The 4Ls Retrospective (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for) is a comprehensive four-column format that encourages teams to reflect deeply on their experiences. This template goes beyond surface-level feedback to explore what team members enjoyed, what they discovered, what was missing, and what they aspire to.
This format is particularly effective for teams that want to capture both emotional and intellectual aspects of their work. It's excellent for longer retrospectives (60-90 minutes) where teams want to explore their experiences in depth.
Understanding the 4Ls
- Liked: What team members enjoyed, appreciated, or found satisfying
- Learned: New insights, knowledge, or understanding gained
- Lacked: What was missing, insufficient, or needed improvement
- Longed for: Aspirations, wishes, or desired future states
The "Longed for" column is particularly powerful—it helps teams articulate their vision and identify what they want to achieve, not just what they want to fix.
How to facilitate
Facilitation Guidelines
- Allow time for reflection: Give team members 5-10 minutes of quiet time to think before sharing
- Start with Liked: Begin with positive experiences to set a constructive tone
- Explore Longed for deeply: This column often reveals team aspirations and vision
- Connect columns: Help team see connections between what they lacked and what they longed for
- Document learnings: The "Learned" column is valuable organizational knowledge—capture it well
Making It Actionable
After populating all columns:
- Identify patterns across columns
- Prioritize items that appear in multiple columns
- Convert "Longed for" items into concrete goals
- Create action items from "Lacked" column
When to use this template
When to Use 4Ls
- Quarterly retrospectives: Deep reflection on longer time periods
- Project completions: Comprehensive project reviews
- Team formation: New teams exploring their dynamics
- Major milestones: Significant achievements or changes
What Makes It Effective
This format helps teams:
- Capture both emotional and intellectual learnings
- Articulate aspirations and vision
- Identify knowledge gaps and learning opportunities
- Balance celebration with improvement focus
