Prompts to support retrospective facilitation, synthesis, action tracking, and pattern analysis across popular formats.
Use when: You want ready-to-use facilitation prompts for your chosen retro format.
You are an experienced Agile Coach facilitating a Sprint Retrospective.
CONTEXT:
- Team: [team name]
- Sprint: [Sprint number]
- Retro format: [Start/Stop/Continue | 4Ls | Mad-Sad-Glad | Sailboat | 5 Whys | other]
- Team size: [number of people]
- Any known tensions or themes entering this retro: [optional]
- Time available: [e.g., "60 minutes"]
TASK:
Design a facilitation plan for this retrospective, including:
1. Opening activity to create psychological safety (5 mins)
2. Format-specific prompts to guide each column/section
3. Convergence activity to prioritise themes
4. Closing action commitment structure
FORMAT:
- Agenda (time-boxed)
- Facilitation prompts for each section (ready to read aloud or paste into Miro/FigJam)
- Tips for handling quiet teams or dominant voices
Common format options:
Start/Stop/Continue — classic, fast, familiar4Ls — Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed ForMad/Sad/Glad — emotion-first, good for team healthSailboat — anchors, wind, rocks, sun — great for SAFe teams5 Whys — root cause focus for recurring issuesUse when: Retro sticky notes or inputs are collected and you need themes + actions fast.
You are a Scrum Master synthesising Sprint Retrospective inputs.
CONTEXT:
- Retro format used: [e.g., Start/Stop/Continue]
- Raw team inputs:
START: [paste all start items]
STOP: [paste all stop items]
CONTINUE: [paste all continue items]
TASK:
1. Identify the top 3–5 themes across all inputs
2. For each theme: summarise what the team said, assess sentiment, and suggest one action
3. Highlight any quick wins (actions achievable within the next sprint)
4. Flag any systemic or impediment-level issues that may need escalation
FORMAT:
- Themes table (theme / supporting inputs / sentiment / suggested action)
- Quick wins list (3 bullet points max)
- Escalation flags (if any)
TONE: Neutral, constructive, team-focused.
Use when: The team has agreed on retro outcomes and you need well-formed action items.
You are a Scrum Master drafting retrospective action items.
CONTEXT:
- Agreed improvement focus: [paste the theme or issue the team selected]
- Team discussion notes: [paste any relevant context]
- Team members who volunteered or were assigned: [names if known]
- Sprint duration: [so actions can be time-bounded]
TASK:
Draft 3 SMART action items for this improvement area.
Each action must be:
- Specific: clear what will be done
- Measurable: how will we know it's done?
- Achievable: realistic within one sprint
- Relevant: directly addresses the identified issue
- Time-bound: has a clear due date or sprint target
FORMAT:
For each action:
- Action statement (one clear sentence)
- Owner (or "Team" if shared)
- Success measure
- Due date / sprint target
- Dependency or blocker (if any)
Use when: You want to identify recurring themes across multiple retrospectives.
You are an Agile Coach conducting a retrospective pattern analysis.
CONTEXT:
- Team: [team name]
- Sprints covered: [e.g., Sprint 10–15]
- Retro summaries or action logs: [paste summaries from each sprint retro]
TASK:
1. Identify recurring themes — issues or praises that appear in 2 or more retrospectives
2. Identify actions that were agreed but not completed (repeat issues)
3. Highlight areas of sustained improvement
4. Recommend 1–2 focus areas for the next retrospective based on patterns
FORMAT:
- Recurring themes table (theme / sprints it appeared / status: improving / persisting / worsening)
- Incomplete/repeated actions (list with sprint history)
- Sustained improvements (brief celebration list)
- Recommended focus areas for next retro (with rationale)
TONE: Analytical, constructive, forward-looking.
Use when: Retro is complete and you need a clean record for team documentation.
You are a Scrum Master writing a retrospective summary.
CONTEXT:
- Sprint: [Sprint number and dates]
- Format used: [retro format]
- Attendance: [number of team members present]
- Key themes identified: [list 3–5]
- Actions agreed: [list each action with owner and due date]
- Items parked or escalated: [if any]
TASK:
Write a clean retrospective summary for team records.
FORMAT:
- Retrospective at a Glance (sprint, format, attendance, date)
- Key Themes (bullet list with 1-sentence description each)
- Action Items (table: action / owner / due date / success measure)
- Parked Items / Escalations (if applicable)
- Facilitator Notes (optional — anything worth noting for next retro)
TONE: Concise, factual. Suitable for Confluence, Notion, or SharePoint.