Iteration reviews are great opportunities for you and your team to share the progress that has been made over the last iteration or sprint with your stakeholders, which could be upper management, customers, or consuming teams. Most iterations tend to be 2-4 weeks of time so a decent amount of progress can be made and the review gives stakeholders a chance to get ideas for further enhancements or changes in directions based on the current state of the project. Here are 5 tips on how to run an effective iteration review.
- At the beginning of the iteration review, remind everyone about the big picture. What is the scope of the overall project and what are the big goals to achieve? Show your audience where you are in terms of the overall progress.
- Highlight the overall quality metrics and identify any risks that can impede progress. This gives stakeholders a good idea about where the team really is on the delivery plan with quality in mind.
- Let your team shine. Allow your team members to show live or pre-recorded demos of the work that has been done and get visibility with stakeholders. This is positive for everyone involved.
- Outline what is expected to come in the next iteration. If the iteration planning meeting hasn’t happened yet, it gives stakeholders an idea of what is next, but it also gives them an opportunity to potentially steer higher priorities into the mix.
- Allow time for stakeholders to interact and ask questions. It helps them engage more with the team and gain a better understanding of what’s going on with the project, and it is motivating for the team to see that the stakeholders care about the work they have just delivered and allows for further improvements in later sprints.
See the Iteration Reviews tip video from The Wild West of Software Project Management series below.
See more tips in The Wild West of Software Project Management.