2021-09-22

Items from last retrospective

  • IOC tests being a useless metric had - lots of progress but still needs some work

  • Checkstyle being prioritized too high - not much else to say

  • Good to see people in the office having a teams meetings - again good, now going to start booking meeting rooms though for larger meetings

  • Avoid re-adding release notes - ACTION: JH to create ticket

  • Incompatible python version spotted when doing release - good

  • Themes columns on planning board - current system is nice, automation is helpful

  • Release at start of sprint - will be trying it again this time

  • “added during sprint” label - opinions unchanged

  • Sprint themes discussion - Feelings that themes have caused issues with prioritization

Items from current retrospective

Tests not passing

  • close to getting them done

  • consistent failures taken out, need to keep an eye on fixing them

Team morale

  • Potential of an away-day, but need to take into account different conference levels

  • Possibility of booking a conference room big enough for everyone on site

  • FA going to talk to people individually to assess comfort levels

  • Office occupancy will be continually assessed, looking to increase occupancy levels in various ways (keep an eye on CO2 monitor)

Feeling the distance that being remote has caused

  • Feeling that we’re doing a good job

Burndown chart jumping

  • This was mostly due to a lot of big-point reviews going through at the same time, including release and tech-debt week

Planning Fridays

  • JH not a fan of the concept of planned Fridays as opposed to spontaneously picking up tickets for them, but understands that this could be too chaotic

  • Whilst remote especially, best to have some planned conversation before starting to work on tickets to replace the small office conversation that would otherwise occur

  • A week of Fridays might be too long, especially getting reviews through

  • Next Friday week, consider only starting new Friday tickets on Monday and Tuesday, then only working on existing tickets and reviews for the rest of the week

Would people prefer being told which themes they’re meant to be working on

  • Everyone seems on board with this, KB happy to continue letting people know and willing to move things around if a developer has preferences.

  • Assignments posted in “announce” on teams after planning

Noting how much IBEX work done at end of sprint

  • Suggestion that people let KB know at the end of a sprint how much time was actually spent on IBEX

  • Happy to be half-day granularity

Working with EMU Scientists

  • Good that we were able to talk with scientists, set up kit with them etc.

Squish

  • Now that we have a floating squish license, should run training for developers so that everyone is able to write tests

Information about accessing blockhouses

  • Hard to remember safety walkthroughs for all instruments, best to find the scientist to do it for you

  • Should be a copy of local rules on/near the door if needed