Pros and Cons Retrospective

Weigh what worked against what didn't to decide your next move.

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Pros

What's working in our favour?

Pairing on the tricky migration saved us days of debugging.
The new standup format kept us focused and under 15 minutes.
Sharing the prototype early meant stakeholders stayed aligned.
Cons

What's working against us?

We started coding before requirements were fully signed off.
Too many meetings fragmented our focus time during the week.
The new tool has a steep learning curve and slowed us down.

What is the Pros and Cons retrospective?

Sometimes the fastest way to clarity is to lay everything out side by side. The Pros and Cons retrospective gives teams a simple but powerful structure to evaluate a sprint, project, decision, or process — by listing what's working and what isn't, then deciding together what to keep and what to change. This format works because it mirrors a decision-making method people have relied on for centuries. In a team setting, it becomes a collaborative tool: everyone surfaces the upsides and downsides they've observed, the group votes on what matters most, and you walk away with a clear, shared view of where things stand. It's especially valuable when a team feels divided or uncertain, because it gives equal weight to both sides without letting either dominate. The real strength of this template is its versatility and speed. It's quick to set up, easy for anyone to grasp regardless of agile experience, and works whether you're evaluating a tool, a way of working, or a significant decision.

Pros and Cons retrospective format

Pros

What's working in our favour?

Capture everything that brought value or made work easier whether that's a process, tool, decision, or sprint outcome. Encourage specifics over generalities, and prompt quieter team members to share what made their work smoother or more effective.

Cons

What's working against us?

Surface the friction points, disadvantages, and risks. Frame this as a learning exercise, not a blame session , naming a downside is the first step to fixing it.

When to use this retrospective

  • When your team needs to evaluate a tool, process, or way of working and decide whether to keep it.
  • When facing a significant decision and you want to surface balanced perspectives before committing.
  • After a sprint or project to quickly capture what helped and what hindered progress.
  • When the team feels divided and you want a neutral structure to weigh both sides fairly.
  • As a fast, low-prep retrospective for teams new to agile or short on time.

Suggested icebreaker questions

  • If your week had a pro and a con, what would each be in three words?
  • What's one purchase that turned out to have way more pros than cons?

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Define exactly what you're evaluating up front — a sprint, a tool, a decision — so everyone weighs the same thing.
  • Encourage equal contribution to both columns; a list of only cons signals a venting session, not a balanced review.
  • Use dot voting to prioritise the pros and cons that matter most rather than trying to act on everything.
  • Keep the cons constructive by focusing on situations and processes, not individuals.
  • Always close with clear next steps that have owners and timeframes so the session drives real change.
  • Time-box each phase to keep momentum and prevent the discussion from circling.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Pros and Cons retrospective take?
Most sessions run 30 to 45 minutes for a typical team. Allow more time if you're evaluating a complex decision or have a large group with many viewpoints to discuss.
When should I use a Pros and Cons retrospective instead of another format?
Choose it when you need to evaluate something specific — a tool, process, or decision — and want a balanced view of both sides. It's ideal when the goal is to reach a clear conclusion rather than to explore open-ended feelings.
How is Pros and Cons different from Start, Stop, Continue?
Pros and Cons focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of a single subject to inform a decision, while Start, Stop, Continue centres on changing behaviours across the whole way of working. Pros and Cons is more evaluative; Start, Stop, Continue is more action-oriented.
Can a Pros and Cons retrospective be run remotely?
Yes. In TeamRetro, team members add their pros and cons independently, then the group votes and discusses together, making it just as effective for distributed and hybrid teams as it is in person.
How do we avoid the session becoming a list of complaints?
Set the expectation that both columns should be filled and frame cons as opportunities to improve. Finishing with concrete next steps keeps the focus on progress rather than venting.

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