How to choose the right retrospective template (complete guide)

Why Template Selection Matters

Using the wrong retrospective template is like using a hammer to cut wood - it won't hurt, but it won't work either.

The problem: Most teams default to "Went Well / To Improve / Action Items" every sprint, eventually leading to:

• Autopilot participation (same generic feedback)
• Declining engagement over time
• Blind spots in certain areas
• Missed opportunities for deeper insights

The solution: Match your template to your team's current situation.

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The Template Selection Framework

Choose your template based on 3 factors:

1. Team Maturity

• New team (< 3 months): Simple, structured templates
• Established team (3-12 months): Balanced exploration
• Mature team (12+ months): Experimental, creative formats

2. Sprint Context

• Normal sprint: Balanced retrospective
• Rough sprint: Processing emotions first
• Great sprint: Amplify strengths
• Major change: Future-focused

3. Current Challenge

• Low morale: Focus on emotions
• Recurring issues: Root cause analysis
• Team conflict: Build connection
• Unclear goals: Alignment-focused

Pro tip: Mix formats every 4-6 retros to prevent autopilot.

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Template Comparison Matrix

Template	Best For	Sprint Type	Team Maturity	Time	Difficulty
Went Well / To Improve / Action Items	General purpose	Normal	Any	45-60min	Easy
Start / Stop / Continue	Behavior changes	Normal	Established	45-60min	Easy
4Ls	Learning focus	Post-launch	Mature	60-75min	Medium
Mad / Sad / Glad	Emotional processing	Rough sprint	Any	45-60min	Easy
Sailboat	Identifying obstacles	Planning phase	Established	60min	Medium
Timeline	Complex sprints	Incident-heavy	Mature	75min	Medium
Liked / Learned / Lacked / Longed For	Knowledge teams	Learning sprint	Mature	60-75min	Medium
Speed Car	Momentum focus	Velocity issues	Any	45-60min	Easy
KALM	Team health	Morale check	Established	60min	Medium
Appreciate & Accelerate	Great sprints	Success sprint	Any	30-45min	Easy

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Deep Dive: 10 Most Effective Templates

1. Went Well / To Improve / Action Items

Use when:

• Starting a new team
• First few retrospectives
• Need a safe, familiar structure
• Time is limited

Columns:

• ✅ What Went Well
• ⚠️ What To Improve
• 🎯 Action Items

Pros:

• Simple and intuitive
• Works for any team
• Balanced (positive + negative)
• Quick to facilitate

Cons:

• Can feel repetitive over time
• May not surface deeper issues
• Generic if not probed

Facilitator tips:

• Ask for specific examples: "What moment made you proud?"
• Group similar items to identify patterns
• Limit action items to 2-3 max

When to move on:
After 6-8 sprints, try Start/Stop/Continue for a fresh perspective.

Try this template on NextRetro →

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2. Start / Stop / Continue

Use when:

• Team needs behavior changes
• Too many bad habits forming
• Want to reinforce good practices
• 6+ sprints into using Went Well/To Improve

Columns:

• 🚀 Start Doing
• 🛑 Stop Doing
• ✅ Continue Doing

Pros:

• Action-oriented (every card implies change)
• Forces concrete thinking
• Highlights both problems and strengths
• Fresh perspective on familiar issues

Cons:

• Can feel critical (heavy on "stop")
• May miss "why" behind behaviors
• Requires psychological safety

Facilitator tips:

• Balance: Aim for equal cards in each column
• Frame "stop" as "what's no longer serving us?"
• "Continue" isn't just celebration - it's "don't forget to keep doing this"

Example cards:

• Start: "Pair programming on complex features"
• Stop: "Scheduling meetings during focus time (9-11am)"
• Continue: "Daily Slack updates for async visibility"

When to use: Every 4-6 retros, or when team needs clear behavior shifts.

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3. 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For)

Use when:

• Team just finished a big feature/launch
• Focus on learning and growth
• Knowledge-sharing is important
• Mature team ready for deeper reflection

Columns:

• ❤️ Liked (what energized you)
• 🧠 Learned (new knowledge/skills)
• 😞 Lacked (what was missing)
• 💭 Longed For (what you wish you had)

Pros:

• Emphasizes learning and growth
• Balances positive and negative
• "Longed for" surfaces aspirations
• Great for post-launch reflections

Cons:

• Takes longer (60-75 minutes)
• Requires thoughtful participation
• May feel abstract for action-oriented teams

Facilitator tips:

• "Learned" can be positive or negative learnings
• "Lacked" vs "Longed for": Lacked = concrete gaps, Longed for = aspirations
• Connect learnings to action items: "How can we apply what we learned?"

Example cards:

• Liked: "The async RFC process gave everyone time to review thoughtfully"
• Learned: "Our API tests are too brittle - they break on unrelated changes"
• Lacked: "Clear definition of done for the auth story"
• Longed for: "More documentation time built into sprint planning"

When to use: After major milestones, product launches, or every 8-10 sprints.

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4. Mad / Sad / Glad

Use when:

• Rough sprint with high emotions
• Team morale is low
• Need to process feelings before problem-solving
• Post-incident retrospective

Columns:

• 😠 Mad (frustrations, anger)
• 😢 Sad (disappointments, losses)
• 😊 Glad (celebrations, wins)

Pros:

• Validates emotions (not just logic)
• Safe outlet for frustration
• Balances negative with positive
• Simple and quick

Cons:

• Can become a venting session
• May not lead to action if not facilitated well
• Requires strong psychological safety

Facilitator tips:

• Start with "Glad" to set a positive tone
• For "Mad": Ask "What would resolve this frustration?"
• Don't rush - emotions need time
• Use anonymous mode for sensitive topics

Example cards:

• Mad: "Production went down at 2am and I was the only one paged"
• Sad: "We didn't hit our sprint goal despite everyone working weekends"
• Glad: "The team rallied to support each other during the incident"

When to use: After difficult sprints, incidents, or when team morale needs attention.

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5. Sailboat Retrospective

Use when:

• Identifying obstacles and risks
• Sprint planning or quarter planning
• Team feels "stuck"
• Visual teams (designers, product)

Elements:

• ⛵ Boat (the team)
• 💨 Wind (what's helping us)
• ⚓ Anchors (what's slowing us down)
• 🏝️ Island (our goal)
• 🪨 Rocks (risks ahead)

Pros:

• Highly visual and engaging
• Forward-looking (not just past sprint)
• Great for identifying blockers
• Fun and memorable

Cons:

• Takes longer to explain
• May feel gimmicky to some teams
• Requires visual thinking

Facilitator tips:

• Explain the metaphor clearly at the start
• "Wind" = positive forces (not just celebrations)
• "Rocks" = future risks (not current problems)
• Draw the visual during facilitation

Example cards:

• Wind: "New CI pipeline speeding up deployments"
• Anchors: "Tech debt in the payment service slowing every feature"
• Island: "Launch beta by end of quarter"
• Rocks: "Dependency on Platform team who's underwater"

When to use: Sprint/quarter planning, when team needs fresh perspective, visual teams.

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6. Timeline Retrospective

Use when:

• Sprint had many events/incidents
• Need to understand sequence of events
• Post-mortem for major incident
• Team has conflicting memories

Format:
Create a timeline of key sprint events, then discuss patterns.

Steps:

1. Draw a timeline (Monday → Friday of sprint)
2. Team adds events chronologically
3. Mark events as positive (+), negative (-), or neutral (=)
4. Discuss patterns and inflection points

Pros:

• Objective view of sprint
• Reveals cause-and-effect relationships
• Great for incident analysis
• Uncovers hidden patterns

Cons:

• Takes longer (75+ minutes)
• Requires good memory
• Can get into weeds

Facilitator tips:

• Use different colors for different event types
• Focus on patterns, not isolated events
• Ask: "What led to this moment?"
• Look for clustering (many events on one day = problem)

When to use: Complex sprints, post-incident, when team can't agree on what happened.

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7. KALM (Keep, Add, Less, More)

Use when:

• Team health check needed
• Want behavior-focused discussion
• Balancing current practices
• Every 6-8 sprints for variety

Columns:

• ✅ Keep (working well, maintain)
• ➕ Add (new practices to try)
• ➖ Less (reduce frequency/intensity)
• ➕➕ More (increase frequency/intensity)

Pros:

• Nuanced (not just start/stop)
• Acknowledges that "less" ≠ "stop"
• Balanced and constructive
• Encourages experimentation ("add")

Cons:

• "Less" vs "More" can be confusing
• May need examples to explain
• Similar to Start/Stop/Continue

Facilitator tips:

• Explain with examples at start
• "Less" might be "reduce standup from 25min to 15min" (not eliminate)
• "More" could be "increase pairing frequency"

Example cards:

• Keep: "Weekly knowledge sharing sessions"
• Add: "Code review checklist for security"
• Less: "Back-to-back meetings (add 10min buffers)"
• More: "Documentation during implementation"

When to use: As alternative to Start/Stop/Continue, team health checks.

