About the 4 L's Retrospective Template
After a sprint ends, it’s easy to jump to the next project without pausing to reflect. The 4 L's Retrospective template offers a simple but effective framework to make sure that learning happens. It guides your team to look at your work from four different angles: what you liked, what you learned, what you lacked, and what you longed for. This method encourages a balanced conversation, focusing not just on challenges but also on celebrating successes and acknowledging new discoveries.
How to Use the 4 L's Retrospective Template
Break the ice. Start with a quick warm-up activity to get everyone comfortable and ready to share openly. A fun prompt is included to get you started: "If this sprint were an animal, what would it be?"
Fill out the four L's. Give your team time to add their thoughts to each of the four categories. Encourage everyone to post notes on what they Liked (wins and successes), Learned (new insights), Lacked (missing resources or information), and Longed for (tools or support they wish they had).
Discuss the findings. Once the board is filled with ideas, group similar notes together to spot common themes. Talk through the patterns as a team, making sure everyone’s voice is heard.
Define your next steps. Use the insights from your discussion to create a clear action plan. You can use the AI Action Plan feature to generate tasks based on your retro. The template includes a table to define each "Action / Next Step," explain "Why It's Important," set "Success Criteria," and assign an "Owner," "Due Date," and "Priority." This ensures your reflections lead to real improvements in the next sprint.
Why Use the 4 L's Retrospective Template?
Have a more balanced conversation. The 4 L's framework ensures you cover both positive and negative feedback. This leads to a more constructive and holistic discussion than a meeting focused only on problems.
Keep your retrospectives focused and fast. The four simple prompts provide just enough structure to guide the conversation without getting bogged down in unnecessary complexity. It’s a quick way to get valuable insights and move forward.
Turn discussion into direct action. A retrospective is only useful if it leads to change. This template connects your team’s reflections directly to a prioritized action plan, creating accountability and driving continuous improvement.
