🎉❄️ Festive Holiday Retro
Gather around the virtual fireplace to celebrate wins, pause the Grinches, and keep the holiday spirit alive in our agile journey!
Template Columns
🎁 Start New Traditions
Identify fresh practices to introduce, like new rituals or tools, to brighten our next sprint.
Base column: Start🛑 Stop the Holiday Overload
Highlight habits that cause stress or distraction during the festive season and agree to pause them.
Base column: Stop🎄 Continue the Festive Cheer
Keep the joyful practices that boost morale and collaboration throughout the holidays.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A holiday‑themed retro that celebrates wins, stops festive overload, and continues joyful practices to keep the team’s spirit high.
When to use this template
Use this format at the end of a sprint that falls during the holiday season or after a holiday break to reflect on both productivity and morale.
How to facilitate
Gather the team in a virtual meeting with a festive background and set a positive tone
Explain the three columns—Start New Traditions, Stop the Holiday Overload, Continue the Festive Cheer—and the purpose of each
Give participants five minutes to add sticky notes to the appropriate column using holiday emojis or icons
Group similar notes together and discuss each column, celebrating wins, identifying overload, and deciding new traditions
Vote on the top items in each column and turn them into concrete action items for the next sprint
Summarize the agreed actions, assign owners, and close with a brief holiday cheer or virtual toast
Pro Tips
Use holiday‑themed emojis or virtual backgrounds to boost engagement
Limit each participant to three items per column to keep discussion focused
Turn the selected actions into a shared holiday checklist that lives on the team board
FAQ
What if the team feels the retro is too festive and not serious enough?
Acknowledge the need for balance; keep the focus on actionable insights while using the holiday theme as a fun framing device.
How many items should we aim for in each column?
Aim for 3‑5 high‑impact items per column to keep the conversation concise and meaningful.
What if some team members are not celebrating holidays?
Emphasize inclusivity by framing the retro around seasonal reflection rather than specific traditions, allowing everyone to contribute comfortably.
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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
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective