DAKI (Drop, Add, Keep, Improve)

DAKI (Drop, Add, Keep, Improve) is a classic retrospective format that provides a structured framework for teams to reflect on their practices and values. The acronym represents four distinct action-oriented categories:

• Drop: What should the team stop doing? Practices, meetings, or processes that don't add value and consume time or energy.
• Add: What should the team start doing? New ideas, tools, or practices that could benefit the team.
• Keep: What is working well and should be preserved? Successful practices that the team wants to continue.
• Improve: What existing practices could be enhanced? Things that work but could be made even better.

This format is particularly recommended for teams that have been practicing Scrum for several sprints. At that point, the team has enough experience to propose relevant and meaningful changes rather than superficial adjustments.

The distinction between "Drop" and "Improve" is what makes DAKI especially powerful: it forces the team to differentiate between things that should be eliminated entirely and things that just need refinement. Similarly, "Add" versus "Keep" helps distinguish between brand-new initiatives and existing successes.

The session ends with a vote on the most impactful topics, followed by the creation of concrete action items for the next sprint.