πΈπΌ Blooming Sprint
Welcome to the garden of growth! Cultivate successes, prune obstacles, and nurture practices that help our project blossom.
Template Columns
π± Seedlings to Plant
Identify new ideas or practices to sow for future growth.
Base column: StartβοΈ Weeds to Pull
Highlight habits or processes that hinder our garden's health.
Base column: StopπΏ Flourishing Flowers
Celebrate actions that keep our project thriving.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A gardenβthemed sprint retrospective that plants new ideas, pulls back unhelpful habits, and celebrates whatβs thriving.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants a fresh, growthβfocused perspective and needs to balance improvement with recognition.
How to facilitate
Set the stage by reminding the team of the garden metaphor and the purpose of each column
Ask each participant to write down observations on sticky notes: ideas to plant in Seedlings to Plant, weeds to pull in Weeds to Pull, and flourishing actions in Flourishing Flowers
Collect the notes, group similar items together, and place them on the virtual board under the appropriate column
Facilitate a brief discussion for each column, allowing the team to elaborate on why each item belongs there and prioritize the most impactful seeds and weeds
Close the session by agreeing on concrete actions for the top seeds and weeds, and acknowledge the flourishing flowers with a quick celebration
Pro Tips
Limit each participant to three items per column to keep the board focused and manageable
Use colorβcoded emojis or icons on the virtual sticky notes to quickly signal urgency or ownership
After the retro, create a shared βgarden trackerβ that logs planted seeds and removed weeds across sprints
FAQ
What if the team runs out of ideas for new seeds?
Encourage brainstorming by asking what skills, tools, or experiments the team wishes to try next sprint; you can also draw inspiration from recent successes or external trends.
How do we handle dominant voices during the discussion?
Set a timer for each personβs turn and use a roundβrobin approach, ensuring quieter members get equal airtime.
Can we use this format for nonβtechnical teams?
Absolutely; the garden metaphor works for any group focused on continuous improvement, just adapt the language to fit the teamβs context.
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At a glance
- Duration
45β60 min
- Team Size
5-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective