Drop Add Keep Improve Retrospective

Drop Add Keep Improve retrospective format

Drop

What practices should we stop or discontinue?

Encourage the team to be open about processes, tools, or behaviors that are no longer serving them well.

Add

What new practices should we adopt?

Encourage creativity and open-mindedness when suggesting new processes or ways of working.

Keep

What's working well that we should continue?

Reinforce the positive by highlighting processes and practices that are benefiting the team.

Improve

What could we do better?

Encourage constructive criticism and focus on actionable improvements rather than complaints.

When to use this retrospective

• At the end of a project, sprint, or major milestone to review what went well and what could be improved.
• When a team is struggling with specific processes, tools, or dynamics and needs to identify areas for change.
• As a regular check-in (e.g., monthly or quarterly) to continuously improve and adapt team practices.

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If our team was a vehicle, what kind would it be and why?
• What's one thing you've learned or improved on since our last retrospective?

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Encourage open and honest feedback by creating a safe, blame-free environment.
• Use anonymous or private voting techniques if the team is hesitant to voice concerns openly.
• Prioritize the most impactful items in each category and create actionable next steps.
• Follow up on agreed improvements in subsequent retrospectives to ensure continuous progress.
• Consider rotating the facilitator role to get fresh perspectives and ensure shared responsibility.
• Set a positive tone by starting and ending with items in the 'Keep' category to reinforce what's going well.