Running Effective Sprint Retrospectives

Retrospectives are the engine of continuous improvement. But they're often done poorly—venting sessions that produce no change, or ignored rituals that feel like waste. Effective retros surface real issues, generate specific actions, and actually improve how the team works.

Retro Problems

Preparation

Before the Retro

RETROSPECTIVE PREPARATION
═════════════════════════

FACILITATOR TASKS:
─────────────────────────────────────
□ Choose format (see formats below)
□ Book room/video call
□ Prepare materials (board, stickies)
□ Review previous actions
□ Gather sprint metrics
□ Send pre-work if applicable
□ Time: 60-90 min for 2-week sprint

DATA TO REVIEW:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Sprint goal: Achieved? Why/why not?
├── Velocity: As expected?
├── Items completed vs. committed
├── Bugs introduced
├── Blockers encountered
├── Team mood (informal pulse)
└── Previous retro actions: Done?

PRE-WORK OPTION:
─────────────────────────────────────
Send ahead of time:
"Before retro, add thoughts to:
- What went well
- What could improve
- Ideas to try

Anonymous form: [link]"

Benefits:
├── Introverts can prepare
├── More thoughtful input
├── Faster in-meeting discussion
└── Anonymous option for safety

Running the Retro

Core Structure

RETROSPECTIVE STRUCTURE (60 MIN)
════════════════════════════════

0-5 MIN: OPENING
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Check-in (how's everyone feeling?)
├── Review previous actions
│   ├── Action 1: Done ✓
│   ├── Action 2: In progress ⏳
│   └── Action 3: Not started ✗ (discuss why)
├── State ground rules
└── Prime the pump: "Vegas rules - honest feedback"

5-25 MIN: GATHER DATA
─────────────────────────────────────
(See formats below)
├── What went well? (positives)
├── What didn't? (challenges)
├── What to try? (ideas)
└── Silent writing, then share

25-45 MIN: GENERATE INSIGHTS
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Group similar items
├── Dot-vote on priorities
├── Discuss top 3-5 items
├── Root cause analysis
└── "Why did this happen?"

45-55 MIN: DECIDE ACTIONS
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Convert insights to actions
├── SMART: Specific, Measurable
├── Assign owner to each
├── Due date (usually next retro)
├── MAX 2-3 ACTIONS (focus!)
└── Record in visible place

55-60 MIN: CLOSE
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Summarize decisions
├── Any final thoughts?
├── Check-out: "One word for how you feel"
├── Thank the team
└── Document and share notes

Facilitation Tips

FACILITATION BEST PRACTICES
═══════════════════════════

CREATE SAFETY:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── "This is a safe space for honest feedback"
├── "We critique process, not people"
├── "No blame, no shame"
├── "What happens here stays here"
├── Facilitator models vulnerability first
└── Anonymous options for sensitive topics

MANAGE DYNAMICS:
─────────────────────────────────────
If one person dominates:
├── "Thanks, Mike. Let's hear from others."
├── Use round-robin: everyone speaks once
├── Silent writing before discussion

If silence:
├── "I'll wait."
├── Ask specific prompts
├── "What's one thing that frustrated you?"
├── Smaller breakout groups

If venting/negativity:
├── Acknowledge the feeling
├── "What would improvement look like?"
├── Redirect to actionable
└── "What can WE change?"

If blame emerges:
├── "Let's focus on system, not individuals"
├── "What process allowed this?"
├── "How do we prevent next time?"
└── Protect individuals

TIMEBOX STRICTLY:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── "We have 5 more minutes on this topic"
├── Use visible timer
├── Move on even if not resolved
├── Deep issues: Schedule follow-up
└── Respect people's time

Formats

Popular Retro Formats

FORMAT: START/STOP/CONTINUE
═══════════════════════════

STRUCTURE:
─────────────────────────────────────
START: What should we begin doing?
STOP: What should we stop doing?
CONTINUE: What's working, keep doing?

COLUMNS:
┌─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┐
│   START     │    STOP     │  CONTINUE   │
├─────────────┼─────────────┼─────────────┤
│ Daily       │ Long        │ Pair        │
│ pairing     │ meetings    │ programming │
│             │             │             │
│ Better      │ Scope       │ Friday      │
│ testing     │ creep       │ demos       │
└─────────────┴─────────────┴─────────────┘

Good for: Simple, first retros, action-oriented


FORMAT: 4 L's
═════════════

STRUCTURE:
─────────────────────────────────────
LIKED: What did we like?
LEARNED: What did we learn?
LACKED: What did we lack?
LONGED FOR: What did we wish for?

Good for: Learning-focused teams


FORMAT: SAILBOAT
════════════════

VISUAL:
─────────────────────────────────────
     ⛵ → [Goal Island]
     |
 ⚓ Anchors (holding us back)
 💨 Wind (pushing us forward)
 🪨 Rocks (risks ahead)
 ☀️ Sun (what makes us happy)

STRUCTURE:
├── Goal: Where are we going?
├── Wind: What's helping us?
├── Anchors: What's slowing us?
├── Rocks: What risks do we see?
└── Sun: What do we appreciate?

Good for: Visual teams, variety


FORMAT: MAD/SAD/GLAD
════════════════════

STRUCTURE:
─────────────────────────────────────
MAD: What made you angry/frustrated?
SAD: What disappointed you?
GLAD: What made you happy?

Good for: Emotional check-in, morale focus

Action Items

From Discussion to Action

CREATING EFFECTIVE ACTIONS
══════════════════════════

BAD ACTION:
─────────────────────────────────────
"Improve communication"
├── Too vague
├── No owner
├── No deadline
├── No measure of success
└── Will never happen

GOOD ACTION:
─────────────────────────────────────
"Sarah will set up async standup in Slack
by Friday. Team posts daily by 10 AM.
Review effectiveness at next retro."
├── Specific task
├── Owner assigned
├── Deadline clear
├── Measurable outcome
└── Follow-up scheduled

SMART CRITERIA:
─────────────────────────────────────
S - Specific: Clear action
M - Measurable: Know when done
A - Assignable: Owner named
R - Realistic: Actually achievable
T - Time-bound: Deadline set

LIMIT ACTIONS:
─────────────────────────────────────
Max 2-3 actions per retro.
Better to do 2 well than 5 poorly.
More = nothing gets done.

Follow-Through

ENSURING ACTION COMPLETION
══════════════════════════

TRACKING IN GITSCRUM:
─────────────────────────────────────
Create task for each action:
├── Project: Team Improvements
├── Title: [Action description]
├── Assignee: [Owner]
├── Due: [Before next retro]
├── Label: retro-action
└── Visible on board

NEXT RETRO REVIEW:
─────────────────────────────────────
Start every retro with:
"Last retro we committed to:
1. ✓ Async standups - Done, working well
2. ⏳ Reduce meetings - In progress
3. ✗ Document decisions - Not started

Why wasn't #3 done? Deprioritized?
Do we still want to do it?"

CELEBRATE COMPLETION:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Acknowledge done items
├── Thank the owner
├── Note the improvement
└── Builds momentum

ADDRESS NON-COMPLETION:
─────────────────────────────────────
If actions consistently not done:
├── Are they realistic?
├── Are they prioritized?
├── Is there accountability?
├── Does leadership support?
└── Discuss the meta-problem

Remote Retros

Virtual Retrospectives

REMOTE RETRO TOOLS
══════════════════

TOOLS:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Miro/Mural: Virtual whiteboard
├── FigJam: Collaborative canvas
├── Retrium: Purpose-built retro tool
├── Trello: Simple column board
├── Google Jamboard: Free option
└── GitScrum NoteVault: Document outcomes

REMOTE ADAPTATIONS:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Video on (if possible)
├── Extra check-ins for engagement
├── Use reaction emojis
├── Breakout rooms for small groups
├── Anonymous input more important
├── Timer visible for all
├── Screen share the board
└── Record for absent members

ASYNC RETRO OPTION:
─────────────────────────────────────
For distributed teams:
Day 1: Add items to board (async)
Day 2: Vote on items (async)
Day 3: 30-min sync to discuss top items
Result: Less meeting time, more thoughtful

Best Practices

For Retrospectives

1. Never skip — Consistency builds habit
2. Limit actions — 2-3 max per retro
3. Assign owners — Unowned = undone
4. Follow up — Start with previous actions
5. Vary formats — Prevent stagnation

Anti-Patterns

RETROSPECTIVE MISTAKES:
✗ Skipping retros for "real work"
✗ Manager dominates discussion
✗ No psychological safety
✗ Too many actions (nothing done)
✗ No follow-up on actions
✗ Same format every time (boring)
✗ Blame individuals
✗ No data, just feelings

Related Solutions

• Data-driven sprint retrospectives
• Managing sprint retrospectives
• Improving team collaboration with GitScrum