🍖🔥 Barbecue Bonanza
Gather around the smoker as we cook up insights from our project. Share what needs seasoning (starting), what’s overcooked (stopping), and what deserves a second helping (continuing) for a flavorful future.
Template Columns
🌶️ Add Some Spice
Share fresh ideas and initiatives we'd like to start grilling.
Base column: Start🛑 Pull It Off the Grill
Point out practices or habits that are burning and need to be stopped.
Base column: Stop🪵🔥 Keep the Fire Going
Highlight the sizzling successes worth keeping on the heat.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Barbecue Bonanza retrospective helps the team explore what needs to be started, stopped, and continued for team success using a fun barbecue theme.
When to use this template
Use this template to engage the team in a lighthearted, structured discussion to evaluate project processes and team dynamics.
How to facilitate
Set the stage by welcoming the team and explaining the barbecue metaphor, associating it with starting, stopping, and continuing practices.
Introduce each column, clarifying what kind of feedback belongs in each section: 🌶️ Add Some Spice (starting), 🛑 Pull It Off the Grill (stopping), 🪵🔥 Keep the Fire Going (continuing).
Give participants 5-10 minutes to write their thoughts asynchronously or on virtual sticky notes under each column.
Review the notes together, discussing the common themes, addressing concerns, and making commendations where due.
Prioritize the ideas, identifying key actions to take in each category with clear responsibilities assigned.
Conclude with a round of reflections on the session, summarizing the optimistic steps the team will take forward.
Pro Tips
Use barbecue-related terminology to enhance the theme and create engagement—like 'What needs more grilling time?'
Invite the team to share examples to support their inputs where possible, ensuring actionable and specific ideas.
Rotate the facilitation to give other team members a chance to host and maintain fresh perspectives in future retrospectives.
FAQ
What if the barbecue theme doesn't click with my team?
You can reframe the columns with simpler metaphors while keeping the playful spirit intact.
How do I ensure participation in each category?
Prompt team members by asking guiding questions for each section, ensuring everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts.
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