How to run a sprint retrospective that actually leads to change

Retrospectives are one of the most powerful agile practices. When they are done well, they help teams learn from every sprint, fix recurring issues, and get a little better each time. When they are done badly, they feel like yet another meeting that everyone wants to skip.

This guide walks you through exactly how to run a sprint retrospective that feels focused, safe, and useful. You will get:

• A simple 7 step process
• A sample agenda and timing
• Example questions you can ask
• Popular formats you can use with templates

You can run all of this with sticky notes and a whiteboard, or with a digital board like Nextretro if your team is remote or hybrid.

What is a sprint retrospective?

A retrospective is a structured meeting that happens at the end of a sprint or project. The goal is to look back at how the work went, learn from it, and agree how to work better in the next sprint. It is not about blaming people. It is about improving the system together.

Common questions you answer in a retro

• What went well?
• What did not go well?
• What should we try or change next time?

When you run retros regularly, you create a habit of continuous improvement instead of waiting for big crises.

Who should attend a retrospective?

For a typical agile development team, you usually invite:

• The entire development team
• Product owner or product manager
• Scrum master or facilitator
• Sometimes key stakeholders, if their presence helps and does not block honest discussion

The important part is that everyone who does the work has a voice. Avoid running retros only with managers.

When and how often to run a retro

Most teams run a retrospective:

• At the end of every sprint (for example every two weeks)
• After major releases or projects
• After incidents or big surprises

Typical time boxes

• About 45–60 minutes for a one week sprint
• About 60–90 minutes for a two week sprint

Schedule it at roughly the same time each sprint so it becomes a routine, not a special event.

Preparation checklist

You do not need much to run a great retro, but you do need a bit of prep.

1. Clarify the goal

   Decide what this retro is about:

   • The last sprint
   • The last month or quarter
   • A specific project or incident

   Write the goal at the top of the board so everyone sees it.

2. Choose a format

   Pick one structure and stick to it for the meeting. For example:

   • Went Well – To Improve – Action Items
   • Start – Stop – Continue
   • 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for)
   • Mad – Sad – Glad

   You can rotate formats per sprint to keep it fresh.

3. Choose a tool and space

   Decide where the retro lives:

   • Physical whiteboard, markers, sticky notes
   • Digital board like Nextretro that supports templates, anonymous cards, and live updates

   For remote teams, a digital board is almost always easier.

4. Invite the right people

   Send a calendar invite that includes:

   • Meeting goal
   • Link to the board or meeting room
   • Time box
   • Any pre-work, for example “come with 2 examples of things that worked well and 2 things that slowed you down”

The 7 step process for running a retrospective

You can think of a retro as moving through five classic phases: set the stage, gather data, generate insights, decide what to do, and close. Below is a simple 7 step version that maps to those phases and is easy to follow.

1. Step 1 – Open and set the stage

   Your goal is to help people switch from “delivery mode” into “reflection mode”.

   • Greet everyone and restate the purpose
   • Quickly explain the format you are using
   • Set ground rules, for example:
     • We are here to improve the work, not to blame individuals
     • Everyone gets a voice
     • We focus on the last sprint, not old history

   Optional check in

   • One word for how you feel about this sprint
   • Weather check: sunny, cloudy, stormy

   This makes the room feel safer and more human.

2. Step 2 – Remind the team of the sprint

   People forget details quickly, especially if they jump between many tasks. Spend a few minutes reviewing:

   • Sprint goal and key stories
   • What shipped, what did not ship
   • Any incidents or surprises
   • Key metrics if you have them

   You can show a board, a burndown chart, or a simple list of what was done. This gives everyone the same picture of what actually happened.

3. Step 3 – Gather input from everyone

   Now invite people to share their perspective, usually in writing first so quiet voices are not lost.

   Using your chosen format (for example Went Well – To Improve – Action Items):

   • Give everyone a few minutes to add cards or sticky notes silently
   • Ask people to write one idea per card
   • Allow anonymous input if you want more honest feedback, especially in new or tense teams

   Example prompts

   • What helped you move faster?
   • What slowed you down or blocked you?
   • Where did we misunderstand each other?
   • Where did the process get in the way?

   If you are using Nextretro, this is the “collect” phase on your board. Everyone adds cards in real time.

4. Step 4 – Group and clarify themes

   Raw notes are messy. Before you discuss, you want to create structure.

