KALM
Welcome to the KALM retro, where we balance keeping strengths, adding value, reducing waste, and expanding effort to refine our agile flow.
Template Columns
Keep
Identify practices we want to continue unchanged.
Base column: KeepAdd
Suggest new ideas or practices to introduce.
Base column: AddLess
Highlight activities to reduce or eliminate.
Base column: LessMore
Point out areas where we should increase effort.
Base column: MoreAbout this template
A four‑column retro that lets teams keep strengths, add ideas, cut waste, and increase effort for balanced improvement.
When to use this template
Use when you want a quick, holistic view of what to maintain, introduce, reduce, or amplify in your process.
How to facilitate
Explain the KALM acronym and the purpose of each column to set the context
Give participants a few minutes to write silent notes for each column on virtual sticky notes
Group similar items within each column on the shared board
Facilitate a brief discussion per column, asking why each item belongs there and its impact
Prioritize items that need immediate action by voting or dotting
Agree on concrete next steps for the top items and assign owners
Pro Tips
Encourage participants to think in terms of outcomes, not just activities, to keep the discussion focused
Limit each column to 5‑7 items to keep the retro concise and actionable
Use color‑coded virtual stickers matching the column colors for quick visual scanning
FAQ
What if the team struggles to generate items for a column?
Prompt with examples and remind them that even small observations count; you can also ask a quick round‑robin to spark ideas.
How do we handle conflicting opinions about an item?
Facilitate a short debate focusing on impact and data, then use a quick vote to decide if it stays in the column.
Can we run KALM more frequently?
Yes, it works well as a lightweight retro every sprint or after major releases to keep the flow continuously tuned.
Want a custom template?
Create a retrospective template tailored to your team's needs with our AI-powered generator
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Keep, Add, Less, More
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective