📚 Book Club Retrospective
Welcome to our literary journey! Let's turn the pages of our last sprint, sharing highlights, plot twists, and revisions for a happier ending next time. Reflect, discuss, and author our next successful chapter together!
Template Columns
🌟 Bestsellers
Share the standout moments and successes from our recent story.
Base column: What Went Well📖 Plot Holes
Reveal the bumps and inconsistencies that disrupted our narrative.
Base column: What Went Wrong📝 Rewrites & Sequels
Suggest improvements to make our next installment even more engaging.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
The Book Club Retrospective invites your team to reflect on your recent sprint as if it were a shared story—celebrating highlights, uncovering plot holes, and planning improvements together.
When to use this template
Use this format when your team needs a refreshing and engaging way to review a sprint, especially after a project milestone or when you want to encourage creative reflection.
How to facilitate
Set the tone by welcoming everyone to the Book Club and framing the sprint as your team's shared story
Ask team members to silently note their thoughts for each column: Bestsellers for highlights, Plot Holes for challenges, and Rewrites & Sequels for improvements
Invite everyone to share their notes, grouping similar feedback under each column and encouraging short discussions as needed
Facilitate a deeper conversation around Plot Holes to explore root causes without blaming any team members
Guide the team to brainstorm actionable Rewrites & Sequels, focusing on concrete improvements and next steps
Summarize key takeaways, assign action owners, and close the session by inviting each member to title the ‘next chapter’ for your team
Pro Tips
Use literary metaphors to keep the tone light and creative—this often encourages more open sharing
Invite quieter team members to share by asking book club-style questions, such as 'What moment stood out to you?'
Encourage concise notes using just a sentence or two to keep the session lively and focused
If the team is larger, break into smaller groups for the sharing step and regroup for final action planning
FAQ
What if a team member struggles to think of 'Bestsellers' or successes?
Prompt them to consider even small wins or improvements—sometimes micro-successes make a story shine.
How do we avoid finger-pointing in the 'Plot Holes' column?
Set a collaborative tone and remind the group that plot holes are part of every good story—focus on learning rather than blame.
How can we ensure that 'Rewrites & Sequels' translate into real improvements?
Prioritize actionable items and assign owners, then review progress at the start of the next retrospective.
At a glance
- Duration
30–45 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective