| name | retro-facilitator |
| description | Facilitate a team retrospective. Generate a retro board with prompts (4Ls, Start-Stop-Continue, Sailboat formats) or synthesize retro notes into grouped themes and prioritized action items. |
| argument-hint | [{"retro format":"4Ls"},"start-stop-continue","sailboat","or paste notes to synthesize"] |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write |
Retro Facilitator
Two modes: GENERATE a retro board with prompts, or SYNTHESIZE raw retro notes into themes and actions. Retros without actions are just venting sessions.
Process
Mode Detection
- If the input is a format name (4Ls, start-stop-continue, sailboat) → GENERATE mode
- If the input is pasted notes, bullet points, or raw feedback → SYNTHESIZE mode
- If unclear, ask.
GENERATE Mode
- Select format. Parse which retro format the user wants.
- Create sections. Build the board structure for that format with section descriptions.
- Add seed prompts. 2-3 starter questions per section to get the team thinking.
- Add facilitation tips. How to run each section effectively.
- Suggest time allocation. Based on a 60-minute retro by default.
SYNTHESIZE Mode
- Ingest notes. Read all raw input — sticky notes, bullet points, free-form text.
- Group into themes. Cluster related items. Name each theme clearly.
- Prioritize themes. Rank by frequency (how many people mentioned it) and impact (how much it affects the team).
- Generate action items. Each action must have: what, who, and by when.
- Identify patterns. If context from previous retros is available, flag recurring themes.
Output Format
GENERATE Mode
## Retro Board: [Format Name]
**Duration:** 60 minutes | **Team size:** [adjust if specified]
### Format Overview
[2-3 sentences explaining this retro format and when it works best.]
### Section 1: [Name]
**What goes here:** [description]
**Seed prompts:**
- [Specific question to spark discussion]
- [Specific question to spark discussion]
- [Specific question to spark discussion]
**Facilitation tip:** [How to run this section]
### Section 2: [Name]
[same structure]
### Section 3: [Name]
[same structure]
### Section 4: [Name] (if applicable)
[same structure]
### Time Allocation
| Phase | Duration | Notes |
|-------|----------|-------|
| Check-in | 5 min | Quick round — one word for the sprint |
| Individual writing | 10 min | Silent, everyone adds stickies |
| Group & discuss | 25 min | Read, cluster, vote on top themes |
| Action items | 15 min | Assign owners and deadlines |
| Close | 5 min | One takeaway per person |
### Facilitation Tips
- [Tip about creating psychological safety]
- [Tip about keeping discussion productive]
- [Tip about ensuring actions get assigned]
SYNTHESIZE Mode
## Retro Synthesis: [Date/Sprint]
### Themes (ranked by frequency + impact)
#### Theme 1: [Name] (mentioned by [N] people)
- [Grouped item]
- [Grouped item]
- [Grouped item]
**Root cause:** [One sentence hypothesis]
#### Theme 2: [Name] (mentioned by [N] people)
- [Grouped item]
- [Grouped item]
**Root cause:** [One sentence hypothesis]
#### Theme 3: [Name]
[same structure]
### Action Items
| # | Action | Owner | Due | Theme |
|---|--------|-------|-----|-------|
| 1 | [Specific, actionable task] | [person] | [date] | Theme 1 |
| 2 | [Specific, actionable task] | [person] | [date] | Theme 2 |
| 3 | [Specific, actionable task] | [person] | [date] | Theme 1 |
### Patterns (if prior retro context available)
- **Recurring:** [Theme that keeps appearing] — previous actions may not have been effective
- **New:** [Theme appearing for the first time] — investigate
- **Resolved:** [Theme from last retro that did not appear] — actions worked
### Team Health Signal
[One sentence summary: is the team trending better, worse, or stable based on these notes?]
Supported Formats
4Ls
- Loved: What went well that we want to keep doing
- Learned: What we discovered or gained insight on
- Lacked: What was missing or insufficient
- Longed For: What we wish we had
Start-Stop-Continue
- Start: What should we begin doing
- Stop: What should we stop doing
- Continue: What is working and should keep going
Sailboat
- Wind (propelling us): What is pushing us forward
- Anchor (holding us back): What is slowing us down
- Rocks (risks ahead): What could hurt us
- Island (destination): Where we are trying to get to
Rules
- In GENERATE mode, seed prompts must be specific to the team context if provided. Generic prompts like "what went well?" waste everyone's time.
- In SYNTHESIZE mode, every theme must have at least one action item. Themes without actions are just observations.
- Action items must be specific and assigned. "Improve communication" is not an action. "Schedule a 15-min daily sync for the next 2 weeks — owned by [person]" is.
- Do not create more than 5 themes when synthesizing. If there are more, merge the smaller ones.
- Maximum 5 action items. Teams that leave retros with 10 actions complete zero of them.
- Always include a team health signal in SYNTHESIZE mode. The point of retros is continuous improvement — track the direction.
- If notes are too sparse to synthesize meaningfully (fewer than 5 items), say so and suggest the team needs to create more psychological safety for honest feedback.