   • Ask the team to group similar cards together into clusters
   • Clarify any unclear cards by asking the author to expand or rephrase
   • Give clusters short labels like “Testing bottleneck” or “Scope changes mid sprint”

   This is where patterns start to appear. Often the real topics are things like:

   • “We keep picking too much work”
   • “We wait too long for reviews”
   • “Requirements change after we start”

5. Step 5 – Discuss and dig into root causes

   Pick the most important 3–5 clusters to discuss. You can use simple dot voting if there are many topics.

   For each cluster, explore questions such as:

   • Why is this happening?
   • Where do we see this in our day to day work?
   • What is in our control to change?
   • What would “better” look like in the next sprint?

   Basic root cause tools

   • “Five whys”
   • “What is one thing we can try to reduce this problem slightly?”

   Keep notes of the key points. The goal is not to talk forever. The goal is to move toward concrete actions.

6. Step 6 – Turn insights into clear action items

   This is where many retros fail. People talk, feel better, then nothing changes.

   For each top topic, create one or more specific action items:

   • Clear owner
   • Simple description
   • Due date or “by next retro”
   • How you will know it is done

   Good action item examples

   • “For the next sprint, limit work in progress to three stories per developer. Owner: Alex.”
   • “Create a shared checklist for releases before Friday. Owner: Maria.”

   Weak action examples

   • “We should communicate better.”
   • “We should write more tests.”

   Capture these actions somewhere visible, for example in your tracking tool, or as an “Action Items” column inside your Nextretro board.

   Next retro, start by reviewing how many actions were completed. This closes the loop and builds trust that the meeting matters.

7. Step 7 – Close the retro and improve the process

   In the last 5–10 minutes:

   • Summarise key decisions and actions
   • Ask the team how this retro format worked:
     • What should we keep?
     • What should we change next time?

   You are effectively “retrospecting the retro”. This is how your retrospective meetings themselves get better over time.

   Thank everyone for their time and input. End on a constructive, hopeful note.

Popular retrospective formats you can use

Here are a few proven formats you can plug into the process above.

1. Went Well – To Improve – Action Items

   Good for: simple, direct process improvement.

   Columns

   • Went Well – practices or events that helped
   • To Improve – problems, friction, risks
   • Action Items – concrete next steps

   This format maps very naturally to the 7 steps above and is easy for new teams.

2. Start – Stop – Continue

   Good for: teams who want a simple habit focused frame.

   • Start – what should we start doing next sprint
   • Stop – what should we stop doing because it does not help
   • Continue – what is working that we want to keep

   This balances positives and changes, and works well with voting to pick a few starts and stops.

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

   Good for: reflection over a bigger time frame.

   • Liked – positives, wins
   • Learned – new insights or skills
   • Lacked – missing tools, information, support
   • Longed for – wishes and ideas

   Useful when you want to dig into learning and team feelings, not just mechanics.

4. Mad – Sad – Glad

   Good for: emotional safety and team climate.

   • Mad – frustrating experiences
   • Sad – disappointments or losses
   • Glad – things that made people happy

   Best used with clear safety rules and a trusted facilitator.

You can create one template for each format inside Nextretro so you can spin up a retro in seconds instead of rebuilding the board every time.

Sample sprint retrospective agenda

Here is a sample agenda for a 60 minute retro for a two week sprint:

1. Welcome and purpose – 5 minutes
2. Review sprint goal and timeline – 5 minutes
3. Silent card writing in chosen format – 10 minutes
4. Group cards into themes – 10 minutes
5. Discuss top 3–5 themes – 20 minutes
6. Create and confirm action items – 7 minutes
7. Retro on the retro and close – 3 minutes

For longer sprints or larger teams, stretch this to 75–90 minutes and add short breaks.

Common mistakes to avoid

Even experienced teams fall into a few traps. Here are some to watch for.

• No safety. People will not share real issues if they fear blame or punishment.
• Only talking, no actions. Always leave with a small number of clear action items.
• Too many topics. It is better to fix one or two things that matter than to touch fifteen topics lightly.
• Skipping retros when busy. These are the times you need retros most.
• Running the same format every time. Rotate formats to keep things fresh and see different angles.

Running better retros with Nextretro

You can run all of this with sticky notes in a room. If your team is remote or hybrid, a digital tool makes it much easier.

With Nextretro you can:

• Use ready made templates like Went Well – To Improve – Action Items, Start – Stop – Continue, 4Ls and more
• Invite the whole group with a single board link
• Let people add cards anonymously so they feel safe
• See changes in real time as you group and discuss
• Capture action items directly on the board and revisit them next sprint

You can create your first board and try a new format in a few seconds.

Get started free on Nextretro and run your next retrospective online.