Actions for Retrospectives

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Identify specific, agreed action commitments from retrospective observations across four structured lenses.

Use it when: Use at the end of an iteration, project phase, or team event when a group needs to move past simple critique and commit to concrete changes.

Skip it when: Skip when the group has not completed shared work yet or when there is active, unresolved crisis requiring immediate emergency intervention rather than retrospective reflection.

Group arrangement: Subgroups of 4 to 8 people per matrix board. For groups of 4 to 8, work as one whole team. For larger groups, divide evenly into subgroups of 4 to 8 (for example, 9 divides into 4 and 5; 10 into two 5s; 11 into 5 and 6).

Timing: Source specifies 1 hour for a standard run.

Materials and tools

• 1 large whiteboard or flip chart paper per group of 4 to 8 participants
• 4 colors of sticky notes (at least 1 pad per color per group)
• 1 marker per participant
• Masking tape (if hanging flip charts)

Before participants arrive

1. Draw a large 2x2 matrix on each poster board with a central box labeled Actions.
2. Label the four surrounding quadrants: Appreciations (top left), Wishes (top right), Puzzles (bottom left), and Risks (bottom right).
3. Distribute sticky notes, assigning one specific color to each of the four categories.

Say this to open

Today we are reviewing our recent work using four distinct perspectives: Appreciations, Wishes, Puzzles, and Risks. We will write our observations quietly on sticky notes first, post and group them, and then use the central box to agree on concrete actions we commit to taking for the next cycle.

How to run it

1. Introduce the matrix 5 minutes

   Show the board layout. Define the four quadrants clearly: Appreciations (what you liked during the cycle), Wishes (your picture of an ideal next cycle, not minor fixes), Puzzles (open questions you cannot answer yet), and Risks (future pitfalls that could disrupt work). Direct people to write one idea per sticky note using the assigned color for that category.

2. Generate reflections silently 20 minutes

   Participants write notes quietly. Allocate 5 minutes for each category in order: start with Appreciations, move to Wishes, then Puzzles, and finish with Risks. For example, a neutral puzzle note might read: 'We do not know who owns vendor escalations after 5 PM.' Participants may pass on any category if they have nothing to add.

3. Post and cluster notes 15 minutes

   Participants walk up to their matrix and post their notes in the matching quadrant. Working together in silence or with low conversation, the group groups similar or duplicate notes into clusters. Have the group give a quick label to each major cluster.

4. Formulate central actions 15 minutes

   The group reviews the clusters, discussing feasibility and impact. Guide the team to translate the most critical insights into concrete, owner-assigned commitments written directly into the central Actions box. Aim for 2 to 4 clear action items that the team agrees to take on.

5. Review and close 5 minutes

   Read aloud the committed actions in the central box. Confirm that each action has a clear owner and a completion check date. Up to 3 participants may share one final takeaway about the chosen commitments.

Debrief questions

• Which puzzle or risk generated our most important action today?
• How do these agreed actions address the wishes we mapped on the board?
• What is one thing we need to do differently starting tomorrow to protect these commitments?

Finished output: A completed matrix with clustered notes around the perimeter and 2 to 4 agreed action commitments written in the center square with assigned owners.

Remote

Create an online whiteboard with the 2x2 matrix and central Actions box. Set up four pre-colored digital sticky note banks matching the quadrants. Participants type and place notes on the board individually during the timed segments, cluster them using video audio or text chat, and document agreed actions in the center box.

Hybrid

Remote and in-person team members must work on the same shared digital board. In-person participants use individual laptops or paired terminals to input notes so remote colleagues can read, move, and cluster notes simultaneously. Broadcast the digital board on the main room screen.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may write privately on scratch paper before posting or choose not to submit notes for any category without explanation.
• Writing assistance can be provided by pairing or allowing verbal dictation directly to the facilitator.
• Physical movement around the board is optional; a teammate or facilitator can post notes on someone's behalf.

If the session gets stuck

Participants start writing solutions instead of observations in the four outer quadrants.

Remind the group that the outer four areas are only for observations, reflections, and questions. Re-route proposed solutions to the central Actions box during the discussion step.

The team generates too many central actions to execute realistically.

Use dot-voting or ask the group to select a maximum of 3 top-priority actions that can be completed within the upcoming cycle.

Terms used here

• Appreciations: Positive elements, successful practices, or helpful behaviors observed during the previous cycle.
• Wishes: Aspirational descriptions of an ideal future state or process, rather than immediate tactical fixes.
• Puzzles: Unresolved questions or uncertainties from the work cycle for which the team currently has no clear answer.
• Risks: Potential future obstacles, vulnerabilities, or pitfalls that could endanger future work.