🪔🌺 Durga’s Divine Retrospective

Invoke the fierce and nurturing spirit of Goddess Durga to reflect on our teamwork. Let’s summon new strengths, vanquish roadblocks, and continue empowering our project’s victory with divine energy!
40–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🪔🌺 Durga’s Divine Retrospective

Template Columns

🪔 Awaken New Powers

Share ideas and practices we should start, channeling Durga’s courage and creativity.

Base column: Start
⚔️ Slay the Demons

Identify habits or blockers we should stop, just as Durga defeats obstacles with her many arms.

Base column: Stop
🌸 Nurture What Empowers

Highlight strengths and practices we should continue, celebrating our inner resilience.

Base column: Continue

About this template

Durga’s Divine Retrospective invites teams to reflect on their journey, drawing from the empowering symbolism of Goddess Durga to reveal new strengths, overcome obstacles, and celebrate resilience.

When to use this template

Use this format when your team needs a mix of inspiration and structured reflection—especially after intense sprints, major challenges, or when you seek renewed team energy.

How to facilitate

1

Open the session by introducing the Durga theme and the intention to channel both courage and nurturing energy into the retrospective.

2

Invite everyone to reflect in silence for a minute on the past iteration, gathering thoughts related to each column's theme.

3

Guide the team to add notes in each column: Awaken New Powers for new practices or bold ideas, Slay the Demons for blockers or unhelpful habits, and Nurture What Empowers for strengths to preserve.

4

Read through the responses together, asking clarifying questions and encouraging team members to elaborate where appropriate.

5

Facilitate a group discussion to prioritize the most impactful items from each column, especially focusing on actionable insights.

6

Collaboratively decide on concrete action items to implement in the next cycle, assigning clear owners and timeframes.

7

Close by inviting each participant to share one word that captures the team’s divine energy for the next sprint.

Pro Tips

Encourage everyone to connect their observations to specific situations or examples for richer insights.

Frame blockers or negative feedback in the language of transformation rather than blame to foster psychological safety.

Introduce subtle thematic music or visuals for a brief moment to anchor the Durga energy without overdoing it.

Check in mid-way to re-focus if energy dips, using a quick re-centering question tied to the theme.

FAQ

What if my team members are unfamiliar with Durga or the theme?

A brief introduction to Durga’s symbolism at the start helps everyone engage with the metaphor, keeping the focus on universal concepts like courage and resilience.

How can I keep discussions focused and actionable?

Encourage linking notes to specific recent events and ask follow-up questions to turn broad ideas into concrete action items.

What if the team gets stuck on negatives during 'Slay the Demons'?

Re-center the discussion around solutions and transformation, guiding the team to identify not just obstacles but also how to overcome them.

Is it okay to adapt or skip the theme if some feel uncomfortable?

Absolutely—focus on the column intentions and adapt the theme as needed to suit your team's cultural context and comfort.

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At a glance

  • Duration

    40–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags

reflection
team culture
action-oriented
resilience
themed retros
continuous improvement

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective