4 Ls Retrospective
The 4 Ls Retrospective is a simple and effective method for gathering feedback by prompting participants to reflect on what they Loved, Loathed, Learned, and Longed For during a specific period. It provides a structured way to identify both positive and negative aspects of the experience, as well as areas for growth and improvement.
Use this method to quickly gather a broad range of feedback from team members in a structured format, making it easy to identify key themes and areas for action.
Solves: Difficulty eliciting specific feedback, lack of structure in retrospective discussions, overlooking important aspects of the experience.
- 1
Step 1: Introduce the 4 Ls (5 min) - Explain the four categories: Loved (what went well), Loathed (what didn't go well), Learned (what new insights were gained), and Longed For (what is desired for the future).
- 2
Step 2: Individual Reflection (10 min) - Each participant silently reflects on the past sprint and writes down their thoughts on sticky notes, one idea per note, for each of the four categories.
- 3
Step 3: Share and Discuss (20 min) - Participants take turns sharing their sticky notes, placing them in the appropriate column. Facilitate a discussion around the key themes and patterns that emerge.
- 4
Step 4: Identify Action Items (15 min) - Based on the discussion, identify specific action items to address the 'Loathed' and 'Longed For' items, and to reinforce the 'Loved' and 'Learned' items.
- Encourage participants to be specific and provide examples to support their feedback.
- Ensure that all four categories are addressed, not just the negative ones.
- Group similar sticky notes together to identify common themes.
- Use different prompts within each category to focus the discussion (e.g., 'What did you love about the team's collaboration?', 'What did you loathe about the tools we used?').
- Combine the 4 Ls with other retrospective techniques, such as dot voting or action planning.