Sprint Retrospective

Sprint Retrospective format

What went well?

Discuss the positive aspects and successes from the last sprint.

Encourage the team to share specific examples and appreciate each other's contributions. This builds morale and reinforces good practices.

What could be improved?

What slowed us down, and where did we struggle?

Create a safe space for open and honest feedback. Remind the team that the goal is to learn, not to blame individuals.

What actions can we take?

Propose specific steps to address the areas for improvement.

Encourage the team to suggest concrete and actionable steps. Assign owners and target dates for key action items.

What still puzzles us?

Surface any open questions, concerns or areas needing further discussion.

This topic allows the team to park outstanding issues for later exploration. Assign owners to investigate and report back.

When to use this retrospective

• At the end of each sprint or iteration, to review how the work went and what to change.
• When your team keeps hitting the same problems and needs to change its approach.
• After a major milestone or release, to capture lessons before the next phase.
• When a new team forms, or when people join or leave and the way you work shifts.

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If our team was a vehicle, what kind would it be and why?
• What's the best lesson you've learned from a past project?

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

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Set a blame-free tone so people raise problems honestly.
• Hear from everyone, including the quieter people. Silent brainstorming before discussion helps.
• Turn problems into actions. A list of complaints with no next step changes nothing.
• Give each action an owner and a due date, and check on them at the next retro.
• Call out wins and thank the people behind them.
• Timebox each section so the meeting stays focused.

Frequently asked questions