Agile Retrospective Checklist

A good agile retrospective checklist covers three stages: before the meeting you prepare the invite, data, and template; during it you facilitate brainstorming, voting, discussion, and clear actions; and after it you share outcomes and follow up. The checklist below walks through each stage.

What does the “perfect” retro look and feel like?

If you ask an agile team, the perfect retro is one where each member of the team walks away feeling:

• Engaged – in the process and outcomes
• Empowered – to be able to take steps to improve
• Energized – and looking forward to the next sprint

The team has had a chance to properly reflect on their experience, had the opportunity and support to put their thoughts forward honestly and without judgment, and brainstormed solutions in a supportive environment.

Bad hygiene factors, however, are numerous and can thwart the perfect retro. From lack of focus and poor timekeeping through to indifference and repetition, they leave scars on what could be the perfect agile ceremony. Instead, the experience for the team becomes ineffective, rushed, tedious, and a waste of time.

Here’s a checklist to make sure that your retrospective runs smoothly.

Before the retrospective

• Check that the calendar invite has been sent out to the relevant team members.
• Gather any data or summaries from 1-on-1 meetings, velocity charts, health check data, or other reports.
• Determine the theme or focus of your retrospective, then choose the format, activity and voting method. Then create your retro.
• If running an asynchronous meeting, then send out the link beforehand.
• Double check the meeting room, web conference link and any other logistics that might otherwise impact your retro.

During the retrospective

• If you want to stick to time, ask for a volunteer to be a timekeeper for the meeting, or use the built-in timer.
• Run through the agenda or context of your retrospective.
• It is a good idea to remind the team of any team agreements, the prior actions, or the Agile Prime Directive to help set the tone of the meeting.
• Go through the essential steps of brainstorming ideas, then talk through them. You can group certain ideas together if they are the same. Ensure that everyone can and does contribute something to the retrospective theme.
• Vote on what people most want to discuss further. Votes should be done independently. The number of votes can be changed based on the number of ideas, people, or time remaining.
• Discuss all the voted items and have people propose action items that can be taken forward to the group.
• Capture all action items, agreements and any other comments. If you are using a whiteboard, then taking pictures of these will be needed. Any action items should ideally have an assigned person and due date.
• Keep the meeting flowing by sticking to time and making sure that the retro is not used as a session for blaming or problem solving.
• After completing any action items, take some time to celebrate the success and share appreciation.
• At the end of the meeting, run a ROTI (Return on Time Invested) to get feedback on the effectiveness of the meeting. This is optional.
• Say thank you.

After the retrospective

• Share the action items and meeting summaries with the relevant stakeholders.
• Review notes to ensure that all important items were captured.
• Use an ongoing action list to remind yourself and the team of action items and follow up as needed.
• Reflect on your own practice and effectiveness as a Scrum Master and how you might change what you do for the next retrospective.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a retrospective checklist?

A good retrospective checklist covers three phases. Before — pick a focus and template, invite the team, and review the last retrospective’s actions. During — set the stage, gather data, generate insights, and agree clear actions with owners. After — share the summary, track the agreed actions, and follow up before the next retrospective so improvements actually happen.

How do you prepare for a sprint retrospective?

Preparation is mostly about focus and follow-through. Choose a theme and a template that fit how the last sprint went, make sure the previous retrospective’s actions are visible, and check any tooling in advance. Coming in with a clear structure lets the team spend its time reflecting and deciding rather than working out how to run the meeting.

What makes a retrospective successful?

A successful retrospective ends with a short list of specific, owned actions — not just discussion. That depends on psychological safety (people speak honestly), good facilitation (everyone contributes), and follow-up (actions are tracked and revisited). A retrospective that produces no action, or whose actions are never followed up, is the most common way for the ceremony to lose value.