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8. Speed Car Retrospective

Use when:

• Team velocity is inconsistent
• Want to identify accelerators and brakes
• Visual/metaphorical teams
• Sprint goal was missed

Elements:

• 🏎️ Car (the team)
• ⚡ Engine (what drives us forward)
• 🪂 Parachute (what slows us down)
• ⚠️ Cliff (risks ahead)
• 🏁 Destination (our goals)

Pros:

• Focus on speed and momentum
• Visual and engaging
• Identifies both accelerators and decelerators
• Forward-looking with "destination"

Cons:

• Similar to Sailboat (may feel redundant)
• Metaphor doesn't resonate with everyone
• Takes time to explain

Facilitator tips:

• Use when team is focused on velocity
• "Engine" vs "Parachute" highlights tradeoffs
• Connect to actual sprint velocity data

When to use: Velocity issues, alternative to Sailboat, visual teams.

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9. Appreciate & Accelerate (Strengths-Based)

Use when:

• Great sprint that went well
• Team morale is high
• Want to amplify strengths (not just fix weaknesses)
• Every 10 sprints for positive focus

Columns:

• 🙏 Appreciate (what we're doing well)
• 🚀 Accelerate (how to do more of it)

Pros:

• 100% positive focus
• Builds on strengths (not just fixes problems)
• High energy and morale boost
• Quick (30-45 minutes)

Cons:

• Skips problems (use sparingly)
• May feel like avoiding issues
• Less actionable

Facilitator tips:

• Use after big wins or tough periods (morale boost)
• "Accelerate" should be concrete: "How can we do more of this?"
• Don't ignore problems forever - use occasionally

Example cards:

• Appreciate: "Our incident response was calm and coordinated"
• Accelerate: "Document our incident playbook so other teams can learn"

When to use: After great sprints, morale boosts, every 8-10 retros for balance.

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10. Hopes & Concerns (Future-Focused)

Use when:

• Starting a new project/initiative
• Major team change incoming
• Anxiety about upcoming sprint
• Pre-planning retrospective

Columns:

• 🌟 Hopes (what we're excited about)
• 😰 Concerns (what worries us)
• 💡 Ideas (how to realize hopes, mitigate concerns)

Pros:

• Forward-looking (not past-focused)
• Surfaces anxieties early
• Builds shared understanding
• Proactive problem-solving

Cons:

• Not for regular sprint retros
• May surface concerns you can't address
• Requires psychological safety

Facilitator tips:

• Use at project kickoff or before major changes
• For each concern, ask: "What would mitigate this?"
• Connect hopes to team goals

When to use: Project kickoffs, major changes, pre-planning sessions.

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Decision Tree: Which Template Should I Use?

START: What's your primary goal?

├─ Process feelings after tough sprint
│  └─ → Mad / Sad / Glad

├─ Learn from big milestone/launch
│  └─ → 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For)

├─ Identify obstacles and risks
│  └─ → Sailboat or Speed Car

├─ Change team behaviors
│  └─ → Start / Stop / Continue or KALM

├─ Understand complex sequence of events
│  └─ → Timeline

├─ Celebrate great sprint
│  └─ → Appreciate & Accelerate

├─ General retrospective (works for anything)
│  └─ → Went Well / To Improve / Action Items

└─ Prevent boredom / refresh format
   └─ → Rotate through any of the above

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Rotation Strategy (Prevent Retro Fatigue)

The 6-Month Template Rotation Plan:

