Async Retrospective
An Async Retrospective is a retrospective held in writing over several days or weeks instead of in a meeting: team members add their observations to a shared issue or document on their own schedule, and a moderator guides the written discussion to action items. The best-documented example is GitLab, whose handbook recommends collecting retrospective feedback asynchronously in an issue and adding a live video call only when an iteration was difficult. The format suits teams spread across time zones and leaves a written, linkable record.
Facilitation script
- 1
Moderator: open the issue or document from the template at the start of the iteration, add context and links, set a due date and announce it in chat.
10 min - 2
Each participant: add comments under the prompts during the iteration, as things happen. This is spread over days or weeks.
15 min - 3
Moderator: read all contributions, ask clarifying questions and group related comments. Send a reminder to those who have not contributed.
15 min - 4
All: reply in the threads to identify patterns and causes.
10 min - 5
All: propose and vote on action items. Moderator assigns owners and dates.
10 min - 6
Optional live video call to discuss anything that needs conversation, offered at two times if needed.
20 min - 7
Moderator: thank contributors, write the summary and publish the notes.
10 min
Tips
Open the issue at the start of the iteration; people forget details by the time it is over.
The moderator has to be active in writing, asking follow-up questions, connecting related comments and tagging people who have not contributed.
If the moderator wants to take part in the content, they should say they are commenting as a participant or hand moderation to a peer.
Written criticism reads harsher than spoken criticism, so move a thread to a call as soon as it turns tense.
Common pitfalls
Opening the issue only when the iteration is over. Comments arrive late and thin because people have moved on to the next piece of work
No active moderator. Threads stay at the level of facts and complaints and never reach causes or decisions
Leaving a heated disagreement in writing, where it escalates and stays on record. Move it to a call early
Action items without owner or date. Each written retrospective then repeats the previous one and participation drops
Taking silence for agreement. In writing it is easy to skip the issue entirely, so missing voices have to be asked directly
Variations
Teams without an issue tracker can use a shared document or a digital whiteboard with one section per prompt. A hybrid version collects input asynchronously and uses a 30-minute call only for generating insights and deciding actions. GitLab also describes not recording the live call, and holding it without direct managers present, when that helps people speak freely. The agenda of introduction, gathering data, generating insights, deciding what to do and closing follows the phase model from Esther Derby and Diana Larsen's book 'Agile Retrospectives'.
Where it fits
When to use it
Team members work in time zones with little or no overlap
Live retrospectives are dominated by a few voices and others contribute more readily in writing
You want a record in which comments link directly to the tickets and changes they refer to
The team already works mainly in writing and is used to discussing in comment threads
Iterations are long enough that people forget early events before a closing meeting
When not to use it
The iteration went badly or there is conflict in the team. Hold a live retrospective, because tone and emotion do not carry well in written threads
The team is new and trust is low. Run live retrospectives first, for example Mad Sad Glad, and move to writing later
The team is co-located and can easily meet. A regular Sprint Retrospective is faster and builds more connection
Nobody has time to moderate in writing. Without a moderator the issue fills with comments and no conclusions
Team members are not comfortable writing in the team's working language, which silences them more than a meeting would
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Async Retrospective?▾
An Async Retrospective is a retrospective that takes place in writing over a period of days or weeks instead of in a single meeting. Team members add what went well, what went wrong and what could be improved to a shared issue or document when it suits them. A moderator guides the discussion to action items and a published summary.
How does GitLab run its retrospectives asynchronously?▾
GitLab's handbook recommends using an issue, based on a retrospective template, to collect feedback asynchronously so everyone can think and write in their own time. A 2019 post by engineering manager Sean McGivern describes scheduled pipelines that create the issue automatically on the first of each month and later add the list of shipped and slipped items. The engineering manager publishes relevant notes afterwards.
Does an async retrospective still need a facilitator?▾
Yes. GitLab's guidance is that every retrospective has an impartial moderator, normally the manager, who guides the conversation through a clear agenda. In writing this means asking follow-up questions, linking related comments and pushing threads from observations to decisions. Without that role the format produces a list of remarks.
When should we add a live call?▾
Add a call after a particularly hard iteration or when emotions are likely to run high. GitLab suggests scheduling it twice for teams spread across regions, so that each group gets a reasonable time. A short call can also be used routinely for the deciding step while the collecting stays asynchronous.
How much time does it take each person?▾
The format runs across the whole iteration, but the active time per person is small, typically 15 to 30 minutes of writing and replying in total. The moderator needs more, roughly an hour across the period. An optional live call adds 30 to 60 minutes.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from GitLab Handbook, 'Group Retrospectives'.