How did your project perform?

The 4Ls Retrospective is a structured reflection exercise used by teams to analyze recent projects, sprints, or workflows by categorizing feedback into four key areas:

• Liked: What worked well and should continue?

• Learned: What new insights or skills were gained?

• Lacked: What was missing or could have been improved?

• Longed For: What do team members wish had been included?

This framework fosters continuous improvement, encourages open discussions, and drives team engagement.

Benefits of the 4Ls Retrospective

• Encourages constructive feedback: Provides a structured approach to reviewing past work.

• Enhances team collaboration: Helps align team members on successes and improvement areas.

• Promotes data-driven decision-making: Documents insights that can be used for future optimizations.

• Supports remote teams: Works well for hybrid or remote teams, especially with digital collaboration tools like ezRACI.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Run a 4Ls Retrospective

Step 1: Utilize ezRACI’s 4Ls Retrospective Template

• Access the pre-built template in ezRACI, ensuring a standardized approach across all retrospectives.

• Customize the template to align with organizational needs and team objectives.

Step 2: Schedule the Retrospective Meeting

• Use ezRACI’s built-in calendar integration to set up the meeting at the end of a sprint or project.

• Send automated notifications to all participants, ensuring full attendance.

• If team members are remote, launch a Zoom meeting directly from a Discussion thread for seamless collaboration.

Step 3: Assign Roles Using a RACI Matrix

• Define clear responsibilities within ezRACI:

  • Responsible: Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or Team Lead facilitating the retrospective.

  • Accountable: Project Owner ensuring key takeaways are documented and acted upon.

  • Consulted: Development team members, designers, and stakeholders providing feedback.

  • Informed: Leadership team or other relevant departments who need visibility into key findings.

• ezRACI’s automated role assignments ensure everyone knows their responsibilities in the process.

Step 4: Facilitate the Discussion and Capture Feedback

• Organize the feedback session using ezRACI’s Discussion Boards, where team members can contribute insights under each 4Ls category.

• Use real-time collaboration tools to document responses and categorize feedback.

• Assign action items based on feedback, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.

Step 5: Track Action Items Using a Gantt Chart

• Convert improvement items into actionable tasks with deadlines.

• Use ezRACI’s Gantt Chart to visualize timelines and dependencies.

• Assign responsibilities for follow-ups and track progress through automated reminders.

Step 6: Ensure Compliance and Continuous Improvement

• Use ezRACI’s Audit Trail to document key findings and track historical retrospective data.

• Leverage past retrospectives to identify recurring themes and continuous improvement opportunities.

Step 7: Distribute Findings and Monitor Progress

• Use ezRACI’s built-in notifications to share the final retrospective report with stakeholders.

• Schedule follow-ups in ezRACI’s calendar to review progress on improvement items.

The 4Ls Retrospective is an essential tool for continuous improvement, and ezRACI enhances its effectiveness with:

• Pre-built templates for structured retrospectives.

• Seamless Zoom integration for remote teams.

• Automated role assignments using the RACI matrix.

• Gantt chart tracking to ensure action items are executed on time.

• Audit trails and notifications for transparency and follow-up.

By integrating ezRACI, organizations can optimize their retrospective process, enhance team collaboration, and drive meaningful improvements with ease.