TOOL: Dialogue Sheets - they're free, they're fabulous (...for team communication improvement)!

Toolkit Project Sheets and Cards
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Dialogue Sheets are offered as a free download for you to “print at home” - although printing the A1 size sheet can be a challenge.

Alternatively you can buy a printed version from Agile Stationery, use the code Web10 for a 10% discount off the regular price.

Sprint Retrospective

Printed sheets are available from Agile Stationery, use the code Web10 for a 10% discount off the regular price.

Flexible time period T1 sheet

T3 Retrospective sheet with fishbone analysis

T4 Follow up Retrospective sheet

Used for second or later retrospective; continue by asking for actions from the previous retrospective. (Almost no software language.)

Other dialogue sheets

Customer thinking: A sheet to help teams - including product managers and owners - think about their customers and what the customers want.

Agile action planning - used to finish an Agile training course and ensure the team put learning into action.

Agile Kick-Off: For teams new to Agile working, helps ensure they have all the pieces in place.

Iteration planning: guide teams through planning meetings.

Often given to new teams, and teams new to Agile, to help them through the first few planning meetings.

This is sometimes called the Xanpan planning sheet because it was designed to match the chapter on planning meetings in the Xanpan book.

BACKGROUND

Dialogue sheets are a technique invented in Stockholm at the Royal Institute for Technology, KTH. The intention is to promote good conversation and can be used for a variety of discussion based activities.

I learned the dialogue sheet technique from Bayes Business School (which was called Cass at the time) and developed the idea to produce a series of dialogue sheets which can be used by teams for retrospectives, Agile Kick-off and team discussions.

“Just to let you know we completed our first wash up using your retro’ boards. Feedback from the group on the format was well liked, the MD loved them, and wants to use them to decorate some shared spaces in the building! Most pleasing bit for me was that after the session, we spontaneously wanted to sign them for prosperity, that’s got to be a good sign! Bravo!” Andy Bartlett, Worlds Apart

Retrospective Dialogue Sheets are now in use with many teams at companies and organisations including: Microsoft, ThoughtWorks, Siemens, Motorola Mobility, Alcatel-Lucent, Aricent Group, Sage, Rail Inc, Penrillian, 1e, App Folio Property Management, Amgen, Idaho State Government (Health & Welfare Dept), Victoria University, New Zealand and many more.

“Because of the time difference I had the Bangalore team work their sheet while they were in their office, and I was sleeping. While the team here divided into 2 groups and worked independently I left the room and had a debrief with the Bangalore team. … I was a bit nervous about trying something new with but the energy in the room was tremendous. In fact I had several people tell me it was the best retrospective they have had in years.” Gail Fishman, Siemens Medical Solutions USA.

Dialogues Sheets Explained

A dialogue sheet itself is a large, A1 or similar size, piece of paper which is decorated with questions, quotes, illustrations and space for thinking. The questions on the sheet serve to guide the team through the dialogue sheet process and focus thinking on the subject of the dialogue sheet. Typically a team of 3 to 8 will spend between one and two hours working the sheet. They will normally record their thoughts, comments and observations directly onto the sheet. At the end of the exercise the sheet may be retained for future reference, hung on a wall, photographed or any one other anything else which the team find helpful. I initially developed a series of dialogue sheets for retrospectives. These are available for free from as PDF files. To successfully use the dialogue sheet it will need printing. Since few companies have an A1 sized printer this can be difficult and requires the help of a print shop.

“Team members found the approach novel and enjoyable, keeping them engaged and interested in the retrospective.” Team member, Nature.com
The success of the retrospective dialogue sheets has led to the creation of several sheet for us in team discussions or kick-off meetings. For example, the Agile Kick-Off sheet is intended for teams which are embarking on Agile working. This sheet provides all team members an opportunity to talk about what they like (and don’t like) about Agile and which practices they wish to adopt.
“We’re a team that has run over 50 retrospectives. We like dialogue sheets because they take us in new directions and help provide fresh perspectives and insights.” Ed Sykes, Senior Software Engineer, 1e Ltd.

What People Say

Some interesting write-ups in publications:

“Your dialogue sheet has been a powerful tool in helping our newer team members to get their input heard and visible. Before we used your sheet, it was becoming an issue for the retrospectives that we weren’t really always getting to root cause or even getting visibility to all the issues that impacted our sprint. Your dialogue sheets have enabled us to build in an easy way to get everyone involved in the retrospective.”

Mike Wickham, Department of Health & Welfare, Idaho State Government

Watch the video: Ed Sykes mounted a Dialogue Sheet behind glass and erased it after each retrospective.

“It was a new way of doing the retrospective …I have the impression that this gives energy to the team.” Scrum Master, Alcatel-Lucent