Sprints 1-4: Went Well / To Improve / Action Items

• Build foundation with familiar format
• Establish trust and safety

Sprint 5: Mad / Sad / Glad

• Process accumulated emotions
• Check morale

Sprints 6-9: Start / Stop / Continue

• Fresh perspective on same issues
• Behavior-focused

Sprint 10: Sailboat

• Visual change of pace
• Forward-looking

Sprints 11-14: Went Well / To Improve / Action Items

• Return to foundation with new insights

Sprint 15: 4Ls

• Deep learning focus after 15 sprints

Sprints 16-19: KALM

• Nuanced behavior discussion

Sprint 20: Appreciate & Accelerate

• Morale boost, celebrate progress

Continue rotating every 4-6 sprints

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Custom Templates: When to Create Your Own

Signs you need a custom template:

• Team has unique workflow
• Industry-specific challenges (healthcare, finance, etc.)
• Cultural context (distributed across time zones, etc.)
• Existing templates don't fit

How to create custom templates:

1. Identify the core questions you want answered
   Example: "What surprised us? What should we double down on?"

2. Frame as 3-4 columns
   Keep it simple - more columns = confusion

3. Test for one sprint
   See if it surfaces useful insights

4. Iterate based on feedback
   Ask team: "Did this format work?"

Example custom templates:

For support teams:

• 🔥 Fires (urgent issues)
• 🌱 Seeds (proactive improvements)
• 🛠️ Tools (what we need)

For remote teams:

• 🏠 Sync (worked well in real-time)
• 📝 Async (worked well asynchronously)
• 🌍 Timezone pain (what time zones made hard)

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Anti-Patterns: What NOT to Do

❌ Don't:

• Use same template every sprint forever (autopilot = low engagement)
• Choose template based on what facilitator likes (choose for team needs)
• Over-complicate (more than 4 columns gets confusing)
• Skip explanation ("you all know this format" = assumptions)
• Ignore context (don't use Mad/Sad/Glad after great sprint)

✅ Do:

• Match template to sprint context
• Explain the template at start (30 seconds)
• Rotate formats every 4-6 sprints
• Ask team for feedback on template choice
• Keep a "template history" (which ones worked)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I change retrospective templates?

Every 4-6 retrospectives (roughly every 2-3 months). Watch for signs of retro fatigue: low engagement, generic feedback, same issues recurring.

What's the best template for a new team?

Start with "Went Well / To Improve / Action Items" for the first 4-6 retros. It's simple, safe, and builds foundation. Then branch out.

Can I combine templates?

Yes! Example: "Start/Stop/Continue" + "Likes/Learned" combined. Just don't make it too complex (4 columns max).

What if my team hates a template?

Ask why in a meta-retro. Then try something different next sprint. Not every template works for every team.

Should I tell the team which template we're using ahead of time?

Yes, mention it in the calendar invite. But save the detailed explanation for the retro itself to keep it fresh.

What template works for distributed/remote teams?

All templates work remotely if you have the right tool (NextRetro, Miro, etc.). Visual templates (Sailboat, Speed Car) can be especially engaging remotely.

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Tools for Retrospective Templates

NextRetro offers 17+ built-in templates:

• Went Well / To Improve / Action Items
• Start / Stop / Continue
• 4Ls Retrospective
• Mad / Sad / Glad
• Sailboat
• And more...

Features:

• Pre-configured columns for each template
• Facilitation guidance built-in
• Custom templates (Pro plan)
• No signup required for participants

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Quick Reference: Template Cheat Sheet

Print this and keep it handy:

Situation	Use This Template
Normal sprint, established team	Went Well / To Improve / Action Items
Need behavior changes	Start / Stop / Continue
Rough/emotional sprint	Mad / Sad / Glad
After big launch/milestone	4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For)
Identifying obstacles	Sailboat
Complex sprint with many events	Timeline
Great sprint to celebrate	Appreciate & Accelerate
Team morale check	KALM (Keep, Add, Less, More)
Visual/creative teams	Sailboat or Speed Car
New project kickoff	Hopes & Concerns

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Conclusion

The right retrospective template can:

• ✅ Surface issues a generic format misses
• ✅ Re-engage a tired team
• ✅ Match the emotional state of your sprint
• ✅ Drive better action items

The key: Don't default to the same template every sprint. Match your format to your context.

Start here:

1. Assess your current situation (team maturity, sprint context, challenges)
2. Choose a template from the decision tree above
3. Rotate formats every 4-6 sprints
4. Ask your team for feedback
5. Iterate

Ready to try different retrospective templates? Create a free NextRetro board → with 17+ built-in templates ready to use.

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Last Updated: January 2026
Reading Time: 14 minutes