Agile Retrospective Template
This is a standard retrospective template that you can use to review an Agile project. The simple, colorful template prompts you to list what went well, what could have gone better, what you plan to try in the future, and what questions remain. Use this template to guide you in an Agile retrospective, and fill it out with your team.
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Quick Retrospective Template
This quick retrospective template provides a bare-bones approach to reflecting on the success of a project. Fill in the spaces for what went well, what went poorly, and any new ideas or actions to take. Use this template when you want to speedily and succinctly identify the strengths and weaknesses of an Agile or Scrum project or a particular sprint.
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Sprint Retrospective Template
This template is designed for the Scrum team to run effective individual sprint retrospectives. It is organized into swim lanes for what went well, what could have gone better, and any remaining questions that the team has. It also includes an agenda column, which you can edit to keep your meeting on track. First, have each team member jot down their own answers for each category, and then come together as a group to discuss responses and record the most salient points.
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Glad, Sad, Mad Template
Use this template to guide a retrospective focused on your team’s emotional health as it relates to your project. Give participants 10 minutes to write down what made them glad, sad, or mad during the previous project (or sprint), and then share ideas with the team. Jot down shared feelings in the appropriate color-coded column, and use the filled-out template to improve your efforts going forward.
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Start, Stop, Continue Template
The goal of the start, stop, continue method is to generate ideas quickly, rather than mull over individual contributions and arrive at a consensus. Based on a recent project or sprint, ask team members what they think the team should start, stop, and continue doing, and record the answers in the appropriate column in the template. As a result of this exercise, you’ll have a master list of ideas, which you can then whittle down to refine your process and approach.
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Sailboat Retrospective Template
The sailboat technique provides a visual model to guide your retrospective. In this depiction, your team is the sailboat moving toward the island (your goal). The template also includes wind, an anchor, and rocks, so you can outline what is helping your team, what is holding your team back, and any project risks, respectively. Discuss all aspects of the exercise with your team, and add notes next to each element in the picture to round out your retrospective.
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4Ls Template
With space to list what the team liked, learned, lacked, and longed for (the four Ls), this template is a simplified version of a traditional Agile retrospective. Divide the team into smaller groups to brainstorm ideas for each category, and then bring the team back together to share their thoughts, discuss different perspectives regarding the four Ls, and make a plan for moving forward.
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Starfish Retrospective Template
This is another visual template to guide your retrospective. The starfish image represents your team’s recent effort or project, and each of the five tentacles has a label:
- Keep doing
- Start doing
- Stop doing
- Less of
- More of
Fill out each category as a team to get an idea of what went well and what you could improve during the next sprint or project.
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Postmortem Retrospective Template
Additional Templates That Aid in a Retrospective
In this section, we’ve compiled a list of templates that, while not directly related to a retrospective, may aid in planning or seamlessly executing your Agile or Scrum project or your next sprint.
Project Charter Template
A project charter is a document that outlines the scope, deliverables, and goals of a project. You can use a project charter as a roadmap of your efforts. It can also double as a business case, should you need to present to stakeholders. This project charter template provides space to detail all critical project information, including a description; background; the goals and deliverables, roles and responsibilities, budget, and risks; and more.
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Basic SWOT Analysis Template
A SWOT analysis is a planning tool that allows you to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in any given project. This basic SWOT analysis template provides you with a two-by-two matrix in order to fill out each category, so you can plan ahead for any potential risks and ensure timely project execution.
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Risk Assessment Matrix Template
Performing a thorough risk assessment at the outset of any project or sprint can help you plan for and mitigate potential threats. Use this risk assessment matrix template to measure the likelihood and severity of each risk you identify. The template is color-coded to give you an at-a-glance view of project health and viability.
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Scrum Roles and Responsibilities Template
In any Scrum project, there are three main roles: product owner, Scrum master, and Scrum team. This template is formatted as a chart that outlines the high-level responsibilities of each role. The template also provides space to fill in additional deliverables specific to your project, product, or sprint. To learn more about Scrum roles and responsibilities, read “Scrum Roles and Responsibilities: How to Build the Most Effective Scrum Team.”
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Root Cause Analysis Template
Performing a root cause analysis can help you avoid repeating past mistakes. Use this template to identify the cause(s) of an incident or problem that occurred during a project or sprint. Fill in event details and background information, as well as any resulting deviation. This template provides a detailed investigation into any incidents, but you can edit it to suit the needs of your project.
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