Purpose

The DAKI Retrospective uses four action-oriented categories — Drop, Add, Keep, Improve — to structure team reflection. Unlike formats that focus on feelings or observations, DAKI immediately frames everything as a decision: what to stop doing, what to start doing, what to preserve, and what to enhance. This makes it exceptionally action-oriented and easy to convert into a backlog.

At a glance

• Group size: 3–12 people
• Duration: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: Beginner
• Facilitation style: Structured
• Setting: Both / Remote-friendly

How to run

1. Create four columns: Drop, Add, Keep, Improve.
2. Silent brainstorming: participants write sticky notes for each column (5 minutes).
3. Share and place notes column by column (7 minutes).
4. Cluster and discuss key themes (4 minutes).
5. Commit to 1–2 items per column (4 minutes).

Materials needed

• Whiteboard or digital board
• Sticky notes (four colours)
• Markers
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Confusing Add with Improve — Add means brand new; Improve means making something existing better.
• The Keep column being ignored because it feels passive — celebrate what works.
• Not assigning owners to Drop and Add items.

Inclusion & accessibility

• The four categories are self-explanatory and work well across language levels.
• Allow anonymous contributions for the Drop column.
• Start with Keep to set a positive tone.

Variations

• Weighted DAKI: dot-vote within each column.
• DAKI + Timeline: overlay DAKI on a sprint timeline to tie items to events.
• Personal DAKI: each person does their own DAKI first, then merge.

When NOT to use this

• When the team needs an emotional check-in — use Mad Sad Glad.
• When the team wants to explore root causes rather than decide on actions immediately.

Source & further reading

• Agile coaching community (attributed to various practitioners).
• Retromat (retromat.org).