Fun retrospective formats for your next retro
14 ways to run a retrospective, from the plain to the silly. Each is an online board laid out its own way: four columns, four quadrants, or frames set round a picture of the boat, the balloon or the wolf. Pick the one that suits the sprint you just had, or let the board pick for you.
Opens a live board in one click. No sign-up: share the link and your team joins.
Sad, Mad, Glad
How the last stretch felt, and what to do about it.
- Sad
- Something that disappointed you or felt off.
- Mad
- Something that frustrated you or got in the way.
- Glad
- Something that went well and should keep happening.
- Action
- Something the team will do next, with an owner.
Sailboat
The team is a boat: what moves it, what holds it, what lies ahead.
- Wind
- Something that pushed us forward.
- Island
- Where we want to get to, and the next step towards it.
- Anchor
- Something that held us back or slowed us down.
- Rocks
- A risk ahead that could sink us if we ignore it.
The 4 Ls
Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for.
- Liked
- Something you enjoyed or would happily do again.
- Learned
- Something you know now that you did not before.
- Lacked
- Something that was missing or fell short.
- Longed for
- Something you wish we had had.
Start, Stop, Continue
What to begin, what to drop, what to keep.
- Start
- Something we are not doing and should try.
- Stop
- Something that is not working and should end.
- Continue
- Something that works and should stay.
- Action
- Something the team will do next, with an owner.
Rose, Thorn, Bud
What bloomed, what pricked, what is about to open.
- Rose
- Something that went well: a success or a bright spot.
- Thorn
- Something that hurt, annoyed or got in the way.
- Bud
- An idea or opportunity that could grow into something.
- Action
- Something the team will do next, with an owner.
Hot-Air Balloon
What lifts the balloon, what weighs it down, and the weather ahead.
- Clear skies
- Something good ahead worth flying towards.
- Storm clouds
- Trouble on the horizon we should steer around.
- Hot air
- Something that lifted us higher.
- Sandbags
- Something that weighed us down.
Three Little Pigs
Which of our houses would the wolf blow down?
- Straw house
- Something flimsy that could fall over any day.
- Stick house
- Something that holds for now but needs work.
- Brick house
- Something solid we can rely on.
- Big bad wolf
- The thing most likely to come and test us.
Mountain Climb
The team is roped together on the way to a summit.
- Summit
- What we are climbing towards, and the next pitch.
- Weather
- Something outside our control that changed the climb.
- Ropes
- Something that helped us climb.
- Boulders
- Something that blocked the path.
Went Well, To Improve
The plain one: what worked, what did not, and what to try.
- Went well
- Something that worked and is worth repeating.
- To improve
- Something that did not work as well as it should.
- Ideas
- Something worth trying next time.
- Action
- Something the team will do next, with an owner.
KALM
Keep, Add, Less, More: turn the dials rather than start over.
- Keep
- Something that is working and should stay as it is.
- Add
- Something new worth bringing in.
- Less
- Something we do too much of.
- More
- Something we do too little of.
DAKI
Drop, Add, Keep, Improve.
- Drop
- Something to stop doing altogether.
- Add
- Something new worth bringing in.
- Keep
- Something that is working and should stay.
- Improve
- Something worth keeping, done better.
Superheroes
Every team has powers, a weakness and someone out to get it.
- Superpowers
- Something this team is unusually good at.
- Sidekicks
- Help we have, or could ask for.
- Kryptonite
- Something that reliably weakens us.
- Villains
- Something, or someone, working against us.
Race Car
What makes the car fast, what slows it, and what is on the track.
- Engine
- Something that made us faster.
- Brakes
- Something that slowed us down.
- Potholes
- A hazard on the road ahead.
- Finish line
- What we are racing towards, and the next lap.
Garden
What is in bloom, what needs pulling up, and what to plant.
- Flowers
- Something that is flourishing.
- Weeds
- Something crowding out the good work.
- Seeds
- An idea worth planting now.
- Watering
- What we will tend to next, and who holds the can.
Why change the format?
A team that is asked the same three questions every two weeks starts giving the same three answers. A different picture asks the same things from another side: an anchor is what held you back, kryptonite is what reliably weakens you, a straw house is what will fall over next. People who had nothing to say under "what went badly" often have plenty to say about the wolf.
Every format here asks four things, so they all run the same way and take the same time. What changes is the picture, and where the notes go on it: under the sail, beside the summit, in the house made of straw.
How to run any of them
- Pick, or shuffleStart a board in the format you want. Until the first note is written, the board offers Shuffle format, which deals a different one, so the team can choose together.
- Write in silenceGive everyone five minutes on the shared timer. Each column has a note of its own colour in the legend, so a note is the right kind before anyone decides where it goes.
- Group and voteRead the columns out, move similar notes together, then start dwell voting to find what the room most wants to talk about.
- Leave with actionsAgree a few things to do, each with a name on it. Tag the note with its owner so it is clear at a glance who has what.