Sprint retrospective template

What is a sprint retrospective?

A sprint retrospective is the meeting at the end of a sprint where the team looks at how it worked rather than at what it built. It is one of the Scrum events, and most teams spend 45 to 60 minutes on it for a two week sprint. The goal is simple: find one or two changes that will make the next sprint better, and agree who will make them happen.

What is in the template

• Went well: habits, tools and decisions worth keeping.
• To improve: anything that slowed the team down or caused friction.
• Actions: small, specific changes, each with an owner.

How to run a retrospective with this template

1. Set the stage (2 minutes). Remind everyone that the retro is about the process, not about people. Read out the actions from last time and check whether they happened.
2. Write in silence (5 to 7 minutes). Start a timer. Everyone adds sticky notes to Went well and To improve on their own, one idea per note. Writing first stops the loudest voice from setting the agenda.
3. Read and group (10 minutes). Each person reads their notes aloud. Drag similar notes next to each other.
4. Vote (3 minutes). Give everyone three votes for the To improve notes that matter most.
5. Agree on actions (10 minutes). Discuss the top one or two topics and write each action in the Actions column. Keep actions small enough to finish in the next sprint, and give each one an owner.
6. Close (2 minutes). Ask everyone for one word on how the retro felt, and thank the team.

Example

In the example above, the team was happy that the checkout redesign shipped on time and that pairing on the API cleared bugs quickly. Two things hurt: too many meetings on Wednesday, and stories too big to finish in one sprint. The actions follow directly: split any story over 5 story points, and move the demo to Friday morning.

Tips for better retros

• Limit the team to two or three actions. A long list usually means none of them get done.
• Turn each action into an issue in the next sprint, so it is tracked like any other work.
• Change the format now and then. Start, stop, continue is a good alternative when the columns start to feel routine.
• Keep old boards. Looking back over several retros shows whether the same problem keeps coming back.

Use this template in Starlex

Open a project, go to Notes, then Whiteboards, choose New whiteboard and pick Retrospective. To add it to a board you already have, use the board's ⋯ menu.

• Everyone in the project can work on the board at once, with live cursors and cursor chat.
• Run a timer for silent writing, and use dot voting to choose.
• Turn any sticky note into an issue, or bring real issues onto the board as live cards.
• Export the board as a PNG or SVG image, or embed it in an issue description.