Liked / Learned / Lacked / Longed For Retrospective Template

The 4Ls retrospective (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For) is a structured reflection framework that helps agile teams evaluate sprints or projects through four distinct perspectives. This balanced retrospective template encourages team members to consider both positive experiences and areas for improvement in a comprehensive way.

What Is the 4Ls Retrospective?

The 4Ls retrospective is a four-quadrant feedback model that organizes team reflections into clear categories:

  • Liked: Positive experiences and aspects that went well
  • Learned: New insights, skills, or knowledge gained during the work period
  • Lacked: Missing elements, resources, or support that could have improved outcomes
  • Longed For: Wishes, aspirations, or improvements the team hopes to implement in the future

This framework provides a comprehensive view of the team's experience by capturing both realized benefits and opportunities for growth, making it suitable for teams at any stage of maturity.

Benefits & When to Use

This retrospective template is particularly valuable when:

  • You need a balanced view that captures both positive elements and areas for improvement
  • Teams are struggling to articulate specific improvements beyond general complaints
  • You want to recognize learning and growth alongside identifying challenges
  • Your team needs structure to express diverse perspectives efficiently
  • You're seeking actionable insights that connect directly to team experiences

The 4Ls approach helps teams avoid dwelling exclusively on problems by explicitly prompting reflection on positive aspects and learnings, creating a more constructive conversation.

How to Run a 4Ls Retrospective Session

Time needed: 60 minutes

  1. Set the stage (5 minutes)

    • Introduce the 4Ls template and explain each quadrant
    • Define the timeframe or sprint being reviewed
    • Start with a fun warm-up: Have everyone say "Liked-Learned-Lacked-Longed For" as quickly as possible four times!

  2. Individual reflection (10 minutes)

    • Have team members silently add sticky notes to each quadrant
    • Encourage specific, concrete examples rather than generalizations
    • Aim for at least one note in each section from each participant

  3. Share and discuss (20 minutes)

    • Take turns having team members explain their notes
    • Use the participant highlight feature to focus on one person's contributions at a time
    • Ask clarifying questions but save deeper discussion for the next phase

  4. Find patterns and vote (10 minutes)

    • Group similar sticky notes together across categories
    • Identify emerging themes or recurring issues
    • Use reactions or voting to highlight the most significant items
    • Focus especially on items that appear in multiple quadrants

  5. Create action items (15 minutes)

    • Move to the Actions section of the board
    • For the top 2-3 voted items, create specific, actionable next steps
    • Assign owners and deadlines to each action item
    • Consider how to leverage "Liked" and "Learned" items while addressing "Lacked" and "Longed For" concerns

Tips for a Successful Session

  • Balance your time across all four quadrants rather than focusing only on problems
  • Encourage team members to build on each other's observations during sharing
  • Look for connections between categories (e.g., something "Lacked" might connect to something "Learned")
  • Use the retrospective data to track patterns over multiple sprints
  • For remote teams, consider using a timer display to keep the session on track
  • If the team is hesitant, start by sharing your own examples for each category
  • Keep the "Actions" focused and achievable within the next sprint or work period

This template provides a structured yet flexible framework that helps development teams gain valuable insights from past work while creating meaningful improvements for the future.

Use this template