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Your Sprint Retro

A Quick Guide for New Team Members

What's a Retro?

A retrospective happens at the end of every sprint. Think of it as a pit stop — we check what's working, what's not, and adjust before getting back on the track.

It's not a blame game. It's a safe space to get better together, one sprint at a time.

How Our Retros Work

Everyone is working on their own project, so each person gives a short retro on their sprint. We then come together to discuss shared themes — processes, tools, and ways of working that affect everyone.

The Format: Start, Stop, Continue

For your individual retro, think about three things:

  • Start — What should you begin doing?
  • Stop — What isn't working?
  • Continue — What's going well that you should keep doing?

The Session (1–2 hours)

  1. Set the Scene (5 mins) — Ground rules, no-blame zone.
  2. Individual Retros (5–10 mins each) — Each person talks through their sprint: what they worked on, what went well, what was tricky, and any wins. Keep it focused — you don't need to cover everything, just the highlights and the honest bits.
  3. Group Discussion (15–20 mins) — After everyone has presented, we look for common themes across projects. Are multiple people hitting the same blockers? Is a tool or process helping everyone? This is where the shared learning happens.
  4. Decide on Actions (10–15 mins) — We agree on 1–3 group action items for the next sprint — things like process changes, tooling improvements, or ways to support each other. Each action gets an owner. No owner = no action.
  5. Close & Appreciate (5 mins) — Quick shout-outs. Positivity is fuel.

Preparing (10–15 mins before the session)

Jot down 2–3 things for each category. Some prompts:

  • What surprised you this sprint?
  • Was there a moment you felt stuck?
  • Did any process or tool feel clunky?
  • What was the highlight?
  • Is there something you wish you'd done differently?

Using AI to Help You Prepare

You're welcome to use AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — whatever you prefer) as a brainstorming buddy. A great way to use them is to point them at your actual sprint artefacts:

"Here's my kanban board / sprint outline / GitHub activity for the last two weeks. Can you help me identify: what tasks were completed, what took longer than expected, what went well, what could be improved, and any wins worth celebrating?"

This gives you a solid starting point — just make sure the final points reflect your real experience in your own words.

What Makes a Great Retro Participant?

  • Be honest — Say what you actually think.
  • Be kind — Critique the process, not the people.
  • Be curious — Ask questions, don't assume.
  • Listen — The best insights often come from someone else's perspective.
  • Follow through — If you own an action, do it.

Final Thoughts

Retros are how good teams become great teams. Don't worry about getting it perfect — just be honest, be kind, and be curious.

The best retro insight might come from the newest person in the room. That's you. Your fresh eyes are a superpower.