Retrospective Lab

Retrospective templates

45 proven formats — pick one that fits your team and your sprint, then tweak it as needed.

Start, Stop, Continue

Classic and simple: what to start, what to stop and what to keep doing.

StartStopContinueActions

Best for

  • New teams
  • Quick retros
  • Concrete next steps

Went well / Could be better / Actions

What went well, what could be better and which actions we will take next.

Went wellCould be betterAction itemsActions

Best for

  • Beginners
  • Balanced reflection
  • Action focus

Mad, Sad, Glad

A retrospective focused on feelings and emotions.

MadSadGladActions

Best for

  • Team morale
  • Emotional check-in
  • Conflict surfacing

4 Ls

Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for.

LikedLearnedLackedLonged forActions

Best for

  • Learning focus
  • Mature teams
  • Deeper insights

Sailboat

Wind, anchors, rocks and the island — a metaphor for your sprint.

Wind (helps us)Anchors (slows us down)Rocks (risks)Island (our goal)Actions

Best for

  • Goal alignment
  • Risk surfacing
  • Visual thinkers

Starfish

More of, less of, keep doing, start doing and stop doing.

More ofLess ofKeep doingStart doingStop doingActions

Best for

  • Fine-tuning
  • Process improvement
  • Mature teams

DAKI

Drop, Add, Keep, Improve — concrete and action-oriented.

DropAddKeepImproveActions

Best for

  • Action focus
  • Process changes
  • Decisive teams

Plus / Delta

What went well and what you would change.

PlusDeltaActions

Best for

  • Time-boxed retros
  • Quick check-ins
  • Simplicity

Three Little Pigs

Straw, sticks or bricks — how sturdy is the work we delivered?

House of strawHouse of sticksHouse of bricksThe big bad wolfActions

Best for

  • Quality focus
  • Technical debt
  • Playful tone

Hot Air Balloon

What lifts us up and what holds us back?

Hot air (helps)Sandbags (slows us down)Good weather (opportunities)Storms (threats)Actions

Best for

  • SWOT-style thinking
  • Strategic retros
  • Visual thinkers

KALM

Keep, Add, Less, More.

KeepAddLessMoreActions

Best for

  • Fine-tuning
  • Calm reflection
  • Mature teams

WRAP

Wishes, Risks, Appreciations, Puzzles.

WishesRisksAppreciationsPuzzlesActions

Best for

  • Mid-project review
  • Team appreciation
  • Risk surfacing

KISS

Keep, Improve, Start, Stop.

KeepImproveStartStopActions

Best for

  • Simplicity
  • Action focus
  • Recurring retros

Six Thinking Hats

Reflect from six perspectives — Edward de Bono's classic method.

White (facts)Red (feelings)Black (risks)Yellow (benefits)Green (creativity)Blue (process)Actions

Best for

  • Deep analysis
  • Complex problems
  • Diverse perspectives

PMI

Plus, Minus, Interesting — another Edward de Bono thinking strategy.

PlusMinusInterestingActions

Best for

  • Decision review
  • Balanced analysis
  • Quick retros

Roses, Buds & Thorns

What blooms, what is sprouting, and what is prickly?

Roses (beautiful)Buds (potential)Thorns (challenges)Actions

Best for

  • Creative teams
  • Growth focus
  • Light tone

ESVP

Check-in: how is everyone arriving at the retrospective today?

ExplorerShopperVacationerPrisonerActions

Best for

  • Opening check-in
  • Team mood
  • Psychological safety

Highlights & Lowlights

The highlights and lowlights of the sprint.

HighlightsLowlightsAction itemsActions

Best for

  • Storytelling
  • Quick recap
  • Mixed audiences

Open the Box

What do we keep, toss, add or replace?

KeepTossAddReplaceActions

Best for

  • Process changes
  • Tool review
  • Spring cleaning

Car retrospective

Engine, fuel, brakes and navigation as a team metaphor.

Engine (drive)Fuel (energy)Brakes (slowing us down)Navigation (direction)Actions

Best for

  • Team energy
  • Direction-setting
  • Visual thinkers

Disney method

Look at your sprint as a dreamer, then a realist, then a critic.

DreamerRealistCriticActions

Best for

  • Creative thinking
  • Idea generation
  • Strategic reviews

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

A cinematic take on what happened.

The GoodThe BadThe UglyActions

Best for

  • Light tone
  • Honest feedback
  • Storytelling

Continuous Improvement

Continue, improve or stop — simple and action-oriented.

ContinueImproveStopActions

Best for

  • Recurring retros
  • Process tuning
  • Action focus

Movie ratings

Rate the sprint like it was a movie.

