Retrospective Sessions Guide
Conduct structured team retrospectives to reflect, learn, and continuously improve your agile processes.
On this page:
What Are Retrospectives?
Retrospectives are structured team reflection sessions that help agile teams inspect and adapt their processes. They provide a safe space to celebrate successes, identify problems, and create actionable improvements.
Key Features
Multiple Formats
Choose from 4 proven retrospective formats to suit your team's needs
Real-time Collaboration
Team members submit and vote on feedback in real-time
Anonymous Feedback
Optional anonymous submissions for psychological safety
Action Items
Track concrete action items with assignments and due dates
Who Can Create Retrospectives?
Team Owners, Scrum Masters, and Product Owners can create and manage retrospectives. All team members can participate, add feedback, and vote during active sessions.
Creating a Retrospective
Navigate to Retrospectives
Click "Retrospectives" in the main navigation, then "Create Retrospective".
Fill in Basic Information
Select which team this retrospective is for
Descriptive title (e.g., "Sprint 23 Retrospective")
Optional context about sprint goals or focus areas
Choose a Format
Select the retrospective format that best suits your goals (see formats below).
Link to Jira Sprint (Optional)
If your team has Jira integration enabled, you can link this retrospective to a specific sprint.
Configure Settings
- Allow anonymous feedback: Enable anonymous submissions
- AI sentiment analysis: Analyze emotional tone of feedback (coming soon)
- AI theme detection: Identify common themes automatically (coming soon)
- AI action items: Get suggested action items from feedback (coming soon)
Retrospective Formats
Start / Stop / Continue
Classic format focusing on actionable changes.
Start
What should we begin doing?
Stop
What should we stop doing?
Continue
What should we keep doing?
Best for: Teams wanting clear, action-oriented feedback and quick iteration.
Mad / Sad / Glad
Emotion-based reflection on the sprint.
😠 Mad
What frustrated us?
😢 Sad
What disappointed us?
😊 Glad
What made us happy?
Best for: Understanding team sentiment and morale, identifying emotional blockers.
4 L's (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For)
Comprehensive reflection framework for deep analysis.
Liked
What did we enjoy?
Learned
What insights did we gain?
Lacked
What was missing?
Longed For
What do we wish we had?
Best for: Deep, holistic sprint analysis with focus on learning and growth.
Sailboat
Metaphorical approach using a sailing journey.
⛵ Wind
What pushed us forward?
⚓ Anchor
What held us back?
🪨 Rocks
What risks did we face?
🏝️ Island
What goals are we aiming for?
Best for: Creative teams preferring visual metaphors and forward-looking discussions.
Conducting a Retrospective Session
Session States
1. Starting the Session
Click "Start Retrospective" to begin collecting feedback.
- Share the link with all team members
- Team members can immediately start adding feedback
- Set expectations for timing and participation
2. Feedback Collection Phase
Allow 10-15 minutes for team to add their thoughts.
- Encourage specific, actionable feedback
- Silent writing prevents groupthink
- Anonymous option available if enabled
3. Voting & Prioritization
Team votes on feedback items to prioritize discussion.
- Each member upvotes important items
- Items sorted by vote count
- Focus discussion on top-voted topics
4. Discussion
Facilitate discussion on prioritized feedback.
- Time-box each topic (2-5 minutes)
- Identify root causes and solutions
- Capture insights and decisions
5. Action Items
Convert discussions into concrete action items.
- Assign ownership and due dates
- Keep items specific and achievable
- Limit to 2-3 high-impact actions
6. Closing
Wrap up and mark session as complete.
