The four columns
Keep: what should stay?
Practices that work and should stay as they are.
Prompts: What's working that we must not break?
Add: what's new to try?
New practices, tools or habits.
Prompts: What would you add to how we work?
Less: what should we reduce?
Things to do less often or with less effort.
Prompts: What takes more time than it's worth?
More: what should we increase?
Good things the team should do more often.
Prompts: What helped, and would help more if we did it more?
Retrocycle's template adds an Action items column at the end, so the conversation ends with actions that have an owner.
When to use it
- Teams that want a positive, low-tension retro.
- Tuning a process that's broadly working.
- When Starfish feels like too many columns.
When something else may work better: if something clearly needs to stop, Start, Stop, Continue is more direct.
A 45-minute agenda
- 1
Set the scene (5 min). Recap the sprint and the actions from last time.
- 2
Write cards silently (8 min). Everyone adds cards to all four columns.
- 3
Reveal and group (7 min). Group similar cards.
- 4
Vote (3 min). Vote on the changes the team most wants.
- 5
Discuss (17 min). Start with the most-voted Add, Less and More cards.
- 6
Agree on action items (5 min). Two or three actions with owners.
Example cards
From a fictional mobile team:
| Keep | Add | Less | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code review within a day | A short design review before big tickets | Long planning meetings | Testing on real devices |
| Pairing on bugs | A shared checklist for app store releases | Last-minute scope changes | Sharing user feedback in the team channel |
And the actions that came out of it:
- Try a 20-minute design review for tickets estimated at more than three days (owner: tech lead).
- Post one piece of user feedback in the team channel each week (owner: product manager).
Tips for a better KALM
- Use Less instead of Stop when the team isn't sure something has no value.
- Pair each Add with something in Less, so the team doesn't just take on more work.
- Keep the tone light: KALM works best as a calm conversation.
Run it in Retrocycle
Pick the KALM template, share the link, and your team joins as guests with just a name: no accounts needed. Turn on blur so cards stay hidden while people write, let people post anonymously if they want, vote, and close the retro with action items that carry over to the next one. How action items work
FAQ
What does KALM stand for?
Keep, Add, Less, More.
KALM or Starfish?
KALM has four columns and no Stop doing. Starfish has five. Choose Starfish if something clearly needs to go.
How long does it take?
About 45 minutes.
Can cards be anonymous?
Yes. In Retrocycle anyone can tick "Post anonymously" when adding a card.