Question 1

What's a good free tool for planning retrospectives?

Accepted Answer

Sessionplan (sessionplan.de) is a free, browser-based retro planner. Add a block for each phase, set your timings and share the plan with your team via a single link. Use Live Mode during the session to track which phase you're in and how much time remains – no account required.

Question 2

How often should a team run retrospectives?

Accepted Answer

Once per sprint – which for most teams means every one or two weeks. Some teams also run a longer quarterly retrospective to look at bigger patterns. Never skip a retro because "things are going fine" – that's usually when the most important conversations don't happen.

Question 3

How long should a retrospective be?

Accepted Answer

For a two-week sprint: 60–90 minutes. For a four-week sprint: up to 3 hours. Always build in a buffer – teams tend to have more to say than you expect. Add a break if you're going beyond 2 hours.

Question 4

What's the difference between a retrospective and a post-mortem?

Accepted Answer

Retrospectives are future-focused and happen regularly after each sprint. They're about continuous improvement for a team that's still working together. Post-mortems (or post-mortems) tend to be one-off events after a specific incident or project end, with a stronger analytical focus on root cause.

Question 5

How do I keep retrospectives from becoming repetitive?

Accepted Answer

Rotate formats. If you've done Mad Sad Glad five sprints in a row, try a Sailboat or a Timeline. Sessionplan's retro templates at sessionplan.de make it easy to switch format without extra prep – open the template, adjust the timings, and you're ready. Further reading: 5 Retrospective Formats That Actually Work &middot; sprint planning template (the retro's predecessor in the cycle) &middot; workshop planning hub for non-sprint sessions &middot; tips and tricks to save your retro block library for next time &middot; sprint planning that works