Pros and Cons Retrospective

Weigh what worked against what didn't and choose next steps.

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Pros

What's working in our favor?

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 a decision is to lay everything out side by side. The Pros and Cons retrospective has your team review 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. Most people already know the method from their own decisions, so nobody needs it explained. In a team setting, everyone adds the upsides and downsides they've seen, the group votes on what matters most, and you finish with a shared view of where things stand. It's especially useful when the team feels divided or unsure, because both columns get the same attention and neither side can dominate. The board has two columns, Pros and Cons, so it's quick to set up and easy for anyone to follow, whatever their agile experience. Use it to judge a tool, a way of working or a significant decision, and close by turning the top-voted items into next steps with an owner.

Pros and Cons retrospective format

Pros

What's working in our favor?

Capture everything that helped or made work easier, whether that's a process, a tool, a decision or a sprint outcome. Ask for specifics over generalities, and prompt quieter team members to share what made their work smoother.

Cons

What's working against us?

Bring out the friction points, disadvantages and risks. Treat it 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 you face a significant decision and want to hear both sides before committing
  • After a sprint or project, to quickly capture what helped and what got in the way
  • When the team feels divided and you want a neutral structure that gives both sides a fair hearing
  • 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?

Want a warm-up your team plays, not just answers out loud? Browse free icebreakers →

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Say exactly what you're evaluating up front (a sprint, a tool or a decision) so everyone weighs the same thing
  • Ask for ideas in both columns; a list of only cons is a venting session, not a review
  • Use dot voting to pick the pros and cons that matter most instead of trying to act on everything
  • Keep the cons constructive by focusing on situations and processes, not individuals
  • Close with clear next steps that have an owner and a timeframe, so something actually changes
  • Timebox each phase so the discussion keeps moving and doesn't go in circles

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Pros and Cons retrospective take?
Most sessions run 30–45 minutes for a typical team. Allow more time for a complex decision or a large group with many viewpoints.
When should I use a Pros and Cons retrospective instead of another format?
Choose it when you need to evaluate something specific, such as a tool, process or decision, and want both sides on the table. It works best when the goal is a clear conclusion, not an open-ended conversation about how people feel.
How is Pros and Cons different from Start, Stop, Continue?
Pros and Cons weighs the advantages and disadvantages of one subject to inform a decision. Start, Stop, Continue looks at behaviors across your whole way of working and asks what to change. The first is better for judging something; the second is better for generating actions.
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, so it works as well for distributed and hybrid teams as it does in person.
How do we avoid the session becoming a list of complaints?
Set the expectation that both columns get filled, and treat each con as something to fix. Finishing with specific next steps keeps the focus on progress.

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