Templates · Essentials

Went well, To improve, Action ideas

A plain look back at the sprint that ends with steps the team commits to.

What it is

Three columns in the plainest order a retrospective can take: what worked, what did not, what to do about it. The first two look back at the sprint. The third looks forward and holds proposals, not observations.

Goal

A short list of steps, each with an owner and a date, that answer problems the team named itself. The team also leaves knowing which of its habits are worth keeping on purpose.

When to use it

• As the first format of a team that has never run a retrospective: the columns need no explanation.
• For a regular sprint with no particular event to examine.
• When time is short and the meeting has to end on decisions.
• With guests or newcomers, who can contribute without learning a metaphor.

When to pick another format

Used every sprint, it ends up producing the same cards. Change the question when that happens: Starfish asks how much of each practice the team wants, and Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for brings out what people learned. If the room is tense and feelings have to come first, take Mad, Sad, Glad.

How to run it

1. Went well: ask what worked and is worth repeating on purpose. Push for the cause, not only the result: what did the team do that made the release calm?
2. To improve: ask where the team lost momentum. Say before anyone writes that the column is for problems, not people.
3. Action ideas: ask for concrete steps. A good card here is something one person could start tomorrow.

Group the cards that say the same thing, vote, and discuss the most voted problems first. For each one, look in Action ideas for a step that answers it, or agree on one together. Keep few actions, and give each an owner and a date before you close.

Columns

To start a retrospective from this template, see Create a retro.