🎄❄️ Christmas Carol Retro
Gather 'round the virtual fireplace to celebrate our successes, uncover the Grinches, and deck the halls with improvements for the next sprint.
Template Columns
🎁 Gifted Moments
Share the festive wins and bright spots that made our sprint sparkle.
Base column: What Went Well🧊 Frosty Flaws
Identify the chilly setbacks and Grinches that froze our progress.
Base column: What Went Wrong🔧 Tinsel Tweaks
Plan the decorations and adjustments to polish our process for the next sprint.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
A festive, holiday‑themed retrospective that highlights wins, surface setbacks, and plan improvements in a fun, collaborative way.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants a light‑hearted, seasonal wrap‑up or to boost morale after a sprint.
How to facilitate
Set the virtual scene by sharing a holiday background or playing a short festive tune to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Ask participants to write their Gifted Moments on sticky notes, focusing on specific achievements that made the sprint sparkle.
Collect the notes, group similar items, and have the team briefly celebrate each highlighted win.
Move to Frosty Flaws: each person adds a note about setbacks or obstacles, phrasing them as Grinches that froze progress.
Group the flaws, discuss root causes, then transition to Tinsel Tweaks where the team proposes concrete adjustments, assigning owners and due dates.
Pro Tips
Encourage the use of emojis or holiday icons on virtual sticky notes to keep the mood light while still capturing meaningful content.
Limit discussion on each Frosty Flaw to a minute to prevent the session from dwelling on negatives.
End with a quick “cheer” round where each member shares one personal holiday wish for the next sprint, reinforcing positivity.
FAQ
What if the team is not in a holiday mood?
Keep the theme optional; you can replace the festive language with a neutral version while preserving the three‑column structure.
How do we ensure the session stays on time?
Assign a timekeeper, set a timer for each column discussion, and move on once the limit is reached.
What if some participants are reluctant to share flaws?
Allow anonymous posting on the board or use a quick poll to surface hidden issues without singling anyone out.
How to turn the Tinsel Tweaks into actionable items?
For each tweak, define a clear owner, a concrete step, and a target date, then record them in the sprint backlog.
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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