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Plus Delta retrospective

The shortest format: plus for what worked, delta for what to change. Delta is the sign for change, so every card in it is a suggestion rather than a complaint.

2 columns · 15 to 30 minutes · Free, no sign-up

Your team joins with the link.

When to run a Plus Delta retro

  • You have twenty minutes, or the retro follows another long meeting.
  • A quick look back after an event, a workshop or a release.
  • Weekly retros, where a longer format would feel heavy.

The two columns

Each column asks the team one question. Read the questions out before anyone writes, so everyone answers the same ones.

Plus Delta retrospective template: Plus and Delta columns with example cards
The Plus Delta retrospective template, with two example cards in each column.

  1. Plus (What worked)

    What worked well that we should repeat?

    For example

    Planning poker kept estimates honest

    Anonymous

  2. Delta (What to change)

    What would we do differently next time?

    For example

    Share the agenda the day before

    Anonymous

How to run a Plus Delta retrospective

About 15 to 30 minutes for a team of five to eight, in one shared room.

  1. Open the room

    Press Start a retro with Plus Delta: the room opens with the two columns ready, and teammates join from its link with just a name.

  2. Warm up

    Every retro opens with a warm-up question. Answers stay hidden until someone reveals them, then everyone reads them at once.

  3. Write in private

    Give everyone five minutes on the shared timer. Two columns fill quickly. Nobody sees anyone else's cards until the reveal.

  4. Reveal and group

    Anyone can reveal the board, after a three-second countdown. Drag cards that say the same thing onto each other to group them.

  5. Talk it through

    Keep it moving: read the pluses, then turn the biggest deltas straight into action points.

  6. Agree on action points

    Add each decision as an action point from the board's sidebar. The summary lists them, and a retro run under a team keeps them on the team's page.

Formats like Plus Delta

All 11 templates →

  • Start Stop Continue

    Decide what the team should begin, drop and keep doing.

    Start · Stop · Continue

  • KPT (Keep Problem Try)

    A Japanese staple of continuous improvement, short enough for a weekly retro.

    Keep · Problem · Try

  • Rose, Thorn, Bud

    Everyone shares a success, a challenge and an opportunity.

    Rose · Thorn · Bud

Questions about Plus Delta retros

Why is it called Plus Delta?

Plus marks what went well. Delta, the Greek letter that stands for change, marks what to change, which keeps the second column about improvements rather than blame.

Are two columns enough for a retro?

For a short or frequent retro, yes. When there is more to unpack, try Start Stop Continue or the 4 Ls.

How long does a Plus Delta retro take?

15 to 30 minutes. With two columns, it is the shortest format in RetroAgent.

Can we change the columns?

Yes. Rename a column or add one, up to five, in the launcher before you start or in the room's settings during the retro. A card stays with the column name it was written under, so rename a column before the team writes in it.

Do participants need an account?

No. Teammates open the room link and type their name. They can sign in with Google or GitHub at any time and keep everything they wrote.

Ready for a Plus Delta retro?

Your team joins with a link, and nobody needs to sign up.

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