A retrospective that always uses the same format ends up producing the same answers: the team knows the columns by heart and replies on autopilot. Switching formats is the easiest way to surface new topics.
This wheel gathers proven formats, from very short to deeply reflective. Each result shows facilitation notes: the columns or prompts to use, and the moment in a project when that format works best.
How to use it
- Pick the variant that fits your time box: express retro (under 30 minutes) or full retro.
- Spin the wheel at the start of the session, in front of the team: the draw doubles as an icebreaker.
- Read the notes shown with the result and set up the columns on a whiteboard or your online sticky-note tool.
- Always finish with one to three concrete actions, each with an owner and a due date.
All the options
- 4Ls
- Four columns: Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for. A great fit for the end of a project or a quarter.
- Mad Sad Glad
- Everyone sorts their feelings into mad, sad or glad. Useful when tension has built up: talk about emotions before talking about process.
- Starfish
- Five arms: stop, less of, keep, more of, start. More nuanced than Start Stop Continue, suited to an experienced team.
- Sailboat
- Draw a boat: wind (what pushes us), anchor (what holds us back), rocks (risks) and island (our goal). Perfect for agreeing on a direction.
- Timeline
- Map the sprint day by day, add the key events and a mood curve. Reveals what end-of-sprint memory tends to erase.
- Premortem
- Imagine the next sprint has failed: why? List the causes, then the countermeasures. Excellent before a risky deadline.
- Lean Coffee
- Everyone suggests topics, the team votes, and the top ones are discussed in five-minute slots. No fixed format: the team sets its own agenda.
- Pirate ship
- A sailboat twist: treasure (what we gained), pirates (outside threats), sirens (what lures us off course). More playful, popular with new teams.
- KALM
- Keep, Add, Less, More. Focuses on the practices to adjust, without revisiting feelings.
- Heroes and villains
- Who or what saved the sprint? What sabotaged it (a tool, a rule, a dependency)? Celebrates help without blaming anyone.
Frequently asked questions
How often should we change the retrospective format?
A new format every two or three retros is enough to keep people engaged. Keep a format longer if it produces good actions: variety should serve the team, not the other way round.
Which format is best for a first retrospective?
Start Stop Continue or Plus / Delta: few columns and obvious prompts. Metaphor-based formats (sailboat, pirate ship) work better once the team is used to speaking up.
How long should a retrospective last?
A common rule is 45 minutes per week of sprint, so 90 minutes for a two-week sprint. The express variant fits in under 30 minutes.
How do we stop a retro from turning into a blame session?
Remind everyone at the start that you are discussing facts and practices, not people. Formats centred on external obstacles (sailboat, heroes and villains) help depersonalise tension.