This retrospectives is simple, fast to learn and can be used both as a team standard go-to retrospective or an easy variation on your usual method. 4L retrospective includes a focus on learnings and longings.
Materials
Pros
– Focuses on learnings
– Easy to learn – also for the team
Cons
– It might be difficuelt to identify if an item should go in Liked/learned or lacked/longed, but tell the team that it’s more important to bring up the item, than which column it goes into.
Duration
45 minutes to 1½ hour.
Preparation
Prepare the 4 columns by using our template, another template or make you own.
Step-by-step
Gather the team in an online meeting.
Explain the 4 L’s (columns) to make sure the team understand:
- Liked – what was good: processes, tools, cooperation, recognition of individuals in the team etc. It’s important not to omit this column, as this can give the team a boost from seeing all the things we like.
- Learned – what did we learn from other team members, experiments or even from the organisation. The learning gives another focus from the liked-column as people think differently when talking about learning.
- Lacked – what did we miss to be able to be efficient and deliver value and quality. Remember to keep focus on constructive feedback and not pointing fingers at individuals.
- Longed for – what do you need, or miss, to be a successful team or project.
Collect input from the team (either one person types or ask everyone to type on an electronic whiteboard) by going through all headlines. We suggest a brainstorming from the entire team and writing simultaneously in the 4 columns.
When collecting input from team members, make sure you give them enough time to think. It could be an idea to count slowly to 30 before stopping the retrospective. Often very good suggestions comes after 20 seconds!
Once team finish writing, or time is up, then go through all collected items.
Depending on the number of items, it’s possible to group them and only discuss each group, or discuss all items. Make sure yo go through all 4 columns:
- Liked – remember not to skip going through this as it’s important to continue doing this. It’s important if any praises to individuals to highlight this as it feels really good to receive positive feedback.
- Learned – we must focus on bringing these items on to the team and ensure knowledge is not forgotten but will be implemented in the whole team. Make sure to identify actions to make sure this happens.
- Lacked – discuss what can be done about the items and ensure actions are identified and someone will be responsible for the actions.
- Longed for – like for lacked.
Contributors
This retrospective is originally described by Mary Gorman and Ellen Gottesdiener and more information can be found here https://www.ebgconsulting.com/blog/the-4ls-a-retrospective-technique/