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Retrospective template

Updated on October 28, 2026

A retrospective is the conversation where a team looks back to work better in the next cycle. The secret is to leave with a few concrete actions, each with an owner, and to check at the next retrospective whether they happened.

Retrospective · Sprint 12

Date: 2026-11-14 · Attendees: Ana, Ben, Carla, Diego

Actions from the last retrospective

  • Review big tasks before starting (Ben)
  • Document the release process (Carla)

What went well

  • The written standup saved time
  • Testing before release prevented bugs

What did not go well

  • New requests in the middle of the sprint
  • Nobody knew who reviewed the copy

What we learned

  • Tasks longer than three days need to be split

Actions for the next cycle

  • New requests wait for the next sprint unless urgent (Ana)
  • Name a copy reviewer on every task (Diego)

How to use it

  1. Create the note with "Use this template" and send the link a day ahead, so each person can write their points in the three sections.
  2. Start with the actions from the last retrospective: what was done, what was not and why.
  3. Read what went well and what did not together. Group similar points and pick the two or three that matter most.
  4. For each point you picked, agree on one concrete action with an owner. Copy the actions into the next retrospective.

Tips

  • Talk about processes, not people. "Requests arrive with no priority" leads to a fix; "so-and-so got in the way" leads to a fight.
  • Less is more: two actions that get done are worth more than ten forgotten ones.
  • Writing before the meeting helps quieter people take part and makes the conversation more balanced.
  • Rotate the facilitator. The conversation changes tone and everyone learns to facilitate.

Not only for software teams

The same format works for the end of an event, a home renovation, a study semester or a personal project. The question is always the same: what is worth repeating, what is worth changing and what we will do differently. Keep retrospectives in a folder (for example, team/retros) with the date or cycle number in the name. Reading three or four in a row makes it easy to see if the same problems keep coming back, a sign the chosen action was not solving them.

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