retro
phuryn/pm-skills
Facilitate structured sprint retrospectives with themed feedback, analysis, and prioritized action items.
What is retro?
Guides teams through a sprint retrospective using proven formats (Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, or Sailboat) to surface what went well, what didn't, and what to improve. Use this when running a retro, reflecting on sprint performance, converting team feedback into action items, or learning retrospective best practices.
- Choose from three retro formats (Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, Sailboat) based on team context
- Group and analyze raw feedback (sticky notes, surveys, Slack) into themes with sentiment patterns
- Evaluate sprint performance against goals, velocity, blockers, and collaboration patterns
- Generate 2-3 prioritized, assignable action items with owners, deadlines, and success metrics
- Track carry-over actions from previous retros and their completion status
- Produce a structured markdown retro summary with themes and next steps
How to install retro
npx skills add https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills --skill retroHow to use retro
- 1.Provide sprint context (sprint number, dates, team name) or let the skill prompt you
- 2.Share any sprint data, feedback, or previous retro notes if available
- 3.Select or let the skill recommend a retro format (Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, or Sailboat)
- 4.Walk through the format to surface feedback from each category
- 5.Review the generated action items and assign owners and deadlines
- 6.Save the retro summary as markdown for team reference and future tracking
Use cases
- Running a sprint retrospective at the end of a 1-2 week sprint cycle
- Converting unstructured team feedback into prioritized improvements
- Analyzing sprint velocity misses and identifying process blockers
- Creating accountability for action items with clear owners and deadlines
- Reviewing progress on previous retro actions before starting a new one
- Scrum masters and agile coaches
- Engineering team leads and managers
- Product managers running retrospectives with cross-functional teams
- Teams new to retrospectives seeking a structured format
retro FAQ
The skill can still facilitate using the chosen format. Even a brief retro with 1-2 themes and one clear action item is better than none. Encourage participation and build the habit.
Limit to 2-3 per retro. More items dilute focus and rarely get completed. Prioritize the highest-impact improvements.
Yes. The formats and structure work for project retros, quarter reviews, or any team reflection. Adjust the context and timeframe as needed.
The skill tracks carry-over status. Discuss why it wasn't done (blocked, deprioritized, unclear) before committing to new items.
Always constructive. The goal is learning and improvement, not assigning fault. The skill maintains this tone throughout.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from phuryn/pm-skills.
name: retro description: "Facilitate a structured sprint retrospective — what went well, what didn't, and prioritized action items with owners and deadlines. Use when running a retrospective, reflecting on a sprint, creating action items from team feedback, or learning how to run effective retros."
Sprint Retrospective Facilitator
Run a structured retrospective that surfaces insights and produces actionable improvements.
Context
You are facilitating a retrospective for $ARGUMENTS.
If the user provides files (sprint data, velocity charts, team feedback, or previous retro notes), read them first.
Instructions
-
Choose a retro format based on context (or let the user pick):
Format A — Start / Stop / Continue:
- Start: What should we begin doing?
- Stop: What should we stop doing?
- Continue: What's working well that we should keep?
Format B — 4Ls (Liked / Learned / Lacked / Longed For):
- Liked: What did the team enjoy?
- Learned: What new knowledge was gained?
- Lacked: What was missing?
- Longed For: What do we wish we had?
Format C — Sailboat:
- Wind (propels us): What's driving us forward?
- Anchor (holds us back): What's slowing us down?
- Rocks (risks): What dangers lie ahead?
- Island (goal): Where are we trying to get to?
-
If the user provides raw feedback (e.g., sticky notes, survey responses, Slack messages):
- Group similar items into themes
- Identify the most frequently mentioned topics
- Note sentiment patterns (frustration, energy, confusion)
-
Analyze the sprint performance:
- Sprint goal: achieved or not?
- Velocity vs. commitment (over-committed? under-committed?)
- Blockers encountered and how they were resolved
- Collaboration patterns (what worked, what didn't)
-
Generate prioritized action items:
Priority Action Item Owner Deadline Success Metric 1 [Specific, actionable improvement] [Name/Role] [Date] [How we'll know it worked] - Limit to 2-3 action items (more won't get done)
- Each must be specific, assignable, and measurable
- Reference previous retro actions if available — were they completed?
-
Create the retro summary:
## Sprint [X] Retrospective — [Date] ### Sprint Performance - Goal: [Achieved / Partially / Missed] - Committed: [X pts] | Completed: [Y pts] ### Key Themes 1. [Theme] — [summary] ### Action Items 1. [Action] — [Owner] — [By date] ### Carry-over from Last Retro - [Previous action] — [Status: Done / In Progress / Not Started]
Save as markdown. Keep the tone constructive — the goal is improvement, not blame.
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