4L retrospective

The 4L Retrospective is a popular and effective format that helps teams reflect on their sprint through four complementary dimensions, each starting with the letter L:

• Liked: What did team members enjoy during the sprint? Positive experiences, successful collaborations, or satisfying achievements.
• Learned: What new knowledge or skills did the team acquire? Lessons learned through successes or mistakes.
• Lacked: What was missing? Resources, information, support, or tools that would have helped the team perform better.
• Longed for: What does the team wish for? Aspirations, improvements, or changes they hope to see in the future.

The strength of this format lies in its balanced approach. While "Liked" and "Learned" focus on positive reflection, "Lacked" and "Longed for" encourage the team to look forward and identify areas for growth without being overly negative.

This format is particularly effective for teams that want to maintain a constructive and forward-looking atmosphere during their retrospectives. The four dimensions provide enough structure to guide the conversation while leaving room for open and honest discussion.

After sharing their thoughts, the team votes on the most impactful topics and defines actionable improvements for the upcoming sprint.