- Review action items and commitments
- Thank team for participation
- Click "Complete Retrospective"
Managing Feedback
Submitting Feedback
- Select the appropriate category column
- Type your feedback in the text area
- Optionally check "Post anonymously"
- Click "Add Feedback"
Voting on Feedback
Prioritize important topics through voting:
- Click the upvote button on any feedback item
- Vote count updates in real-time
- Click again to remove your vote
- No limit on number of votes
Deleting Feedback
You can delete feedback if you are:
- The feedback creator
- The retrospective facilitator
- The retrospective creator
💡 Feedback Tips
- Be specific and provide context
- Focus on processes, not people
- Frame negatives as improvement opportunities
- Include both positive and constructive feedback
Action Items
Creating Actionable Outcomes
Creating an Action Item
- Click "+ Create Action Item"
- Enter a clear description of what needs to be done
- Assign to a team member (optional)
- Set priority: Low, Medium, or High
- Set a due date (optional)
- Click "Create Action Item"
Managing Action Items
Click the checkbox when task is finished
Click checkbox again to mark as pending
Click trash icon (creator, assignee, or facilitator only)
View all action items with status indicators
Action Item Best Practices
- Be specific: "Review stand-up format" → "Reduce stand-up to 10 minutes by using async updates"
- Limit quantity: Focus on 2-3 high-impact actions per retrospective
- Assign ownership: Every action needs a clear owner
- Set deadlines: Create urgency and accountability
- Follow up: Review previous action items at next retrospective
Jira Integration
Linking Retrospectives to Sprints
If your team has Jira integration enabled, you can link retrospectives to specific Jira sprints. This helps track improvements alongside sprint performance metrics.
When Creating a Retrospective
- Select your team (must have Jira connected)
- Choose a Jira sprint from the dropdown
- Sprint details (dates, name) are automatically populated
- Create the retrospective as normal
Benefits
- Track retrospectives alongside sprint data
- Correlate feedback with sprint performance
- Maintain historical sprint improvement records
- Reference sprint goals during discussions
Note: Jira integration must be configured at the team level before you can link sprints. See the Jira Integration guide for setup instructions.
Best Practices
Before the Retrospective
- Schedule appropriately: Allow 45-90 minutes depending on team size
- Choose the right format: Match format to your goals and team maturity
- Set clear expectations: Communicate purpose and desired outcomes
- Review previous actions: Check status of items from last retrospective
- Prepare the facilitator: Assign experienced team member to guide discussion
During the Retrospective
- Create psychological safety: Encourage honest, constructive feedback
- Time-box activities: Keep discussions focused and productive
- Facilitate actively: Guide without dominating the conversation
- Use voting: Let the team democratically prioritize topics
- Focus on solutions: Move from problems to actionable improvements
- Document insights: Capture key learnings for future reference
After the Retrospective
- Review action items: Ensure clarity and realistic scope
- Share outcomes: Communicate improvements to stakeholders
- Track completion: Follow up on action item progress
- Reference history: Learn from past retrospectives
- Iterate format: Try different formats to keep engagement high
Facilitation Tips
- Prime the pump: Add first feedback item to get started
- Encourage quieter voices: Ensure all perspectives heard
- Keep it balanced: Address both positives and negatives
- Avoid blame: Focus on processes and systems
- Celebrate wins: Acknowledge successes and improvements
- Be time-aware: Respect team members' schedules
- Follow the data: Let votes guide discussion priorities
- End on positivity: Conclude with hope and commitment
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Skipping retrospectives: They seem low-priority when busy, but provide highest ROI
- No action follow-through: Action items without accountability become cynicism
- Dominated by loud voices: Ensure equal participation from all team members
- Same format forever: Teams get bored; rotate formats to maintain engagement
- Blaming individuals: Focus on system improvements, not personal criticism
- Too many action items: Limit to 2-3 high-impact actions you'll actually complete
Permissions & Access
| Action | Who Can Do It |
|---|---|
| Create Retrospective | Team Owner, Scrum Master, Product Owner |
| View Retrospective | All team members |
| Add Feedback | All team members (during In Progress state) |
| Vote on Feedback | All team members |
| Delete Feedback | Creator, Facilitator, Retrospective Creator |
| Create Action Item | All team members |
| Complete/Reopen Action Item | All team members |
| Delete Action Item | Creator, Assignee, Facilitator, Retrospective Creator |
| Start/Complete Session | Facilitator, Retrospective Creator, Team Owners |
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