What? So What? Now What?Sprint retrospective template
Observe, interpret, act — a simple debrief loop for any sprint or incident.
Columns in this template
A structured reflection cycle: observe what happened, interpret its impact, then decide on next steps.
When to use What? So What? Now What?
What? So What? Now What? walks facts, meaning, and decisions in order. It’s excellent for post-incident reviews, onboarding teams to retros, or sprints where the group jumps to solutions too fast.
Facilitator tips
- Keep What? descriptive — no blaming; So What? is where you interpret impact.
- If Now What? is thin, return to So What? and ask “what would we change if this happened again?”
- Works well with a single facilitator prompt per phase before opening the board.
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