Scrum guide · Scrum events
Sprint Retrospective: Goal, Format and Facilitation Tips
The Sprint Retrospective is the Scrum Team's chance to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. It concludes the Sprint and is where continuous improvement happens.
Key takeaways
- The Retrospective improves quality and effectiveness.
- Follow a structure: set the stage, gather data, insights, decide, close.
- End with a few owned actions and follow them up.
Goal
The team inspects how the last Sprint went with regard to individuals, interactions, processes, tools and its Definition of Done. It identifies the most helpful changes and addresses them as soon as possible; they may even be added to the next Sprint Backlog.
Time-box
A maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint; typically about an hour or ninety minutes for a two-week Sprint.
A five-step structure
Esther Derby and Diana Larsen's widely used structure:
- Set the stage: a quick check-in so everyone speaks early.
- Gather data: what happened? Use facts and feelings.
- Generate insights: why did it happen?
- Decide what to do: choose one to three concrete actions.
- Close: appreciate each other and review the retrospective itself.
Facilitation tips
- Vary the format to keep it fresh; see retrospective games.
- Create safety: what's said in the room stays in the room.
- Focus on the system, not on blaming individuals.
- Use silent writing so quieter people are heard.
- Review last Sprint's actions first.
- Give every action an owner.
Making improvements stick
- Limit actions to what the team can realistically do.
- Add improvement items to the Sprint Backlog.
- Make actions visible on the board.
- Measure whether the change helped.
Free templates for this topic
Frequently asked questions
Who attends the Sprint Retrospective?
The Scrum Team: Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers.
What if retrospectives feel repetitive?
Change the format, focus on a specific theme, or invite the team to facilitate. Repetition often means actions aren't being completed.
How long is a Sprint Retrospective?
A maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint. Shorter Sprints usually have shorter Retrospectives.
When does the Sprint Retrospective happen?
After the Sprint Review. It concludes the Sprint.
What is discussed in a Sprint Retrospective?
How the last Sprint went with regard to individuals, interactions, processes, tools and the Definition of Done, what went well, what problems arose and how they were or were not solved.
What is the output of a Sprint Retrospective?
A small number of improvements to make as soon as possible. The most impactful may be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.
Who facilitates the Sprint Retrospective?
Often the Scrum Master, but any team member can facilitate. Rotating the facilitator can bring fresh perspectives.
Should managers attend the Sprint Retrospective?
It is an event for the Scrum Team. Managers attending can reduce openness, so they are usually not invited unless the team asks.
What is the prime directive in retrospectives?
A statement by Norm Kerth asking participants to assume everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time. Many teams read it to set a blame-free tone.
How many action items should a retrospective produce?
Usually one to three. A few completed improvements are worth more than a long list that never gets done.
What retrospective formats can we use?
Start, Stop, Continue; Sailboat; 4Ls; Mad, Sad, Glad and many others. See Sprint Retrospective games.