🍂 Autumn is Coming
As leaves turn and seasons shift, let’s reflect on our journey like a forest preparing for fall. Gather your harvest (successes), shed what’s unnecessary, and nurture growth for the next sprint!
Template Columns
🌱 Plant New Seeds
Share fresh ideas or practices to start as we enter a new season.
Base column: Start🍁 Shed Old Leaves
Discuss habits or blockers to drop, just like trees letting go of leaves.
Base column: Stop🔥 Keep the Hearth Warm
Highlight what’s working well and should continue, fueling team warmth through change.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
Autumn is Coming is a reflection-based retrospective that invites teams to celebrate wins, let go of unhelpful habits, and brainstorm fresh starts—like a forest transitioning seasons.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective at the end of a cycle or during times of change, when your team needs to review practices, embrace renewal, and prepare for new challenges.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and introduce the autumnal theme, framing the session as an opportunity for seasonal renewal and team growth.
Briefly explain each column: planting seeds means sharing new ideas, shedding leaves means letting go of unhelpful habits, and keeping the hearth warm means noting what works well.
Give team members several minutes to contribute thoughts in each column individually and encourage a balance of input across all three areas.
Invite everyone to review the board and discuss the most significant or surprising items together, clustering similar ideas and noting potential patterns.
Facilitate prioritization, asking which ideas to focus on first and which blockers are most important to address.
Agree on specific actions or experiments for the upcoming sprint based on insights gathered, assigning owners if needed.
Wrap up by acknowledging the contributions and framing the outcome as your team's next season of growth.
Pro Tips
Lean into the seasonal metaphor—using visual backgrounds, music, or even team stories to set the atmosphere encourages more thoughtful reflection.
Encourage quieter voices by inviting them to share first or using anonymous input features to help everyone feel comfortable.
Balance the conversation so 'shed old leaves' (stop) doesn't dominate; celebrate what's working and energize the team with new ideas.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to come up with new ideas in 'Plant New Seeds'?
Nudge them by suggesting areas for improvement or reviewing feedback from the last sprint. Remind the team that no idea is too small to plant.
How can we make sure changes actually happen after the retrospective?
Assign clear action owners and follow up in the next retro, reviewing what was acted on. Small, trackable commitments increase follow-through.
What if conversations in 'Shed Old Leaves' become negative?
Agree on positive language and solutions focus at the start. Aim to reframe blockers or dropped habits as opportunities for improvement.
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At a glance
- Duration
40–50 min
- Team Size
3-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective