🐾 Cat Café Retrospective
Curl up for a cozy Cat Café retro! Like curious kitties, let’s paw through our processes, chase out obstacles, and purr about what’s working—so our team lands on its feet every sprint!
Template Columns
🐱 New Toys to Chase
Share fresh ideas or habits our team should start exploring, just like playful cats with new toys.
Base column: Start🛑 No More Hairballs
Highlight practices or blockers we should stop to keep our workspace as tidy as a cat’s fur.
Base column: Stop😺 Keep the Catnaps
Celebrate routines and successes that keep us content, productive, and purring along.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Cat Café Retrospective uses playful, cat-inspired prompts to help teams reflect on habits, surface blockers, and celebrate what’s working. It brings a lighthearted, cozy atmosphere to retrospective discussions, encouraging openness and curiosity.
When to use this template
Use this template to refresh retrospective routines, especially when your team needs a morale boost or wants to re-energize continuous improvement efforts.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team with a brief introduction to the Cat Café theme, encouraging everyone to embrace a curious and open mindset.
Review the three columns and clarify what each represents: new ideas to try, blockers or old habits to leave behind, and successful routines to celebrate.
Give everyone a few quiet minutes to add their thoughts to each column, aiming for both playful creativity and practical insights.
Once all ideas are shared, group similar items together and invite the team to briefly discuss the themes that emerge in each column.
Facilitate a deeper discussion on the most impactful or surprising points raised—make sure to hear from quieter team members as well.
Guide the team to select 1-2 actions from each column: something to start, a blocker to remove, and a routine to protect.
Summarize action items and agree on owners and next steps to ensure follow-through.
Pro Tips
Consider bringing a fun visual, like cat images or café music, to set a relaxed tone and spark creativity.
Encourage the team to use playful language—it often helps people express challenges or ideas they might otherwise hold back.
If discussions stall, ask team members to imagine what would make them “purr” or “hiss” about their workweek.
Balance fun with tangible outcomes by always circling back to specific, actionable takeaways.
FAQ
How can I keep this retro from turning too silly or unfocused?
Embrace some playfulness, but regularly tie discussions back to real team issues and goals. A strong facilitator helps maintain balance between fun and value.
What if team members struggle to come up with 'new toys' or fresh ideas?
Prompt them by asking about recent challenges, missed opportunities, or things they wish they'd tried. Sometimes reframing 'toys' as simple experiments unlocks ideas.
How do I ensure action items aren't just 'nice ideas' but will actually stick?
Make sure each action has a clear owner and follow-up plan. Revisit progress in your next retrospective to reinforce accountability.
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At a glance
- Duration
35–50 min
- Team Size
3-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective