Action Items in Agile: How to Make Them Stick
We've all been there. The retro was great. The discussion was lively. Everyone agreed we need to "improve communication."
Two weeks later, nothing has changed.
Why? Because "improve communication" is not an action item. It's a wish.
The SMART Framework
To make action items stick, they must be SMART.
Specific
Bad: "Fix the tests."
Good: "Rewrite the flaky 'UserLogin' test to use mocks instead of the real database."
Measurable
Bad: "Make the app faster."
Good: "Reduce the homepage load time to under 2 seconds."
Achievable
Can we actually do this in the next sprint? If it takes 3 months, it's a project, not an action item.
Relevant
Does this solve the problem we discussed?
Time-bound
Bad: "Update the docs."
Good: "Update the README by Friday."
Where to Put Them?
Action items often die because they live in a Google Doc that no one looks at.
Rule: Treat action items like code.
- Put them in Jira/Linear/Trello.
- Assign them points (if you point tasks).
- Review them in the Daily Standup.
The "100% Done" Rule
An action item is binary. It is either done or not done.
If you find yourself saying "I kinda started it...", then the item was too vague. Break it down.
Conclusion
The health of a team is measured by how many action items they complete.
Need help tracking? Clear Retro has a built-in Action Items list that carries over from sprint to sprint, so you never forget a task.