5 stars1 starCliffhangersActions

Best for

  • Playful tone
  • Quick recap
  • Engaging teams

Pirate retrospective

Yarr! Arr… and the treasure chest.

Yarr! (wins)Arr… (failures)Treasure chest (discoveries)Actions

Best for

  • Fun tone
  • Team bonding
  • Energy boost

Garden retrospective

Plant, bloom, weed, harvest.

Seeds (ideas)Blooming (successes)Weeds (to remove)Harvest (results)Actions

Best for

  • Growth focus
  • Long-term thinking
  • Creative teams

Lighthouse

What gives light, what is a rock, and what is safe harbour?

Beam (helps us)Rocks (danger)Safe harbour (success)Fog (unclear)Actions

Best for

  • Risk surfacing
  • Direction-setting
  • Visual metaphor

Mountain climber

From base camp through the climb to the summit — and watch out for avalanches.

Base camp (start)The climb (progress)Summit (success)Avalanche (risk)Actions

Best for

  • Milestone retros
  • Goal-oriented
  • Adventure metaphor

Submarine

What do we see above and below the water?

Above waterPeriscope (opportunities)Crew (team)Treasure (discoveries)Actions

Best for

  • Hidden issues
  • Deep diving
  • Visual thinkers

4 Quadrants

What went well, what could be better, what surprised us, what worried us.

Did wellCould be betterSurprised meWorried meActions

Best for

  • Balanced reflection
  • Surfacing surprises
  • Mature teams

Race car

Engine, brakes, pit-stop and finish line — what accelerates and what slows you down?

Engine (power)Brakes (slows us)Pit-stop (improvements)Finish line (goal)Actions

Best for

  • Performance focus
  • Speed & flow
  • Visual metaphor

Compass

Four directions for reflection on direction, values and focus.

North (direction)South (values)East (exploration)West (closure)Actions

Best for

  • Values alignment
  • Strategic retros
  • Reflective teams

Superheroes

What are our strengths, our kryptonite and our sidekicks?

PowersKryptoniteSidekicksActions

Best for

  • Team strengths
  • Fun tone
  • Bonding

Star Wars

The light and dark sides of the sprint, and what the Force is driving.

Light sideDark sideThe Force (energy)Actions

Best for

  • Fun tone
  • Cultural reference
  • Energy boost

Christmas tree

Lights, decorations, gifts — and some lumps of coal.

Lights (highlights)Decorations (extras)Gifts (value)Coal (to improve)Actions

Best for

  • End of year
  • Festive tone
  • Year-in-review

Music

Highs, lows, solos and the chorus.

HighsLowsSolos (standouts)Chorus (recurring theme)Actions

Best for

  • Creative teams
  • Recurring patterns
  • Storytelling

Postcards

Write a short note to the sprint.

"Wish you were here…""Glad you missed…""What I will remember"Actions

Best for

  • Creative reflection
  • Personal voice
  • Long sprints

Time capsule

Messages to future and past teams.

To our future teamTo our past teamWhat we keep todayActions

Best for

  • Knowledge transfer
  • Team onboarding
  • Long-term thinking

Symphony

Crescendo, decrescendo, harmony and dissonance.

CrescendoDecrescendoHarmonyDissonanceActions

Best for

  • Team dynamics
  • Collaboration focus
  • Creative metaphor

Soup

Ingredients, flavour, recipe and cooking.

Ingredients (people)Flavour (collaboration)Recipe (process)Cooking (execution)Actions

Best for

  • Team dynamics
  • Process review
  • Collaboration

Olympic Games

Gold, silver, bronze and what still needs training.

GoldSilverBronzeTraining (to improve)Actions

Best for

  • Performance celebration
  • Skill gaps
  • Quarterly retros

Weather report

What was the weather like in our sprint?

Sunny (success)Cloudy (doubt)Rainy (frustration)Storm (crisis)Actions

Best for

  • Team mood
  • Sprint atmosphere
  • Quick check-in

Train

Tracks, speed, stations and the conductor.

Tracks (plan)Speed (pace)Stations (milestones)Conductor (direction)Actions

Best for

  • Roadmap reviews
  • Milestones
  • Pace & rhythm

4 Cs

Concerns, Compliments, Commitments and Curiosities.

ConcernsComplimentsCommitmentsCuriositiesActions

Best for

  • Mature teams
  • Balanced reflection
  • Commitment-driven

Blank board

Start with a clean slate and define your own columns.

Column 1Column 2Column 3

Best for

  • Custom flows
  • Experienced facilitators
  • Hybrid formats

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Retrospective templates: 45 proven formats · Retrospective Lab