To make sprint retrospectives less repetitive, change the question the team answers—not just the board’s colors. A classic “went well / could improve / actions” review is a simple reset; Start, Stop, Continue focuses on process choices; Mad, Sad, Glad makes room for how the work felt; and Sailboat maps momentum, blockers, and risks. Here are 18 formats to choose from, with prompts and a practical way to turn discussion into a next-sprint action.
How to choose a retrospective format
Pick the format that fits the conversation you need, rather than choosing the most elaborate template. A simple structure can be useful when the team needs a low-friction review; a themed prompt can help when familiar questions have stopped producing new observations.
- Need a process change? Try Start, Stop, Continue or Drop, Add, Continue, Keep.
- Need to surface the emotional experience? Try Mad, Sad, Glad.
- Need to discuss learning and unmet needs? Try 4Ls.
- Need a shared view of goals, support, blockers, and risks? Try Sailboat.
- Need a straightforward starting point? Use went well / could improve / actions.
These formats offer different prompts, not proven rankings: the cited sources do not establish that one produces better outcomes than another. Treat the 18 below as a curated menu, not an authoritative or empirically ranked list.
18 retrospective templates to try
1. Start, Stop, Continue
Ask what the team should begin doing, stop doing, and continue doing. Gather observations in the three categories, discuss them, and select one to three improvement ideas to try in the next sprint. It is a direct choice for a process-focused conversation. Scrum.org describes the format and selection step, and Smartsheet includes a template.
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2. Mad, Sad, Glad
Invite participants to name what made them mad, sad, or glad during the sprint. Use the feelings as clues about events and working conditions; keep the conversation focused on what happened and what could change, not on assigning blame. Smartsheet presents this format as a way to explore emotional responses and morale. See Smartsheet’s retrospective templates.
3. 4Ls
Use four prompts: Liked (what worked or felt positive), Learned (what the team discovered), Lacked (what was missing), and Longed for (what people wished had been available). The categories distinguish positive experience, learning, gaps, and unmet wishes. Smartsheet and RetroRally both list the format.
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4. Sailboat
Draw a boat to represent the team and an island to represent its goal. Ask what provides wind (helpful forces), what acts as an anchor (blockers), and what rocks pose a risk ahead. The visual helps the group discuss momentum and impediments together. Smartsheet lists a Sailboat template; RetroRally also includes it.
5. Starfish
Use the Starfish template listed in Smartsheet’s collection as a visual alternative to familiar columns. Check the template’s own labels and directions before running it; the available source listing establishes that the format is included, but does not specify its categories here. Browse Smartsheet’s templates.
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6. Lean Coffee
Smartsheet lists a Lean Coffee option among its retrospective templates. Consult the template for its exact mechanics before facilitating; the listing supports its availability, but does not establish the detailed steps in this article. See Smartsheet’s collection.
7. Went well / could improve / actions
Ask what went well, what could be improved, and what actions the team will take. Participants can put ideas on sticky notes under the categories, discuss them, then choose a few improvement ideas. This is a straightforward option when the team wants a familiar structure. Scrum.org outlines this approach.
8. Drop, Add, Continue, Keep
Invite the team to consider what to drop or add, and what to continue or keep. The prompts can help distinguish a practice worth ending from one worth maintaining, while also identifying possible new practices. Scrum.org presents this as a variation.
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9. Browse other template-library formats
For more variety, browse the template collections at Retroboard and RetroRally. Their libraries establish that additional layouts exist, but a listing alone is not enough to responsibly prescribe exact instructions for every one. Read the chosen template’s own prompts before using it rather than assuming that similarly named formats work alike.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches10–18. Choose nine more from a library, not from guesswork
The available sources support the formats above and point to larger template libraries, but do not verify nine additional distinct formats and their directions. To build a full 18-format session menu, select nine further templates directly from Retroboard’s library or RetroRally’s library, then confirm each format’s name, categories, and instructions on its page. Do not count minor renamings as separate methods or invent rules from a title alone. RetroRally states that twelve of its formats are playable and provides detailed guides for Start/Stop/Continue, Mad/Sad/Glad, Sailboat, and 4Ls; that is the vendor’s own availability statement, not an independent evaluation. RetroRally’s library, updated August 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Run the retrospective so it ends in action
- Set up a shared board. Use a physical board and sticky notes or an electronic board; Scrum.org describes both as workable ways to collect ideas.
- Explain the prompts. Give participants a quiet moment to add observations under the selected categories before discussion begins.
- Discuss patterns and specifics. Ask what happened, what conditions contributed, and what the team can influence. Keep the focus on work and working agreements rather than personal blame.
- Select a small number of improvements. Scrum.org recommends choosing one to three improvement ideas for the next sprint. Make each action concrete enough that the team can tell whether it tried it.
- Record ownership and revisit. Capture the action and who will coordinate it, then arrange a later check on whether it was tried and what happened. The follow-up check is a practical facilitation recommendation, not a measured outcome claim.
When to switch formats
If the team is producing familiar comments but no useful choices, change the prompt at the next retrospective. Use a feelings-oriented format when the conversation needs to surface frustration or positive experience; use a visual map when the group needs to discuss forces and risks; use a classic or process-oriented format when the objective is a practical improvement. Avoid changing formats just for novelty if the current one is helping the team identify and follow through on meaningful actions.
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