❄️🌨️ Arctic Blizzard
Brace yourself for a frosty retro where we melt obstacles, build snow forts of success, and chart a clear path through the blizzard.
Template Columns
❄️❄️ Snowball Kickoff
Identify new initiatives to kick off our project's winter journey.
Base column: Start🛑 Melt the Ice
Spot practices that freeze progress and should be halted.
Base column: Stop⛷️ Glide Forward
Highlight momentum we want to keep sliding smoothly.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A frosty, snow‑themed retro that melts obstacles, reinforces momentum, and sparks new initiatives.
When to use this template
Use when the team feels stuck or needs an energizing way to identify blockers, keep good practices, and start fresh work.
How to facilitate
Gather the team on a virtual whiteboard and display the three columns: Snowball Kickoff, Melt the Ice, Glide Forward
Begin with a quick ice‑breaker where each person shares a winter‑related word to set the theme
Ask participants to write individual sticky notes for each column: ideas to start, things to stop, and practices to continue
Group similar notes together, discuss each cluster, and vote on the top three items per column
Create concrete action items for the top items in the Melt the Ice and Snowball Kickoff columns, assigning owners and due dates
Close the retro by visualizing a clear path through the blizzard, summarizing commitments, and thanking the team
Pro Tips
Use snowflake emojis on sticky notes to keep the theme lively
Limit each participant to three ideas per column to keep discussion focused
Turn voting into a quick poll using reaction emojis for speed
Schedule a follow‑up check‑in after one sprint to review action items
FAQ
What if the team runs out of ideas for a column?
Prompt with examples or ask each person to think of one personal experience related to the theme; you can also use silent brainstorming for a few minutes to generate more.
How do we keep the retro from becoming just a fun theme without actionable outcomes?
After discussion, explicitly turn the top voted items into SMART action items with owners and deadlines, and record them in your sprint backlog.
Can this retro be shortened for a smaller team?
Yes, you can combine the Melt the Ice and Glide Forward discussions into a single 15‑minute segment and focus on the top two items per column.
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At a glance
- Duration
30–45 min
- Team Size
5-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective