⚓️🚢 Down With the Ship

Man the decks! As our project faces rough waters, let's reflect on what kept us afloat and where we nearly sank. Share your survival stories and help chart a course so our next voyage avoids the rocks!
45–60 min
4-10 people
Based on: Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For
⚓️🚢 Down With the Ship
Template Columns
🪝 Good Catches

Celebrate the elements that kept our ship steady and boosted crew morale.

Base column: Liked
📚 Lessons from the Deep

Share the hard-earned lessons learned from navigating stormy seas.

Base column: Learned
💧 Leaks in the Hull

Identify what our voyage lacked or areas where we sprung a leak.

Base column: Lacked
🗺️ S.O.S. Signals

Call out what you most wished for or needed as we weathered the storm.

Base column: Longed For
About this template

Use the Down With the Ship retrospective to examine what helped your team stay afloat and what nearly sank your last project, celebrating successes, surfacing gaps, and sharing hard-earned lessons.

When to use this template

Run this retrospective when your team has faced significant challenges or setbacks, or after a high-stakes sprint, to build resilience and chart a better path forward.

How to facilitate
1

Kick off by setting the tone: acknowledge recent challenges and reinforce the goal of learning together, not apportioning blame.

2

Introduce each column, clarifying what types of stories and contributions belong: Good Catches for positives, Lessons from the Deep for learning, Leaks in the Hull for pain points, and S.O.S. Signals for unmet needs.

3

Allow team members time to reflect silently and add their notes to each column using the online board.

4

Invite everyone to review the board, encouraging upvotes or comments for resonance, and then discuss one column at a time, drawing connections between the insights.

5

Deepen the conversation by asking follow-ups and encouraging story sharing, especially around Lessons from the Deep and S.O.S. Signals.

6

Identify actionable improvements or experiments based on recurring leaks and signals. Prioritize a few to address next sprint.

7

Wrap up by celebrating perseverance and highlighting one collective lesson or commitment to carry forward.

Pro Tips

Use specific prompts for each column to jog memories and spark participation, such as 'Who stepped up during a storm?' or 'What warning signals did we miss?'

Monitor the energy in the discussion and adjust pace to ensure everyone has a voice; invite quieter crew members to share.

Frame failures as opportunities for growth and keep the tone supportive by modeling constructive storytelling yourself.

Share a visual of a ship's journey to set the mood and encourage playful storytelling without undermining seriousness.

FAQ
What if team members are reluctant to share failures or issues?

Lead by example with your own story, highlight a blameless approach, and reinforce that surfacing leaks is about learning, not fault-finding.

How do we turn wish-list items (S.O.S. Signals) into practical actions?

Group similar signals, identify concrete next steps that are within the team’s control, and assign owners for follow-up.

How do we maintain focus and avoid venting?

Redirect the discussion toward underlying causes and solutions, and use timeboxes for each column to keep the session on track.

At a glance
  • Duration

    45–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-10 people

  • Columns

    4 columns

  • Base Format

    Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For

Tags
challenge
team resilience
post-crisis
lessons learned
action-oriented
team health
project review
Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective