Action Items: Making Them Stick
The graveyard of failed retrospectives is paved with unassigned action items. If you don't do the action items, the retro was a waste of time.
The Golden Rules
1. One Owner: "The Team" cannot own a task. If everyone is responsible, no one is. Assign it to one person.
2. Add to Backlog: Treat improvements like features. Put them in the Sprint Backlog for the next sprint.