Is the Retro session only for the Dev team and the Product Owner?

The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. ... The Scrum Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it encountered, and how those problems were (or were not) solved.

If an individual can make personal changes to help the team increase quality and effectiveness, then this would be a valid discussion for the Sprint Retrospective. If the services that the Scrum Master provides, such as coaching the team, causing impediments to be removed, or facilitating events, aren't meeting the needs of the team, this is something that can and should be addressed at a Sprint Retrospective.

However, when giving feedback on an individual's performance, you may want to consider the ramifications of doing that in a larger venue. Especially if there is a lot of agreement, this could make a person feel like they are being teamed up against. It could be better to approach individual issues in a more private setting rather than with the entire team.

Everyone on the Scrum Team - the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers - should be participating in the Sprint Retrospective by inspecting how the last Sprint went and identifying problems and opportunities for improvement.

Thanks Thomas for your response. My reality is to be in a Scrum team where I am the only foreigner and with a team with square mentality (Germans). There is no escape. The Scrum Master is not neutral and seeking for confrontations with me.

Agree with everything Thomas shared.

As mentioned above, everyone on the Scrum Team is expected to attend and participate in Sprint Retrospective. This includes the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master does not need to be the one who facilitates Retrospective. You or others on the team could do this. A technique you could consider trying is the Liberating Structure of "What I Need from You - WINFY": https://www.liberatingstructures.com/24-what-i-need-from-you-winfy/ This is a powerful structure that allows people to improve how they ask each other for what they need to be successful. Instead of "you are not doing this" it becomes an invitation or request for help framed as "what I need from you". I have found this to be a very effective technique. I believe Miro has a WINFY template you could leverage. 

Outside of Retrospective (or during), it may be a good opportunity to revisit team agreements and alignment to Scrum Values. Are we Respecting each other as capable individuals comes to mind given some of the scenarios you have been sharing. Thoughts?

>>Thanks Thomas for your response. My reality is to be in a Scrum team where I am the only foreigner and with a >>team with square mentality (Germans). There is no escape. The Scrum Master is not neutral and seeking for >>confrontations with me.

As a developer once I had problems with a P.O,several wrong requirements existed in the backlog,not because of uncertainty but because She did not know the product area,and was not able to extract of the stake holders needed ,in other words It was a huge mistake of the company to turn her a P.O.,so rewriting took a lot of the time of the Squad.People sometimes confuse Fail fast to Don´t give attention to the requirements, The Scrum Master agreed with my point of view, the P.O took it as a riot,so she came to the boss and complained.

They moved me to another Squad,and tree sprints after she was replaced, with the new P.O the velocity burst.

What Iḿ saying is that nobodyś point of view survives from Reality check for a long time, one has some options:To be resilient, to see what you can change in yourself,or to move to another challenge.

Is it also valid to speak up and point out what’s not working with the Scrum Master during a retro session?

It might be better to highlight the actual problems caused. Focus on the problem, not the person: wonder about what you are seeing. Be vulnerable and ask for other team members' advice. 

Hi everyone,

In the Retro sessions at my current company, I’ve noticed that most of the feedback comes from the Development Team and me, the Product Owner. But no one ever brings up anything related to the Scrum Master — even though she’s the one organizing the sessions.

So, what is a Retrospective really for? Is it also okay to bring up concerns about the Scrum Master during the Retro?

She sets up a Miro board for us to share improvement suggestions, but she doesn’t actually participate herself.

Also, am I — as a Product Owner — required to take part in these sessions?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

— Anne Sunny

The entire Scrum Team participates in the retrospective as equals, including the Scrum Master and Product Owner.

According to the Scrum Guide, the purpose of the retrospective is to inspect how the last Sprint went. It does not suggest a focus on blame or personal criticism. To point out, the common "what went wrong" section (often symbolised with a sad emoji) is not explicitly part of Scrum and can sometimes lead to unproductive finger-pointing if not handled carefully.

Retrospectives is about foster open, honest discussions, but it does not mean seeking confrontation. If a team member is consistently critical and appears unwilling to accept feedback themselves, it can create a negative team environment. Retrospectives is not about finger-pointing, but about open discussion and collaboration to improve the team's processes. The whole Scrum Team shares collective responsibility for outcomes. When a problem occurs, it is to explore how each team member can contribute to a solution. Any problem is usually the result of a sequence of events, where multiple steps were missed.