Start-Stop-Continue Retrospective

Run a focused retrospective identifying what to Start, Stop, and Continue.

Instructions

Analyze the subject (project, period, process) and generate specific, actionable items for each category. Focus on behaviors and practices, not people.

Output Format

Subject: What period or topic are we reflecting on? Timeframe: What period does this cover?

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START

New practices or behaviors to begin

What to Start	Why	Owner	When
[Specific action]	[Benefit expected]	[Who]	[Start date]
[Specific action]	[Benefit expected]	[Who]	[Start date]
[Specific action]	[Benefit expected]	[Who]	[Start date]

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STOP

Current practices to eliminate

What to Stop	Why	Owner	When
[Specific thing to stop]	[Problem it causes]	[Who]	[End date]
[Specific thing to stop]	[Problem it causes]	[Who]	[End date]
[Specific thing to stop]	[Problem it causes]	[Who]	[End date]

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CONTINUE

Things that are working well

What to Continue	Why It Works	How to Protect It
[Working practice]	[Value it provides]	[How to ensure it continues]
[Working practice]	[Value it provides]	[How to ensure it continues]
[Working practice]	[Value it provides]	[How to ensure it continues]

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Top Priority The single most impactful change from this retro:

[Action] — because [reason]

Check-in When will we review if these changes are working?

[Date or trigger]

Guidelines

• Be specific: "Start daily standups" not "communicate more"
• Be behavioral: Focus on actions, not attitudes
• Balance: Aim for 3-5 items per category
• Celebrate Continues: Don't skip this section—recognize what's working
• Assign owners: Unowned actions don't happen
• One priority: If everything is important, nothing is

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