--- name: iterate-retrospective description: Facilitates and documents a team retrospective capturing what went well, what to improve, and action items. Use at the end of sprints, projects, or milestones to reflect and improve team practices. phase: iterate version: "2.0.0" updated: 2026-01-26 license: Apache-2.0 metadata: category: reflection frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking] author: product-on-purpose --- # Retrospective A retrospective is a structured reflection that helps teams learn from their experiences and continuously improve. By regularly examining what went well, what didn't, and what to change, teams build a culture of learning and adaptation. The value isn't just in the discussion—it's in the documented actions and follow-through. ## When to Use - At the end of every sprint (for agile teams) - After completing a significant project or milestone - Following a major incident or outage - When team dynamics feel off and need addressing - At regular intervals (monthly, quarterly) even without specific triggers - When onboarding new team members to establish improvement culture ## Instructions When asked to facilitate or document a retrospective, follow these steps: 1. **Set the Context** Define what period or project this retrospective covers, who attended, and any significant events that occurred. This frames the discussion and helps future readers understand the context. 2. **Choose a Format** Select a retrospective format that fits the team's needs. Common options include: - **Start/Stop/Continue:** Simple and direct - **4Ls:** Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for - **Mad/Sad/Glad:** Emotion-focused - **Sailboat:** Visual metaphor (wind=helps, anchor=holds back) 3. **Gather Input** Collect observations from all team members. Ensure everyone contributes—quiet voices often have important insights. Group similar items to identify themes. 4. **Discuss and Prioritize** Don't try to address everything. Focus the discussion on the most impactful items. Vote or discuss to identify the top 2-3 issues to address. 5. **Define Action Items** Convert insights into specific, assignable actions. Every action needs an owner and a due date. Avoid vague improvements like "communicate better." 6. **Review Previous Actions** Check the status of action items from the last retrospective. Celebrate completions and discuss blockers for incomplete items. This builds accountability. 7. **Document for Future Reference** Capture the key points so they're available for future team members and for tracking patterns over time. ## Output Format Use the template in `references/TEMPLATE.md` to structure the output. ## Quality Checklist Before finalizing, verify: - [ ] All attendees had opportunity to contribute - [ ] Both positives and improvements are captured - [ ] Action items have owners and due dates - [ ] Previous retrospective actions are reviewed - [ ] Document is useful to someone who wasn't in the room ## Examples See `references/EXAMPLE.md` for a completed example.