Transparency vs. 'Saving Face':

The Cultural Challenge of the Sprint Retrospective in Malaysia

SMC SPOC - Sharma Management International - Scrum Master Certification (SMC) | Scrum Product Owner Certified (SPOC®)

The Sprint Retrospective is arguably the most vital event in Scrum. It is the dedicated time for the team to stop, inspect their process, and adapt to improve how they work. The core goal is transparency and honest reflection.

However, in many organizations across Malaysia, particularly those with a traditional or high-power-distance culture, the Retrospective often falls flat.

The Quiet Room:
When "Everything Is Fine" Is a Red Flag

If your Retrospective sounds like this:

Scrum Master: "So, what could we improve this Sprint?"
Team: (Silence, a few shuffles)
Team Member A: "Everything was fine. We finished the work."

...you are likely facing the "Saving Face" phenomenon. This reluctance to speak up is not due to a lack of issues, but often stems from a deep-seated cultural discomfort with:

Confrontation: Raising a problem might be seen as publicly challenging a colleague, a functional manager, or even the process set by management.
Perceived Disrespect: In a hierarchical environment, junior staff may fear that critiquing a process or raising an issue is seen as disrespectful to the person who established it.
Fear of Blame: Nobody wants to be the one to point out a flaw, only to have the blame for the flaw assigned back to them.

When this happens, the Retrospective is a waste of time. Critical issues are swept under the rug, and the team misses the opportunity to truly become more efficient and self-managing. The real problems only surface when a major failure or production bug forces management's hand.

Creating Psychological Safety in a High-Power-Distance Culture

The Scrum Master's primary job in the Retrospective is to cultivate psychological safety. He/she creates an environment where the team feels safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of punishment. This is particularly challenging in a culture where hierarchy is deeply valued.

The solution is to decouple the feedback from the individual.

Anonymous Feedback: The Bridge to Honesty

The most effective way to start is by introducing anonymity. This allows team members to be truly transparent without the fear of social or professional repercussions:

Digital Tools: Use online collaborative whiteboards (like Miro or Mural) or simple polling tools. Set up columns for "What went well," "What to stop," and "What to start," and instruct everyone to use anonymous sticky notes. The Scrum Master should then read out the notes without knowing or revealing the author.
Written Notes: For low-tech teams, simply hand out small pieces of paper and pens. Ask the team to write down their feedback and drop the notes into a box or hat. The Scrum Master then reads them aloud. This ritual removes the immediate fear of being identified.

The focus shifts from "Who said this?" to "What can we do about this?"

Key Takeaway:
Focus on the System, Not the Person

A good Retrospective focuses on system and process improvement, never on individual failures. Blame is toxic; inspection is productive. As an experienced Scrum Master, you must become the guardian of this principle.

Actionable Retrospective Formats for Malaysian Teams:

Instead of simply asking, "What went wrong?" which invites individual critiques, use formats that channel feedback into process analysis:

The Sailboat Retrospective:

The Sail: What drove us forward? (Focus on successes and strengths.)
The Anchor: What is slowing us down? (Focus on process impediments, like bureaucratic approvals or unclear requirements.)
The Reefs: What risks did we see? (Focus on preventing future systemic failures.)
Why it works: It's visually engaging, non-threatening, and frames problems as external forces (anchors, reefs) that are holding the whole boat back.

Start, Stop, Continue:

Start: What new practice or tool should we introduce?
Stop: What wasteful activity or flawed process should we eliminate?
Continue: What is working well that we must keep doing?
Why it works: It forces the team to generate actionable next steps instead of just complaining. The discussion is focused on the future process, not the past fault.

Mad, Sad, Glad:

Mad: What made us angry or frustrated? (Focus on roadblocks.)
Sad: What disappointed us? (Focus on missed opportunities or poor quality.)
Glad: What were we happy about? (Focus on team successes.)
Why it works: It validates team emotions, making them feel heard, and turns those feelings into categories for process analysis.

By consistently applying structured formats and tools that guarantee anonymity, the Scrum Master can slowly and respectfully break down cultural barriers, transforming the quiet room into a dynamic engine for continuous improvement. Remember: Scrum's success is not about following rules; it's about fostering courage and transparency.