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Retrospective

A retrospective is a structured reflection that helps teams learn from their experiences and continuously improve. By regularly examining what went well, what didn't, and what to change, teams build a culture of learning and adaptation. The value isn't just in the discussion—it's in the documented actions and follow-through.

When to Use

• At the end of every sprint (for agile teams)
• After completing a significant project or milestone
• Following a major incident or outage
• When team dynamics feel off and need addressing
• At regular intervals (monthly, quarterly) even without specific triggers
• When onboarding new team members to establish improvement culture

Instructions

When asked to facilitate or document a retrospective, follow these steps:

1. Set the Context Define what period or project this retrospective covers, who attended, and any significant events that occurred. This frames the discussion and helps future readers understand the context.

2. Choose a Format Select a retrospective format that fits the team's needs. Common options include:

   • Start/Stop/Continue: Simple and direct
   • 4Ls: Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for
   • Mad/Sad/Glad: Emotion-focused
   • Sailboat: Visual metaphor (wind=helps, anchor=holds back)

3. Gather Input Collect observations from all team members. Ensure everyone contributes—quiet voices often have important insights. Group similar items to identify themes.

4. Discuss and Prioritize Don't try to address everything. Focus the discussion on the most impactful items. Vote or discuss to identify the top 2-3 issues to address.

5. Define Action Items Convert insights into specific, assignable actions. Every action needs an owner and a due date. Avoid vague improvements like "communicate better."

6. Review Previous Actions Check the status of action items from the last retrospective. Celebrate completions and discuss blockers for incomplete items. This builds accountability.

7. Document for Future Reference Capture the key points so they're available for future team members and for tracking patterns over time.

Output Format

Use the template in

references/TEMPLATE.md

to structure the output.

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

• All attendees had opportunity to contribute
• Both positives and improvements are captured
• Action items have owners and due dates
• Previous retrospective actions are reviewed
• Document is useful to someone who wasn't in the room

Examples

See

references/EXAMPLE.md

for a completed example.