# Well Learnt Better Participants write one to three brief notes across three columns: What went well, What I learnt, and What could have gone better. The team clusters shared themes and commits to one immediate adjustment. **Time:** 15 minutes. Suggested 15-minute UWT timing within the 5 to 15 minute retrospective band from source evidence. **People:** 4 to 24. Individual silent reflection followed by whole-room clustering and plenary discussion ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Gather individual reflections on recent successes, new learnings, and friction points to agree on a practical next step. **Use it when:** At the close of a sprint, delivery milestone, or project phase when the team needs to capture operational lessons alongside successes and blockers. **Skip it when:** When an acute interpersonal conflict or severe incident requires an in-depth root cause investigation rather than a quick three-column scan. ## Materials and tools - Sticky notes (at least 9 notes per person) - Pens or markers (1 per person) - Whiteboard or wall space divided into three columns: What went well, What I learnt, What could have gone better - Timer ## Before participants arrive 1. Draw three vertical columns on a board or wall labeled: What went well, What I learnt, and What could have gone better. 2. Distribute pens and pads of sticky notes to every seat before starting. ## Say this to open Today we are running a quick retrospective across three columns: What went well, What I learnt, and What could have gone better. Take your sticky notes and write one to three items for each column in silence. We will then cluster them, review key insights, and pick one adjustment. ## How to run it ### 1. Introduce and write silently (4 minutes) State the three columns and start a 4-minute timer. Everyone works in silence. Each person writes 1 to 3 sticky notes per column. Example note for 'What I learnt': 'Automated test suite takes 40 minutes if triggered on every commit.' Participants who prefer not to submit notes may keep them private. ### 2. Post and cluster notes (3 minutes) Direct participants to post their notes directly under the corresponding columns. Instruct them to place notes near similar points they see already posted. The facilitator quickly merges duplicates and groups related notes into visible thematic clusters as they arrive. ### 3. Review prominent clusters (5 minutes) Read the largest clusters aloud, starting with positive highlights, moving to learnings, and ending on friction points. Invite brief clarifying remarks from up to 3 participants total across the top two clusters, capped at 30 seconds each, to leave time for the final action step. ### 4. Agree on one action and debrief (3 minutes) Ask the group to pick one concrete action based on the 'better' or 'learnt' clusters. Agree on a single change for the next work cycle, assign one owner, and log it on the board. If 1 minute remains, ask one optional debrief question from the run sheet. ## Debrief questions - Looking at what we learnt, which insight will alter how we work in our next cycle? - Which improvement from the board can we put in place today without outside approval? **Finished output:** A three-column board of clustered observations and at least one documented action item assigned to an owner. ## Remote Set up a digital board with three labeled columns. Give participants 4 minutes to create digital cards silently. Have participants move cards into loose clusters. The facilitator reads the top clusters aloud and logs the selected action in shared chat or a team tracker. ## Hybrid In-person and remote participants both access a single digital board from individual devices. Remote audio routes through the room speaker so all voices share the plenary discussion equally. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may submit typed notes, write by hand, or dictate points to a peer. - Participants can pass on writing notes or speaking during plenary review without justification. ## If the session gets stuck **Participants mix up 'What I learnt' with 'What could have gone better'.** Remind the room that 'Learnt' captures new knowledge, discoveries, or tested facts, while 'Better' captures friction, obstacles, and process bottlenecks. **The board has too many notes to discuss in five minutes.** Focus whole-room reading strictly on clusters containing three or more notes, leaving single isolated notes for the written log. ## Terms used here - Retrospective: A structured team review meeting held at the end of a work cycle to evaluate past performance and adjust future practice. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in EasyRetro template library, attributed to user Jodie. Retained the three core columns (What went well, What I learnt, What could have gone better) and the 1 to 3 items rule from the EasyRetro template. UWT added silent writing steps, strict speaker limits in plenary review, and a single-action wrap-up incorporating the optional debrief questions within 15 minutes. [EasyRetro](https://easyretro.io/templates/well-learnt-better/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/well-learnt-better/