An agile retrospective is a meeting held at the end of a project cycle, or sprint, for the team to reflect on its recent work. It is a recurring event within agile project management aimed at fostering continuous improvement. The meeting provides a structured opportunity for the team to examine its performance, processes, and collaboration by discussing what went well and what could be improved. This allows teams to adapt their methods for future sprints.
The Purpose of an Agile Retrospective
The primary goal of an agile retrospective is to drive continuous improvement through inspection and adaptation. Teams examine the completed sprint to identify strengths and weaknesses in their workflow, tools, and interactions. The process is not about assigning blame but about collectively finding solutions to prevent issues from recurring. The outcome is a set of actionable steps the team commits to implementing in the next sprint.
This iterative nature distinguishes retrospectives from traditional project post-mortems, which occur only once at a project’s conclusion. A retrospective is a forward-looking ceremony that happens regularly, often every two weeks. This frequency allows teams to make small, incremental adjustments, leading to greater efficiency and stronger team cohesion. The focus remains on improving team practices and the project, not on individual performance.
Preparing for the Retrospective
Productive retrospectives require preparation. First, schedule the meeting when the entire team can be present, as full participation is needed to gather diverse perspectives. A neutral facilitator, often a Scrum Master or team lead, should also be chosen to guide the discussion and ensure everyone feels comfortable sharing openly.
The facilitator selects a format to structure the feedback, choosing one based on the team’s current dynamics or recent challenges. The necessary tools must also be gathered, such as a physical whiteboard with sticky notes or a digital collaboration board. Preparing these elements in advance helps establish a safe space from the start of the meeting.
The Five Stages of a Retrospective
The first stage is to Set the Stage. The facilitator welcomes everyone, states the meeting’s goal, and establishes ground rules. This includes the Prime Directive: the belief that everyone did the best job they could given the circumstances. This phase creates a safe environment where team members feel empowered to contribute honestly.
Next, the team proceeds to Gather Data. The objective is to create a shared picture of the sprint by collecting facts and feelings. A specific retrospective format is used to prompt team members to recall events, metrics, and emotions. Participants write their thoughts on sticky notes to ensure all voices are heard, compiling data that reflects the team’s collective experience.
The third stage is to Generate Insights. The team analyzes the collected information to identify patterns, themes, and root causes. The facilitator guides the discussion, encouraging the team to dig deeper into why certain events occurred. This step moves beyond listing events to understanding the underlying factors behind successes and challenges.
In the fourth stage, Decide What to Do, the team translates insights into action. The group brainstorms improvements based on the identified patterns and root causes. From this list, the team selects a small number of concrete, actionable items to focus on in the next sprint. This ensures the team commits to achievable changes without being overwhelmed.
The final stage is to Close the Retrospective. The facilitator summarizes the discussion points and the action items the team has agreed upon. This is also an opportunity to appreciate the team’s engagement, and a simple closing activity like a round of thank-yous can end the session on a positive note.
Popular Retrospective Formats
Different formats can be used during the “Gather Data” stage to guide reflection. Varying the format from one retrospective to the next can also keep the meetings engaging.
- Start, Stop, ContinueOne of the most straightforward formats is Start, Stop, Continue. Team members brainstorm ideas for three categories: what the team should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing. This method is effective because it directly encourages thinking in terms of actionable behaviors.
- Mad, Sad, GladThis format focuses on the team’s emotional journey. Participants share what events made them feel angry, disappointed, or happy. This technique helps surface underlying frustrations or sources of satisfaction that might not emerge from a process-focused discussion.
- The 4 Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For)This format encourages a well-rounded discussion by asking the team to reflect on what they Liked, Learned, Lacked, and Longed For. “Liked” captures positives, “Learned” focuses on new knowledge, “Lacked” identifies missing resources, and “Longed For” uncovers desires for different tools or processes.
- Starfish RetrospectiveA more nuanced format is the Starfish Retrospective, which uses five prompts: Keep Doing, More Of, Less Of, Start Doing, and Stop Doing. This structure allows for detailed feedback, as “More Of” and “Less Of” suggest adjustments to existing practices without stopping them entirely. This format encourages deeper analysis of which activities are valuable and how their frequency could be optimized.
Post-Retrospective Actions
To ensure the discussion leads to improvements, each action item identified must be assigned a clear owner. This accountability is necessary for translating decisions into practice. These items must also be made visible to the entire team by adding them to the product backlog or a task board where they can be tracked.
The progress of these action items should be reviewed at the beginning of the next retrospective. This step closes the continuous improvement loop, allowing the team to assess whether the changes were effective and hold themselves accountable. Consistently following up ensures that retrospectives drive meaningful change.