Team Practices Group/Retrospectives/2015-09-23

Action items from last time

 * TPG members try to document and share amount of time spent on Team Health Check (see bottom of Overall Results doc and Rethink meeting agenda) [ALL]
 * https://docs.google.com/document/d/162ZMqt6W4I9q0mIImsRb1VTZKhbsNEvtEuIH39tEfrw/edit
 * TPG meet to discuss and draft models for WMF privacy/transparency/anonymity expectations to share with Terry [KS]
 * there's a Phab for that! ^ https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T111449

Significant events since last time

 * 8/27 - SPDPP presentation @ engineering manager's offsite
 * 9/2 - THC presentation to engineering managers
 * ~9/11 - THC rethink conversations
 * ~9/11 - Q2 Goal setting
 * 9/15 - Strategy meeting #1
 * Strategy guinea pigs in Reading Teams
 * 9/22 - SPDPP reboot
 * 9/23 MPL due date
 * CSAT preparations
 * 9/23 - Gerrit cleanup day
 * Kevin started working with Community Tech

Worked well/keep doing?
** Reconciled with Phlogiston
 * Lots of people pitching in on THCs early - ramp up seems earlier
 * don't feel behind (or not as behind, anyway)
 * Kristen making time to talk me down from the THC PO ledge
 * David for offering to help with THC PO
 * Passing the THC torch
 * Was "Phab upstream process getting a TPG PO in the last 4 weeks" in scope for this retro? No.
 * Seemed pretty easy to get teams working with WorkType tags in Phab
 * is there something on TPG mailing list about this? No.
 * Making a Phlogiston backlog aka treating Phlogiston as a real software project to be managed JA
 * Community Tech engagement has been effective and hasn't taken much time KS
 * Kevin's being rigorous about identifying multiple interpretations
 * good Tea Time about measuring our value
 * Tea times have been fun and interesting+ KS
 * Enjoyed strategy kickoff KL
 * DS: I liked the book/process DS
 * talking to Grace about Playing to Wolf KL
 * MPL interventions (by Grace) have been appreciated (by others)
 * Clarified difference between Phab Upstream and Phragile/Sprint-Extension
 * Phragile appears to be working now (showstoppers fixed) KS
 * Patience and Arthur working with Chiefs eventually led to acceptable SPDPP charter JA
 * Strategy process and constructive criticism/feedback
 * Continue to feel invigorated by TPG interaction+1
 * Relishing opportunities to watch TPG'ers work
 * CSAT process and progress KL
 * voting on/organizing top Phab tasks KL+1

Has not worked well/stop doing?

 * Gerrit cleanup didn't seem to be communicated/coordinated well. FR-tech was left out of conversations (as far as DS can tell) +++
 * Communication with TPG about the spdpdppp pppsdpsddsp seemed incomplete+
 * general trend around unsustainable bandwidth and challenges with context switch+++++
 * Felt stretched thin, context-switchy
 * Sometimes all or nothing
 * Arthur rumor was troubling
 * We started on the Q1 THC's too late to do a full rethink+
 * SPDPP was go/stop/go/stop/go/slow down/limited go+
 * Very limited access/attention from Terry & Lila
 * Terry is stretched across too many roles
 * The Playing to Win book was unhelpful (should have stuck to the article)++
 * Communication around MPL due dates+
 * relationship and requirements around MPL is unclear++
 * need more time to celebrate our what worked wells ;-)
 * I miss IRL TPG+++++
 * November?

Puzzles us?

 * How to navigate number of 90 min meetings already scheduled in Oct+++++
 * Ongoing Tea Time topic: How to help TPGers not be overwhelmed

Action items for next time

 * TPG members to document and share amount of time spent on Team Health Check (see bottom of Overall Results doc and Rethink meeting agenda - https://docs.google.com/document/d/162ZMqt6W4I9q0mIImsRb1VTZKhbsNEvtEuIH39tEfrw/edit) [ALL]
 * Arthur will set up a meeting to talk about overwhelmingedness
 * Arthur will explore a TPG meeting in SF in mid-Nov