The Autumn Harvest Retrospective uses seasonal imagery to help teams celebrate achievements, acknowledge obstacles, and plant actionable ideas for future growth.

When to use this template

This format works best at the end of a sprint or project, especially when your team could benefit from a fresh, positive approach to both reflection and planning.

How to facilitate

Begin by setting the scene, inviting everyone to adopt the autumn harvest mindset as a metaphor for review and renewal.

Introduce each column and share a quick example for clarity: Brilliant Leaves for successes, Fallen Branches for challenges, and Seeds for Growth for improvement ideas.

Give team members a few minutes to individually brainstorm and note their thoughts for each column.

Invite everyone to share their contributions, grouping and clarifying similar ideas as they’re added to each section.

Facilitate a group discussion for each column, first celebrating wins, then exploring challenges, and finally, focusing energy on actionable Seeds for Growth.

Guide the team to prioritize the most impactful Seeds for Growth and convert them into specific action items or experiments for the next sprint.

Wrap up by acknowledging team efforts and encouraging everyone to carry forward the autumn spirit of renewal.

Pro Tips

Use the harvest theme to prompt creative thinking—encourage stories or analogies related to autumn for more engaging sharing.

Revisit previous 'Seeds for Growth' in later retros to reinforce accountability and track progress.

Balance time spent on each column to keep energy high and ensure solutions get equal focus with reflection.

FAQ

How do I keep the conversation balanced between celebrating and problem-solving?

Timebox discussion for each column and prompt quieter voices with direct but inviting questions. Remind the team of the value each phase brings.

What if we get too many 'Seeds for Growth' suggestions?

Guide the team to vote and prioritize the most achievable or impactful actions so improvement efforts stay focused and realistic.

How do I encourage honest input on sensitive challenges?

Model vulnerability as a facilitator, stress psychological safety, and remind the team that 'Fallen Branches' help nurture future growth.

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At a glance

Duration
45–60 min
Team Size
4-10 people
Columns
3 columns
Base Format
What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

🍂 Autumn Harvest Retrospective

Welcome to our Autumn Harvest! Let’s rake up our project experiences like falling leaves, gather bountiful successes, and compost lessons learned to nurture growth in our next sprint. Let’s turn autumn’s crisp change into agile progress!

Template Columns

🍁 Brilliant Leaves

🍂 Fallen Branches

🌰 Seeds for Growth

About this template