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How to Run Async Sprint Retrospectives for Remote Teams?
How to run async sprint retrospectives for remote teams?
Run async retrospectives by creating a NoteVault template with What Went Well, What Could Improve, and Action Items sections. Share with the team 2 days before sprint end. Team members add comments on their schedule. Consolidate themes, vote async on priorities, and convert top items to improvement tasks on the board. This respects all timezones equally.
Async retrospective timeline
| Day | Activity | Time Required |
|---|---|---|
| Day -2 | Create retro note, share link | 5 min |
| Day -1 | Team adds feedback | 10-15 min each |
| Day 0 | Consolidate themes | 15 min |
| Day +1 | Vote on priorities | 5 min each |
| Day +2 | Create action tasks | 10 min |
NoteVault retrospective template
# Sprint [X] Retrospective
## 🟢 What Went Well
- [Team adds positives here]
## 🟡 What Could Improve
- [Team adds improvements here]
## 🔴 Blockers/Frustrations
- [Team adds problems here]
## 📋 Action Items (from voting)
- [ ] Action 1 - Owner - Due date
- [ ] Action 2 - Owner - Due date
## Previous Sprint Actions Review
- [Did we complete last sprint's actions?]
How to run async retro step-by-step:
- Create NoteVault entry - Use template above
- Share with team - Link in Slack/email, set deadline
- Set contribution limit - Max 3 items per category per person
- Wait for input - Give 24-48 hours
- Consolidate themes - Group similar feedback
- Async voting - Each person gets 3 votes
- Review top voted - Pick 2-3 action items
- Create tasks - Add improvement tasks to board
- Assign owners - Someone accountable for each
- Review next sprint - Check if actions completed
Async vs sync retrospective comparison
| Sync Retro | Async Retro |
|---|---|
| 1 hour meeting | 15-20 min per person |
| One timezone wins | All timezones equal |
| Loudest voices dominate | Equal written input |
| Immediate discussion | Thoughtful responses |
| Quick resolution | Distributed over days |
| Meeting fatigue | Fits individual schedules |
Ensuring retro success
- Follow up on actions - Show feedback matters
- Keep it simple - 3 categories max
- Set deadlines - Clear contribution windows
- Anonymize if needed - Psychological safety
- Limit scope - Only current sprint
- Celebrate wins - Not just problems