📚 Enchanted Library Retrospective
Step into our enchanted library! Let’s open the book of our sprint, bookmarking wins, editing our struggles, and rewriting frustrations into new chapters of success.
Template Columns
📖 Favorite Pages
Share the success stories and highlights of our project’s latest chapter.
Base column: Glad🧩 Missing Chapters
Reflect on gaps or moments that left us wishing for more in our narrative.
Base column: Sad🔥 Torn Pages
Express frustrations or blockers that disrupted the flow of our story.
Base column: MadAbout this template
The Enchanted Library Retrospective invites your team to reflect on your last sprint as if writing a story—celebrating highlights, noting what's missing, and addressing frustrations that interrupted your narrative.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective when your team needs a fresh, engaging way to reflect, especially if previous formats have become stale or if you want to encourage storytelling around wins and challenges.
How to facilitate
Start by inviting the team to imagine your last sprint as a story and briefly explain each column’s metaphorical meaning.
Set a relaxed atmosphere and give everyone a few minutes to jot down notes for each column: Favorite Pages for successes, Missing Chapters for anything lacking, and Torn Pages for blockers or frustrations.
Ask team members to share their reflections, grouping similar themes together as they arise. Encourage storytelling to bring each point to life.
Facilitate a group discussion for each column, drawing connections between successes and struggles, and highlighting recurring gaps or blockers.
Guide the team to collaboratively propose action items for turning Missing Chapters and Torn Pages into 'new chapters' for the next sprint.
Wrap up by summarizing agreed actions and celebrating the collective story you’ll write moving forward.
Pro Tips
Prompt quieter teammates with questions about specific project moments to spark contributions.
Lean into the storytelling theme—ask participants to describe challenges as plot twists or victories as triumphant scenes.
As facilitator, weave in positive feedback and celebrate even small wins to keep morale high.
Encourage concise sharing to ensure everyone’s story gets heard.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to come up with stories or contributions?
Model a brief story yourself to set the tone, and ask direct but open questions like, 'What was your favorite part of our last sprint?' to help spark ideas.
How can we keep the discussion focused and not drift off-topic?
Clarify the purpose of each column and gently guide the conversation back if it wanders. Summarizing key points after each column helps maintain focus.
What if frustrations (Torn Pages) dominate the conversation?
Acknowledge their importance but balance the mood by celebrating wins and actively steering the discussion toward solutions and next steps.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
3-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Glad, Sad, Mad
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective