🐃🌲 Clash of Bison in the Forest

Charge into the wild retro arena! Like mighty bison clashing in the forest, let’s air out our clashes, clear paths, and discover ways to strengthen our agile herd. Get ready to stomp, reflect, and grow together!
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🐃🌲 Clash of Bison in the Forest

Template Columns

🌱 New Growth Paths

Share ideas we should start to ensure our herd’s journey through the forest thrives.

Base column: Start
🚫 Forest Obstacles

Spot actions or habits we should stop before they block or divide our bison herd.

Base column: Stop
💪 Strong Herd Moves

Celebrate successful practices we should continue to keep our herd strong and unified.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A dynamic start‑stop‑continue retro that uses a bison‑in‑the‑forest theme to surface new ideas, remove obstacles, and reinforce strengths.

When to use this template

Use when the team needs a quick, energizing pulse check and wants to align on actionable improvements after a sprint or milestone.

How to facilitate

1

Set the scene by introducing the ‘Clash of Bison in the Forest’ metaphor and explain the three columns

2

Ask each participant to write one observation per column on virtual sticky notes, focusing on new growth paths, forest obstacles, and strong herd moves

3

Group similar notes together, then have the team vote on the top three items in each column using dot voting

4

Discuss the highest‑voted items, turning ‘New Growth Paths’ into concrete experiments, ‘Forest Obstacles’ into stop‑actions, and ‘Strong Herd Moves’ into practices to keep

5

Capture agreed‑upon actions in a shared board, assign owners, and set a review date for the next retro

Pro Tips

Limit each participant to three sticky notes per column to keep the board focused and avoid analysis paralysis

Use a timer for each phase to maintain momentum and respect the 45‑minute window

When voting, encourage silent voting first, then a quick round of brief justifications to surface hidden insights

FAQ

What if the team runs out of ideas for a column?

Prompt with guiding questions such as ‘What could we start doing to improve collaboration?’ and allow a brief silent brainstorming before writing.

How do we handle dominant voices during discussion?

Use a round‑robin format or ask the facilitator to explicitly invite quieter members to share their perspective.

Can this retro be used for longer projects?

Yes, repeat the same structure at regular intervals; the themes stay fresh while the actions evolve with the project’s phases.

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At a glance

  • Duration

    45–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags

start‑stop‑continue
team health
action‑oriented
remote-friendly
agile reflection

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective