KALM Retrospective Template
Keep, add, less, more: the KALM Retrospective helps a team adjust how it works without starting over. Four simple questions show what to keep, what to add and what to turn up or down.
Free to start · Swiss-made · GDPR compliant
How to use the KALM Retrospective template
The Collaboard template divides the board into four quadrants around the KALM letters, with sticky notes already in place: green for Keep, orange for Add, yellow for Less and blue for More. Participants write directly on the notes, so the team can start right away.
Set the scope
Agree on the period you're looking back on and the way of working you want to review.
Fill in Keep and Add
Everyone writes on the notes what should stay and what is missing.
Turn it up or down
Add notes to Less and More: what should be reduced and what deserves more attention.
Discuss and cluster
Go through the quadrants together and group similar notes.
Vote
Use dot voting to find the adjustments that matter most.
Agree on actions
Turn them into concrete actions with an owner and review them in the next retrospective.
What is the KALM Retrospective?
KALM stands for Keep, Add, Less and More. This retrospective format asks a team to look at its current practices and decide what should stay, what is missing, what should be reduced and what deserves more attention. Unlike Start Stop Continue, it has no Stop category, which keeps the conversation constructive.
The four areas of the template
- Keep: What is going well and should be maintained? Practices that work. Example: the short daily stand-up.
- Add: What is missing and should be added? New things the team needs. Example: a shared definition of done.
- Less: What should be reduced? Things that are useful but take too much space. Example: spontaneous meetings.
- More: What is already there and can be strengthened? Good practices to expand. Example: knowledge sharing between developers.
If you also want to name what should stop completely, the Starfish Retrospective adds Start Doing and Stop Doing.
When to use this template
- Fine-tuning a way of working Adjust a process that basically works.
- Sensitive situations Without a Stop category, the conversation stays constructive, for example after a difficult phase.
- Sprint retrospectives A quick alternative to Start Stop Continue.
- Reviewing a new practice Check after a few weeks how a new tool or routine is working.
Tips for a good session
- Distinguish Add and More Add is something new, More is something you already do and want to strengthen.
- Use Less instead of blame Less lets the team reduce something without declaring it a failure.
- Fill Keep first Starting with what works sets a constructive tone.
- Limit the actions Two or three adjustments per retro are enough.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the KALM Retrospective template free?
Yes, the KALM Retrospective template is free to use with a Collaboard account. The free plan includes up to 3 boards and five people per session.
What does KALM stand for?
In the KALM Retrospective, KALM stands for Keep, Add, Less and More.
What is the difference between the KALM and the Starfish Retrospective?
The KALM Retrospective has four categories and no Stop. The Starfish Retrospective adds Start Doing and Stop Doing, so it suits teams that also want to end practices completely.
When should I use the KALM Retrospective?
The KALM Retrospective fits teams that want to fine-tune an existing way of working, or situations where a constructive tone matters more than naming what went wrong.
Can a remote team use the KALM Retrospective?
Yes, a remote team can use the KALM Retrospective in Collaboard. Everyone writes on the same board in real time, wherever they are.
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