Column 1
Went Well
Which outcomes, decisions, or practices helped this sprint succeed?
Example cards
- Early API testing exposed an integration gap.
- The smaller stories made progress visible.
- The release owner kept stakeholders aligned.
Ready-to-use template
Classic Sprint Retrospective
The Classic Sprint format is a dependable default for teams that want balanced evidence without learning a metaphor. It pairs improvement discussion with strengths and appreciation so the meeting does not become a defect inventory.
- Duration
- 30–40 minutes
- Team size
- 3–12 people
- Best for
- Routine sprint reviews, newer teams, and a clear balanced default
What each column means
Use the prompts to keep cards specific. The examples show the level of detail that makes discussion and voting useful.
Column 2
To Improve
Where did the team lose time, quality, clarity, or confidence?
Example cards
- Refinement missed an important dependency.
- Reviews waited too long near sprint end.
- The test environment differed from production.
Column 3
Shout Outs
Who helped the team, and what useful behavior should be repeated?
Example cards
- Mina paired through the rollback plan.
- Support summarized customer reports clearly.
- Lee challenged an assumption before implementation.
30–40 minutes agenda
A complete path from framing the room to assigning one concrete follow-up.
- 013 minutes
Frame the review
Name the sprint or project being reviewed, restate the purpose of each column, and remind everyone to describe observable events.
- 027 minutes
Write observations silently
Give everyone uninterrupted time to add one specific observation per card across every column.
- 037 minutes
Share and clarify
Read the cards column by column and let authors add context without debating solutions yet.
- 045 minutes
Group and vote
Combine cards that describe the same pattern, then vote for the themes that would most improve the next iteration.
- 0510 minutes
Discuss the leading themes
Explore causes, consequences, and tradeoffs behind the highest-voted themes while making space for dissenting evidence.
- 065 minutes
Commit to one change
Turn the strongest insight into a small action with an owner, deadline, and signal the team can review next time.
Use this format when
- The team wants a familiar low-explanation format.
- A sprint included both wins and improvement opportunities.
- New participants need an accessible first retrospective.
Choose another format when
- The same format has become automatic and repetitive.
- The team needs a deeper risk or emotional-health discussion.
- A complex release needs more forward-looking prompts.
Facilitation tips
- Request evidence rather than broad labels.
- Discuss why Went Well items worked so they can be protected.
- Keep Shout Outs specific to helpful behavior.
- Group improvement cards before voting.
- Carry the chosen action into the next sprint review.
Useful variations
Async classic retro
Collect cards before the meeting and reserve live time for clarification, voting, and actions.
New-team edition
Add a short working-agreement check before the three standard columns.
Release edition
Review the entire release window and include collaborators outside the delivery squad.
Before the retro
Recommended warm-up
This or That
Use a quick, low-pressure choice round before the retrospective begins.
Frequently asked questions
What are the columns in a classic sprint retrospective?
This version uses Went Well, To Improve, and Shout Outs to balance strengths, friction, and recognition.
Is the classic format good for a first retrospective?
Yes. The prompts are easy to explain, require no metaphor, and give new teams a balanced conversation structure.
How do you avoid a repetitive classic retro?
Change the scope, ask for evidence, review the previous action first, and occasionally switch to a more specialized format.
What should happen after voting?
Discuss the highest-impact theme and create one small, owned improvement with a date or signal for review.
Related retrospective templates
Run this Classic Sprint Retrospective
Open the ready-made columns, invite the team, collect observations, vote, and leave with an owned improvement.