How often should a team ideally hold retrospectives?

Holding retrospectives after every sprint is ideal because it aligns with the Agile principle of continuous improvement. Sprints are typically short iterations (often 2-4 weeks long), and conducting a retrospective at the end of each one allows the team to regularly assess what went well, what didn’t, and how processes can be adapted to enhance performance in the next sprint. This frequent reflection creates a culture of openness and learning, enabling teams to swiftly address any issues that arise and implement changes incrementally.

Such regular check-ins ensure that the team's dynamics and workflows are consistently optimized, rather than waiting for a longer phase or significant milestone to evaluate their performance, which could lead to missed opportunities for improvement. By maintaining the rhythm of retrospectives with every sprint, teams foster better collaboration and incrementally refine their approaches, ultimately increasing their overall efficiency and effectiveness.