Four Ls Retrospective

Four Ls Retrospective Format

Liked

What did we like about the last sprint?

Focus on positive experiences and successful outcomes. Encourage participants to share specific examples of what worked well, from processes to interactions. This helps identify practices worth continuing and builds team morale.

Learned

What did we learn from the last sprint?

Capture new insights, discoveries, and lessons learned. These could be technical skills, process improvements, or interpersonal insights. Emphasize that learning from both successes and failures is valuable.

Lacked

What do we think was missing from the last sprint?

Address gaps and missing elements without assigning blame. Guide the discussion toward constructive identification of areas that need attention, whether they're resources, processes, or capabilities.

Longed for

What could we have done better in the last sprint?

Focus on aspirational improvements and concrete solutions. Encourage participants to think about realistic changes that could enhance team performance and satisfaction in future sprints.

When to use this retrospective

• When you want to maintain a balanced perspective between positive aspects and areas for improvement
• During regular sprint retrospectives to gather comprehensive feedback about team performance and processes
• When introducing new team members to retrospectives, as the format is intuitive and easy to follow
• When the team needs structure to organize their thoughts and feedback effectively

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If you could instantly master one new skill that would help the team, what would it be and why?
• What's one thing you learned recently that surprised you?

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Start with the 'Liked' category to create a positive atmosphere before diving into improvement areas
• Use timeboxing for each L to ensure balanced discussion across all categories
• Encourage specific examples rather than general statements to make feedback more actionable
• Look for patterns across categories to identify systemic issues or opportunities
• Create action items that address the 'Lacked' and 'Longed for' feedback while maintaining what people 'Liked'
• Consider using dot voting to prioritize which items to address first