Detective Agency: Case of the Missing Feedback is a playful retrospective template designed to help teams uncover and improve their internal feedback processes, ensuring feedback circulates among all members, not just leadership.

When to use this template

Use this format when your team wants to build a healthier feedback culture, especially if feedback seems siloed, underutilized, or not everyone feels heard.

How to facilitate

Set the scene by introducing the detective theme and clarify that the mission is to discover ways to make team feedback more open and inclusive.

Briefly review the column prompts so everyone understands what types of input go in each column.

Allow team members 8–10 minutes to add notes asynchronously to each column based on their observations and ideas.

Invite the team to discuss contributions, asking clarifying questions and grouping similar clues to surface key feedback challenges and opportunities.

Facilitate a focused conversation around 'Close Cold Cases' to identify old habits or blockers that limit peer-to-peer feedback.

Collaboratively prioritize one or two experiments or actions to improve feedback flow based on the most insightful clues.

Wrap up by assigning owners to each action and agreeing on how progress will be tracked in the next iteration.

Pro Tips

Ask participants to reflect on both giving and receiving feedback for richer insights.

Add 'mystery envelopes' (private messages) for feedback people may not want to share publicly at first, revealing themes during the session.

Encourage storytelling by having team members describe real feedback situations, anonymized if necessary, to create concrete examples.

Revisit past 'cold cases' at the next retrospective to reinforce accountability and learning.

FAQ

What if team members don't feel comfortable sharing negative feedback?

Remind the team that the goal is to improve together, not assign blame. Use anonymous input tools and focus on systemic practices rather than specific people.

How do we turn feedback insights into lasting changes?

Each session should end with 1–3 clear, actionable experiments or process tweaks, with specific owners assigned to track follow-up.

Can this format work with remote or hybrid teams?

Yes, it works well in virtual settings, provided you use collaborative boards and engage participants in all stages of the process.

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At a glance

Duration
40–55 min
Team Size
4-10 people
Columns
3 columns
Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

🕵️‍♂️🗣️ Detective Agency: Case of the Missing Feedback

Welcome, sleuths! Today's mission: uncover the mystery behind our team’s feedback trail. Let’s investigate how to make feedback reach everyone, not just our boss, and crack the case for better collaboration!

Template Columns

🔍 Gather New Clues

🚫 Close Cold Cases

🕵️‍♀️ Keep the Good Detective Work

About this template