4Ls retrospective template

Look back through four Ls: what you liked, learned, lacked and longed for. It draws out learning as well as problems.

Use this template

Opens a new board from it in Stetley Board. Sign in with your email first if you haven’t: no password, no card.

The board

Four columns: Liked, Learned, Lacked and Longed for. It works well at the end of a project or a quarter, when there’s more to reflect on than one sprint.

How to run it in 45 minutes

Stetley Board walks the room through these steps, with a timer for each and a guide for the facilitator. Change the times to suit you.

1. Set the scene 2 min

   Four columns: Liked, Learned, Lacked and Longed for. The first two look back; the last two name what was missing.

2. Write alone 8 min

   One thought per note, in the column where it belongs.

3. Read and group 9 min

   Read every column. Stack notes that say the same thing, and spot Lacked and Longed for notes that point at the same gap.

4. Turn learning into practice 7 min

   Pick something from Learned: how could the whole team use it? Then pick a Longed for note: what is the smallest step toward it?

5. Pick 6 min

   Vote for the most original and the most doable — they're different. Select a note, then tap ✦ Original or ✓ Doable on the bar above it.

6. Turn into actions 10 min

   For the top Lacked and Longed for notes, write the very next action and who owns it: "When ___ happens, I'll ___."

7. Wrap up 3 min

   Nice work — the board is saved, and the summary is ready to download. What's one thing you're taking away?

Tips

• Learned is the column teams skip: give it a minute of its own.
• Longed for often holds the best ideas for next time. Vote on those first.

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