Preparation
01 · Set the sprint scope
- Define clearly what period the retrospective covers: a sprint (1–4 weeks), a project phase, a semester, or a defined work cycle.
- Gather relevant data from the period: velocity metrics, incidents, deliverables completed, team pulse surveys.
02 · Choose a format
- Select the retrospective format based on team maturity, current mood, and what aspect needs most attention (see variants below).
03 · Prepare the space
- A whiteboard or large paper with three columns: What went well / What didn't / What we improve.
- Post-it notes per person, markers, dot stickers for voting on priorities.
- In virtual settings: a shared Miro or Mural board prepared with the chosen format.
04 · Set the tone
- The facilitator opens with the Prime Directive: "Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills, the resources available, and the situation at hand." (Norm Kerth)
- This reframes retrospectives away from blame and toward collective learning.
Step-by-step instructions
1
Check-in (5–10 min)
- Brief opening round: each person shares in one word or sentence how they are arriving to this session.
- This is not optional. How people enter the room shapes what they are able to say in it.
2
Set the stage (5 min)
- Facilitator briefly reviews the sprint scope and any relevant data.
- Restate the Prime Directive and the purpose: this session is about process, not performance evaluation.
3
Generate insights — individual writing (10 min)
- Each person writes silently on post-its: one idea per note, one color per column.
- Three columns: What went well (keep doing) / What didn't work (stop doing) / What we should try (start doing).
- Silent individual writing prevents anchoring: people generate their own observations before being influenced by louder voices.
4
Share and cluster (10–15 min)
- Each person reads their notes aloud and places them on the board. Similar items are grouped together as they emerge.
- No discussion yet — this is a sharing phase, not a debate.
5
Dot vote on priorities (5 min)
- Each person gets 3–5 dot stickers and places them on the clusters they consider most important to address.
- The items with the most votes become the focus of the discussion.
6
Discuss top items (15–20 min)
- The team discusses the 2–3 highest-priority items. Facilitator ensures all voices are heard.
- Key questions: What was happening when this went wrong? What would need to change for this to improve? Who owns this?
7
Define action items (10 min)
- From the discussion, extract 1–3 specific, actionable improvements for the next sprint.
- Each action item must have: a clear description, an owner, and a deadline or next check-in point.
- Fewer actions done well is always better than many actions ignored.
8
Close (5 min)
- Quick appreciation round: each person names one thing they valued about this team or this session.
- Review the action items aloud so everyone leaves with the same understanding of commitments.
Materials
Whiteboard or large paper with columns pre-drawn
Post-it notes in 3 colors (one per column) and markers
Dot stickers for voting (3–5 per person)
Timer visible to the group
Optional: printed Prime Directive card for the facilitator
Practical recommendations
The same team running the same format every sprint will stagnate. Rotate formats to keep the session fresh and surface different kinds of insights.
Track action items from previous retros at the start of each new one. If the same items appear repeatedly, they are systemic issues — not post-it problems.
If the team is new or has low psychological safety, start with anonymous input (sticky notes written before sharing aloud) and formats that focus on systems, not people.
The facilitator should not be a senior figure with authority over the team — their presence changes what people say. A neutral facilitator or rotating facilitation works better.
For non-tech teams: the word "sprint" can be replaced with "cycle," "period," "project phase," "semester," or whatever unit the team uses.
Inspiration
Popular retrospective formats:
- Start / Stop / Continue: The classic. Simple to facilitate and effective for most teams. What should we start doing? Stop doing? Keep doing?
- 4Ls (Liked / Learned / Lacked / Longed for): Richer than Start-Stop-Continue. Surfaces learning and emotional experience alongside process observations.
- Sailboat / Speedboat: Metaphorical format. What is our wind (what drives us forward)? What is our anchor (what holds us back)? What rocks are in our path (risks)?
- Mad / Sad / Glad: Emotionally accessible format ideal for teams with lower process maturity. Centers feelings as legitimate data.
- DAKI (Drop / Add / Keep / Improve): More granular than Start-Stop-Continue. Distinguishes between "keep exactly as is" and "keep but improve."
- 5 Whys retrospective: The team selects one key problem and asks "Why?" five times to surface root causes rather than symptoms.
- Education: A class runs a retrospective at the end of each unit: what helped us learn? What got in the way? What do we want to try differently next unit?
- Community organizations: After each major event or campaign, the team reflects on execution, collaboration, and impact before planning the next cycle.
- Social projects: NGOs and collectives use adapted retrospectives to strengthen team culture and avoid repeating organizational patterns that undermine their mission.
Consulted sources
- Schwaber, K. & Sutherland, J. (2020). The Scrum Guide. Scrum.org.
- Derby, E. & Larsen, D. (2006). Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great. Pragmatic Bookshelf.
- Kerth, N. L. (2001). Project Retrospectives: A Handbook for Team Reviews. Dorset House.
- Hohmann, L. (2007). Innovation Games: Creating Breakthrough Products Through Collaborative Play. Addison-Wesley.
