🍂🌒 Dark Autumn Reflections

As shadows lengthen and leaves fall, let's gather around the glow of collaboration. Embrace autumn's mysterious beauty by shedding old habits, kindling new practices, and celebrating what endures. Ready for a twilight journey through our agile forest?
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🍂🌒 Dark Autumn Reflections

Template Columns

🍁 Ignite New Fires

Share what practices or ideas we should light up and start in this autumn transformation.

Base column: Start
🌑 Let Leaves Fall

Reveal what habits or processes we should let drift away and stop, just as trees release their leaves to the darkening season.

Base column: Stop
🌕 Harvest the Light

Celebrate the actions and rituals that shine brightest and should continue to guide us through the shadows.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A seasonal retrospective that helps teams shed unproductive habits, ignite fresh ideas, and celebrate lasting strengths as they transition into autumn.

When to use this template

Use when the team needs a thematic reset after a sprint or quarter, especially when looking to refresh practices and acknowledge successes.

How to facilitate

1

Set the mood by sharing a brief autumn metaphor and inviting everyone to reflect on the changing season

2

Ask participants to write individual ideas on virtual sticky notes for each column: Ignite New Fires, Let Leaves Fall, Harvest the Light

3

Group the notes by similarity and discuss each column, starting with Ignite New Fires to surface new practices to start

4

Move to Let Leaves Fall, encouraging honest conversation about habits that no longer serve the team and should be stopped

5

Transition to Harvest the Light, highlighting actions that have worked well and should continue

6

Facilitate a quick dot‑vote or emoji reaction to prioritize the most valuable items in each column

7

Translate the top‑voted items into concrete action items with owners and due dates

8

Close by summarizing decisions, thanking the team, and inviting a final reflection on the autumn theme

Pro Tips

Use autumn‑themed virtual backgrounds or icons to keep the atmosphere immersive

Allocate a few minutes for silent writing before discussion to ensure introverted voices are captured

When voting, limit each participant to three votes total to surface the highest‑impact ideas

FAQ

What if the team struggles to generate new ideas for Ignite New Fires?

Prompt with specific questions like “What experiment could improve our delivery speed?” or use a quick brain‑writing round to spark fresh thoughts.

How do we handle strong disagreement on items in Let Leaves Fall?

Facilitate a brief pros‑and‑cons discussion, then use a silent poll to let the group decide democratically.

Can this format be shortened for a 30‑minute check‑in?

Yes, combine the discussion of Let Leaves Fall and Harvest the Light, and limit voting to a single round of top‑three items.

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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

seasonal
reflection
continuous improvement
team health
action-oriented

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective