Retrospective Checklist
Make a retrospective checklist for before, during and after the retro, so the team gathers facts, everyone is heard and the actions actually happen.
- Free
- No sign-up to try
- Works as you type
3 stages, 14 steps
1. Before the retro
- Pick a facilitator, ideally not the team lead
- Choose a format, such as went well, to improve and actions
- Gather the facts: what was delivered, metrics, incidents
- Check what happened to the actions from the last retro
- Book the time and tell people the format
2. During the retro
- Restate the purpose: improve how we work, not blame people
- Give everyone quiet time to write their own notes first
- Group similar notes and vote on what to discuss
- Discuss the top themes and look for causes
- Agree two or three actions, each with an owner and a date
3. After the retro
- Share the notes and actions with the team
- Add the actions to the backlog or board
- Check progress on actions at the next planning meeting
- Ask the team what to change about the retro itself
Free, no sign-up to try. Your checklist becomes a Room you can edit, publish and share.
How it works
How the Retrospective Checklist works
- 1
Pick the stages
Keep the stages you need and name an owner for each.
- 2
Add your own steps
Add steps specific to your team or product.
- 3
Share the checklist
Create a Room everyone ticks off together from one link.
Worked example
What it makes
1. Before the retro
Come in with facts, a format and last time's actions.
- Pick a facilitator, ideally not the team lead
- Choose a format, such as went well, to improve and actions
- Gather the facts: what was delivered, metrics, incidents
- Check what happened to the actions from the last retro
- Book the time and tell people the format
2. During the retro
Everyone is heard and the team leaves with a few real actions.
- Restate the purpose: improve how we work, not blame people
- Give everyone quiet time to write their own notes first
- Group similar notes and vote on what to discuss
- Discuss the top themes and look for causes
- Agree two or three actions, each with an owner and a date
3. After the retro
The actions actually happen.
- Share the notes and actions with the team
- Add the actions to the backlog or board
- Check progress on actions at the next planning meeting
- Ask the team what to change about the retro itself
Who it's for
Who uses it
Scrum masters
Run retros that end with real actions.
Project leads
Hold a useful review at the end of a project.
First-time facilitators
Follow proven steps without a script.
Good to know
What to consider
- This is a checklist for running the retro, not a voting board: collect notes in your usual tool or on a whiteboard.
Questions
About the Retrospective Checklist
Does it include a board for sticky notes and votes?
No. It's a step-by-step checklist for preparing, running and following up the retro. Collect and vote on notes wherever your team already does.
Where do the steps come from?
From a step library written and reviewed by people, not generated per visitor. Pick the stages you need, name an owner for each and add your own steps.
Make your checklist now
Free, no sign-up to try. It becomes a Room you can edit, publish and share.
Create my checklistRelated
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