KALM Retrospective

KALM Retrospective

Navigating team reflections requires clarity and structure. The KALM format, drawing inspiration from traditional retrospective themes, offers just that. By focusing on Keep, Add, Less, and More, it provides teams with a straightforward framework to discuss both their achievements and challenges. Whether you're a team just starting with retrospectives or one that's well-versed in them, KALM offers a clear path to productive discussions.

When to Choose KALM

The KALM retrospective is versatile, making it suitable for teams at various stages of their agile journey. Whether you're a team that's new to retrospectives and looking for a structured approach or an experienced team seeking a fresh perspective, KALM provides a comprehensive platform to guide your discussions.

Warm up

To set the right mood for introspection and open dialogue, we've chosen a serene background image for your session. Enhance the ambiance further with some tranquil sounds using our Icebreaker feature. Immerse yourself in the calming atmosphere and let the discussions flow!

👍 Keep

What are we doing well that we want to keep?

This section is all about affirmation. Recognize the practices, strategies, or behaviors that are serving the team well. It's a nod to the positive strides and a commitment to maintain them.

🙌 Add

What should we add to improve how we work?

Innovation is at the heart of continuous improvement. Here, the team can discuss new ideas, tools, or practices that could enhance their workflow and overall performance.

⛔️ Less

What isn't working that we should do less of?

Not all practices yield the desired results. This column allows the team to identify what's not working optimally and discuss ways to scale it back or refine it.

❤️ More

What has potential that we should do more of?

Every team has budding practices that show promise. This section is about spotlighting those and discussing how they can be amplified for even better results.

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The KALM retrospective format is a testament to the idea that reflection should be balanced, focusing on both strengths and areas of improvement. By offering a clear framework, KALM ensures that teams can navigate their discussions with clarity and purpose.

Start a KALM Retro View all retro templates

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the KALM retrospective template?

The KALM retrospective template (Keep, Add, Less, More) is a balanced retrospective format that helps teams systematically review their practices across four dimensions. Unlike binary formats that focus only on start/stop decisions, KALM provides nuanced gradations - recognizing that some practices need amplification (More) while others need reduction (Less) rather than complete elimination. This makes it ideal for teams seeking continuous refinement rather than dramatic change.

When should you use the KALM retrospective template?

Use the KALM template when your team needs to fine-tune existing practices rather than make radical changes. It's particularly effective for mature teams with established workflows who want to optimize performance, or when you want to avoid the all-or-nothing thinking that simpler formats can create. KALM works well when team members recognize that most practices aren't completely good or bad, but need calibration.

How do you run a KALM retrospective meeting effectively?

To run an effective KALM retrospective, follow these steps:

• Set the stage - Use a mood check-in and play icebreaker music to create a calm atmosphere for reflection
• Brainstorm - Give 5-10 minutes for individual brainstorming. Team members add items to Keep, Add, Less, and More columns anonymously for honest feedback
• Group and sort - Group and sort similar items together
• Discuss and vote - Review grouped items and vote to prioritize which practices to keep, add, reduce, or amplify
• Create action items - For top-voted items, assign owners and set specific targets. For "Less" items, define what reduction looks like (e.g., "Reduce standup from 15 to 10 minutes"). For "More" items, specify how to scale up (e.g., "Increase pair programming from 2 to 4 hours per week")
• Share summary - Export and share the retro summary with the team

The session typically takes 45-60 minutes. The key is being specific about degrees of change, not just what to change.

What makes a good KALM retrospective discussion?

Good KALM discussions focus on calibration and measurement:

• Keep - Identify specific practices worth maintaining and why they work
• Add - Propose concrete new practices with expected benefits
• Less - Define current levels and target reductions (e.g., "meetings take 30% of our time, reduce to 20%")
• More - Specify current baseline and desired increase (e.g., "we code review 50% of PRs, increase to 80%")

The power of KALM is in recognizing that most practices need adjustment, not elimination. Quantify where possible to make "Less" and "More" actionable.

How is KALM different from other retrospective formats?

KALM offers nuanced gradations that other formats lack. While Start Stop Continue forces binary decisions and DAKI demands complete addition or elimination, KALM recognizes that most practices need calibration. The Less/More distinction is particularly valuable - it acknowledges that practices might be beneficial but overdone (Less) or promising but underutilized (More). This makes KALM less confrontational than formats that demand stopping practices entirely, and more realistic for incremental improvement.

What are the benefits of using the KALM retrospective template?

The KALM template offers several key benefits:

• Nuanced decisions - Avoid all-or-nothing thinking with gradual adjustments
• Less confrontational - "Do less" is gentler than "stop completely"
• Optimization focus - Perfect for teams refining existing practices
• Realistic change - Incremental adjustments are easier to implement than radical changes

KALM also helps teams recognize the value in existing practices while still making improvements, making it ideal for continuous optimization rather than crisis intervention.

What are some alternatives to the KALM retrospective template?

If you're looking for different retrospective formats and templates, consider these alternatives:

• Starfish retrospective - When you want five gradations (Keep, Less, More, Start, Stop) instead of four for even more nuanced decisions
• DAKI retrospective - When your team needs more decisive action with clear Drop and Add commitments rather than gradual Less and More adjustments
• Start Stop Continue - When KALM feels too complex and you need simpler, faster decisions without the Less and More nuance

Each format serves different scenarios - KALM excels at optimization, while alternatives offer different levels of decision granularity.