🧁 Baking Masterclass
Welcome, chefs! Let’s gather in our virtual kitchen to mix up success, sift out issues, and keep the recipe for agility just right. Grab your aprons and let’s bake a better sprint together!
Template Columns
🍞 Fresh Ingredients to Try
List new practices or ideas you’d like to mix into our process for better results.
Base column: Start🥄 Stirring Out Bad Batches
Identify unhelpful habits or blockers to sift out from our process.
Base column: Stop🍰 Secret Recipes to Keep
Share the reliable techniques that help us rise to success and deserve to stay in our recipe!
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Baking Masterclass retrospective uses a culinary theme to guide your team in trying new approaches, removing blockers, and reinforcing successful practices.
When to use this template
Use this retro when your team needs a playful, engaging way to reflect on process improvements or after a sprint that felt routine or uninspired.
How to facilitate
Invite everyone into the 'virtual kitchen' and set the stage with the baking theme to create an open and light-hearted atmosphere.
Explain each column, emphasizing the culinary metaphors, so team members know what kind of input to share for each area.
Allow individuals time to add their thoughts to each column: new practices to try, habits to remove, and proven techniques to continue.
Review each column together, asking for clarification or examples where needed, and encourage group discussion about the most important items.
Collaboratively decide which 'fresh ingredients' to experiment with and which 'bad batches' need immediate attention or action items.
Celebrate the team's 'secret recipes'—identify ways to formalize or further strengthen successful practices.
Close with a quick round of feedback: what made this retro work and what tweaks could make the next even better.
Pro Tips
Encourage everyone to brainstorm 'fresh ingredients' by thinking of experiments or ideas spotted in other teams or industries.
Use real-life baking analogies to spark creativity and laughter—it’s a fun way to keep discussions lively and memorable.
If participation lags, invite quieter team members by name, asking what they'd add to each recipe column.
Summarize the discussion into a simple 'recipe card' for the team to refer to in the next sprint.
Rotate the facilitator occasionally so each team member can bring new flavors to the session.
FAQ
What if our team struggles to come up with new ideas for 'fresh ingredients'?
Prompt the team with examples from other projects or industries, or ask what issues they've seen elsewhere that might apply to your context.
How do we handle disagreements about which habits are 'bad batches'?
Encourage constructive conversation, and if needed, vote on which items the team wants to address first. Focus on consensus for real change.
Can we use this template for non-sprint reflections, like quarterly reviews?
Absolutely. The template works for any timeframe where you want to reflect creatively on process improvement and team dynamics.
At a glance
- Duration
35–50 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective