The Christmas in July retrospective uses a playful, festive theme to help teams reflect on what to drop, add, keep, and improve for even cooler collaboration and outcomes.

When to use this template

Use this retro when you want to boost energy, celebrate progress with a fun twist, and encourage creative thinking—especially during midyear or after an intense project cycle.

How to facilitate

Set the scene by inviting the team to imagine a festive, summery holiday atmosphere to spark creativity and loosen up conversation.

Briefly explain each column’s meaning, ensuring the team understands the links between drop, add, keep, and improve in this playful context.

Give everyone a few minutes to silently add their thoughts to each column using virtual sticky notes or cards.

Invite the team to read through all the items together, clustering similar ideas to surface themes or patterns.

Lead a structured discussion, focusing on each column—first highlighting dropped items, then exploring new additions, celebrating evergreen joys, and finally tackling potential improvements.

Facilitate the group in identifying and selecting concrete action items from both the Add and Improve columns.

End with a round of appreciation, inviting everyone to share a quick ‘holiday thank-you’ for a team member or practice that brought extra cheer.

Pro Tips

Kick off the meeting by letting everyone share their favorite summer or holiday treat to break the ice.

Encourage storytelling—ask team members to give context for their notes, making insights more memorable and actionable.

Blend celebration with candor to ensure honest discussion while keeping energy positive and inclusive.

Use festive visuals or themed backgrounds in your video call to set the mood and boost engagement.

FAQ

What if some team members aren’t in a festive mood?

Invite everyone to engage at their own comfort level, focusing on the reflective process—fun elements are optional but can lighten the mood and foster creativity.

How do we prevent too much time spent on ‘holiday’ banter?

Set clear time expectations for each section and use a visible timer. Allow a short initial icebreaker, then guide focus back to the retrospective’s purpose.

What if our team struggles to suggest things to drop in ‘Let It Melt’?

Prompt with examples or rephrase as ‘What slowed us down or got in our way?’ to help the team surface drops without blaming individuals.

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At a glance

Duration
45–60 min
Team Size
4-12 people
Columns
4 columns
Base Format
Drop, Add, Keep, Improve

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

🎄☀️ Christmas in July

Break out the beach towels and tinsel! In this festive retro, we’ll unwrap our project progress, swap stories of sunny successes and frosty challenges, and gift our team with ways to improve, all summer long.

Template Columns

🌴 Let It Melt (Drop)

🎁 Secret Santa Surprises (Add)

🧑‍🎄 Evergreen Joys (Keep)

❄️ Chill Improvements (Improve)

About this template