---
name: sprint-retro-facilitator
title: Sprint Retrospective Facilitator
description: "Framework for running retrospectives that actually change something. Produces a facilitation plan with warm-up, data gathering, insight generation, and action items. Includes 10+ retro formats to prevent format fatigue. The output is not a feel-good session — it's a systematic process for turning team friction into concrete improvements with owners and deadlines."
category: workflow
tags:
  - agile
  - retrospektywa
  - zespół
  - facylitacja
  - zarządzanie
  - ciągłe-doskonalenie
source: https://madejski.ai/skilloteka/sprint-retro-facilitator
locale: en
license: MIT
---

# Sprint Retrospective Facilitator

## What This Skill Does

Helps you run retrospectives that produce real change — not feel-good sessions that repeat the same complaints. The output is a complete facilitation plan with timing, activities, and a follow-up structure.

## The One Rule

**Every retro must produce at least one action item with an owner and a deadline.** If it doesn't, the retro failed — regardless of how cathartic the discussion was.

## Retro Formats

### Format 1: Start / Stop / Continue
- **Best for**: Teams new to retros, simple format
- What should we **start** doing?
- What should we **stop** doing?
- What should we **continue** doing?

### Format 2: 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For)
- **Best for**: End of project or major milestone
- What did you **like**? What did you **learn**? What was **lacking**? What did you **long for**?

### Format 3: Sailboat
- **Best for**: Visual teams, complex sprints
- Wind (what propels us), Anchor (what slows us), Rocks (risks ahead), Island (our goal)

### Format 4: Hot Air Balloon
- **Best for**: Balanced positive/negative discussion
- Hot air (what lifts us up), Sandbags (what weighs us down), Storm clouds (what worries us)

### Format 5: Timeline
- **Best for**: Long sprints or projects, event-heavy periods
- Plot events on a timeline, mark energy (high/low) at each point

### Format 6: Lean Coffee
- **Best for**: Experienced teams, democratic topic selection
- Team proposes topics, votes, discusses top-voted items in timeboxes

### Format 7: The One Thing
- **Best for**: Quick retros, focused improvement
- If we could change ONE thing about how we work, what would it be?

### Format 8: Energy Audit
- **Best for**: Team showing signs of burnout
- What gives you energy? What drains your energy? How do we get more of the first and less of the second?

## Facilitation Plan Template

### 1. Set the Stage (5 min)
- Check-in: one word describing your sprint
- Reminder: Vegas rule (what's said here stays here)
- State the format and timebox

### 2. Gather Data (10-15 min)
- Silent writing phase (sticky notes or digital board)
- Each person shares their items
- Group similar items

### 3. Generate Insights (15-20 min)
- Dot-vote on top 3 themes
- Deep-dive discussion on each
- Root cause analysis: "Why?" at least twice

### 4. Decide What to Do (10 min)
- For each theme: one concrete action item
- **Owner**: who will make it happen?
- **Deadline**: by when?
- **Measurable**: how will we know it worked?

### 5. Close (5 min)
- Review action items
- Quick round: one word for how you feel leaving
- Schedule follow-up check on action items

## Process

1. **Ask context** — team size, sprint length, any known issues, past retro format
2. **Recommend format** — based on team maturity and current situation
3. **Generate plan** — complete facilitation guide with timing
4. **After retro** — help structure action items and follow-up

## Anti-Patterns

- Same format every sprint (format fatigue kills engagement)
- No action items (venting without action is therapy, not process improvement)
- Manager dominates discussion (team shuts down)
- Blame individuals instead of examining systems
- Never following up on previous retro actions
- Skipping retros when "we're too busy" (that's exactly when you need them most)