🍁 Autumn Reflections
As autumn leaves fall, let’s gather around the virtual campfire to celebrate our harvests, shed what’s not serving us, and nurture what helps us grow. Embrace change, and let’s make our agile journey as colorful as the season!
Template Columns
🌱 Plant New Seeds
Share fresh ideas or agile practices we should start trying this season.
Base column: Start🍂 Rake Away Hassles
Identify habits or blockers that, like fallen leaves, are ready to be cleared away.
Base column: Stop🔥 Keep the Fire Burning
Reflect on what’s working well and should continue to warm our team spirit.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Autumn Reflections retrospective invites teams to reflect on achievements, let go of blockers, and plant seeds for new growth through a colorful, seasonal metaphor.
When to use this template
Use this template during team transitions, project milestones, or at the start of a new cycle, especially when change or renewal is in the air.
How to facilitate
Set the scene with a brief autumn-themed introduction to inspire the team and explain the column meanings.
Invite everyone to individually add thoughts and insights to each column: Plant New Seeds, Rake Away Hassles, and Keep the Fire Burning.
Give the team time to review contributions, then group and clarify similar items collectively.
Facilitate a discussion for each column, asking the team to expand on their ideas, focusing first on new initiatives, then blockers, and finally on what’s working well.
Guide the team in selecting a few actionable items from the discussion, especially from Plant New Seeds and Rake Away Hassles, and assign ownership.
Wrap up by celebrating team wins highlighted in Keep the Fire Burning and outlining next steps agreed upon.
End with a quick feedback round on the retrospective process to encourage continual improvement.
Pro Tips
Use autumn-themed visuals or virtual backgrounds to make the session more engaging and set a relaxed tone.
Encourage quieter team members to contribute by allowing anonymous submissions or using chat.
Highlight connections between old blockers and new ideas to promote holistic improvement.
Anchor action items to seasonal metaphors to make them memorable—e.g., schedule 'weed-out' sessions for removing blockers.
FAQ
What if the team gets stuck in nostalgia or negativity?
Refocus the group by gently steering the conversation toward new ideas and positive actions in Plant New Seeds and Keep the Fire Burning.
How do we ensure actionable outcomes from this session?
Summarize and assign clear owners to top actions, and set a follow-up checkpoint to review progress during the next retro.
Can we adapt this template for non-autumn seasons?
Absolutely—just adjust the metaphors to match your current season or team context for fresh energy.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective