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Criterion
The Scrum Team inspects people, interactions, processes, tools, and the Definition of Done, then agrees on a few testable improvements.
Agile
Sprint Retrospective
A structured reflection surfaces what was liked, learned, lacked, and longed for. It is a conversation format and does not validate actions automatically.
Agile
4Ls Retrospective
Paper illustration of a review with planned work, actual event sequence, comparison, and assigned improvement actions.
Operations
After-Action Review
Purposedifferent
When a sprint is over and friction shouldn't simply be carried forward, it opens the view onto collaboration and patterns. It creates space to see causes and changes together.When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time.After missions or project phases with unclear outcomes, the method makes visible what actually happened and what can be learned from it. It separates course, effect, and causes so experience turns into solid improvement.
Complexitysame
LowLowLow
Timedifferent
Up to 3 hours for a one-month Sprint; shorter Sprints are usually shorter45–75 min20-45 min
Participantsdifferent
Scrum TeamTeam members involved3-12
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Improvement actions, Team agreements4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement ActionsLessons learned, Action items, Event summary
Tags1 shared
RetrospectiveImprovementLearning
RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam
LearningOperationsImprovement
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Often compared together

Methods with strong topical overlap with the current selection, not yet in the comparison.

Paper illustration of a team retrospective with three separate Start, Stop, and Continue areas and a shared action list.
Agile
Start Stop Continue
Paper illustration for Learning Review.
Operations
Learning Review
Paper illustration for Sailboat Retrospective
Agile
Sailboat Retrospective