and approach, every retrospective can become a powerful step toward team success.

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