🐻🧸 Build-a-Bear Workshop
Welcome to the Build‑a‑Bear Workshop retro! Stitch together our triumphs, untangle the loose threads, and plan how to make our next bear even cuddlier and stronger.
Template Columns
🐻✨ Cuddly Successes
Share the fluffy wins and smooth stitching moments from our project.
Base column: What Went Well⚡️🪡 Stitch Mishaps
Highlight the snags, loose threads, and bear-sized challenges we faced.
Base column: What Went Wrong🔧🧸 Plush Enhancements
Identify areas to tighten seams and add extra fluff for future builds.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
A playful retro where the team stitches together successes, identifies snags, and designs improvements using a bear‑building metaphor.
When to use this template
Use when you want a light‑hearted, visual way to celebrate wins and surface issues, especially after a sprint with mixed outcomes.
How to facilitate
Begin by welcoming the team and briefly explaining the bear‑building metaphor, setting a playful tone.
Ask participants to add sticky notes to the Cuddly Successes column, noting any wins or smooth moments.
Next, have them populate the Stitch Mishaps column with challenges, obstacles, or anything that felt tangled.
Move to the Plush Enhancements column where the group suggests concrete improvements or new ideas to make the next ‘bear’ stronger.
Facilitate a quick dot‑vote or thumbs‑up on the items in the enhancements column to prioritize the top three actions.
Assign owners and due dates to the selected actions, writing them on a shared action board.
Close the retro with a brief appreciation round, thanking contributors and reinforcing the next steps.
Pro Tips
Use a virtual whiteboard with bear icons so participants can visually ‘stitch’ notes onto the columns.
Encourage brief, specific statements on each sticky to keep the board readable.
If discussion stalls, ask “What would make this win even fluffier?” to spark deeper insights.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to come up with successes?
Prompt them with specific questions like ‘Which deliverable met expectations?’ or ‘What feedback impressed a stakeholder?’ to jog memory.
How do we keep the retro from becoming just a list of complaints?
Balance each challenge with at least one related success and focus the enhancements on actionable solutions rather than blame.
Can this format work for larger teams?
Yes, split the group into smaller pods for each column, then have a spokesperson share the top items from each pod.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 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