Likes / Wishes / Wonders

A concise, exploratory format that blends feedback with curiosity. Participants share what they liked, what they wish were different and what they wonder about going forward. The wonders column invites open questions and fresh ideas, making it a great fit for teams exploring new ways of working.

Likes

What you appreciate about how the team works today

Roman

I like that we demo unfinished work without shame

Maria

I like the async standup — fewer interruptions

Wishes

Changes you would like, phrased as a wish rather than a demand

Anna

I wish tickets arrived with acceptance criteria

Daria

I wish we protected one day a week from meetings

Wonders

Open questions and doubts nobody has answered yet

Maria

I wonder if our estimates would improve with smaller tickets

Kirill

I wonder whether customers use the reports we keep polishing

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What is Likes, Wishes, Wonders?

Likes, Wishes, Wonders is a light feedback format, popular in design reviews, that helps a group respond to work or a sprint in a fast, constructive way. By splitting reactions into three friendly buckets, it keeps critique balanced and easy to give. The QRetro template offers three clear columns.

Likes — what is working and worth keeping.
Wishes — what could be better, phrased as a hope.
Wonders — open questions and ideas to explore.

Likes

Likes capture what people genuinely appreciate — strong choices, helpful details and things the team should keep doing. Leading with positives makes the rest of the feedback land more easily.

Wishes

Wishes reframe criticism as constructive hopes: "I wish this were clearer" instead of "this is wrong." The phrasing keeps feedback forward-looking and gentle while still pointing at real improvements.

Wonders

Wonders are open questions and what-ifs — curiosities that may not have an answer yet. They spark exploration and often reveal opportunities the team had not considered.

Benefits of Likes, Wishes, Wonders

Delivers balanced feedback quickly.
Keeps critique constructive and low-pressure.
Works for design reviews, demos and sprint check-ins.
Encourages curiosity alongside evaluation.
Easy for anyone to join, no prep required.
Surfaces both strengths and opportunities at once.

How to run a Likes, Wishes, Wonders session

Create a board in QRetro using the Likes, Wishes, Wonders template.
Share the work or topic so everyone has the same context.
Give participants quiet time to add cards to each column.
Read through Likes first to set a positive tone.
Discuss Wishes and Wonders, grouping similar themes.
Agree on the changes to make and capture clear next steps.

Similar templates

Other formats teams pair with this one — open any of them as a board in one click.

OKR Template

A goal-focused format that ties reflection to objectives and key results. The team reviews its objectives, examines the key results that measure progress and aligns on the initiatives that will drive them forward. It's a strong choice for connecting day-to-day retrospectives with the bigger goals the team is accountable for.

Retrospective Template: WWW

A nuanced take on the classic what-went-well format that adds a middle ground. Instead of a strict worked-or-didn't split, the team also captures what kinda worked — the partial successes and half-measures. That extra shade often holds the most useful insights, where small adjustments can turn a near-miss into a win.

Safety Check for Retrospective

A short anonymous poll that measures how safe people feel to speak openly before the real retrospective begins. Everyone rates their comfort from 1 to 5, and the aggregated result tells the facilitator whether the team is ready for candid conversation. It's a valuable warm-up for new teams or after tense periods, where psychological safety can't be taken for granted.

Fishbone Analysis Retrospective Template

Also known as the Ishikawa diagram, this format helps the team trace a problem back to its root causes. Possible causes are grouped across categories like people, process, tools, program and environment before the team converges on solutions. It's a methodical choice when a recurring issue needs a structured investigation rather than a quick fix.

WRAP Retrospective

WRAP gathers four kinds of input that together give a rounded view of the sprint. The team shares its wishes, voices appreciations, names the risks it sees and surfaces the things that still puzzle it. Mixing gratitude with concern keeps the conversation both supportive and honest.

Learning Matrix

A four-quadrant format that captures feelings, ideas and gratitude in one view. The team notes what made it smile, what disappointed it, the new ideas worth trying and the appreciations it wants to share. The balanced layout makes it easy to leave the session with both improvements and a sense of recognition.

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