🎤 Finish the Lyric

Ready to hit the right notes? In this music-inspired retro, we’ll spin our project’s soundtrack—celebrating chart-toppers and tuning up what’s off-key. Let’s compose a hit for our next sprint!
40–55 min
3-10 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🎤 Finish the Lyric
Template Columns
🎶 Drop The Beat (Start)

Suggest new actions or rhythms we should add to make our team’s song a smash hit.

Base column: Start
🔇 Skip The Track (Stop)

Point out off-key habits or unfinished verses we should stop repeating in our process.

Base column: Stop
🔁 Encore! (Continue)

Highlight the catchy refrains and practices we should keep on repeat for future success.

Base column: Continue
About this template

Finish the Lyric is a music-themed retrospective that helps teams fine-tune their ways of working by celebrating wins, stopping unhelpful habits, and starting new actions.

When to use this template

Use this format when you want to bring energy and creativity to your retrospective, especially after a milestone or if the team could use a fresh approach to reflection.

How to facilitate
1

Open the session by introducing the music theme and encouraging everyone to think of the last sprint as a song you all created together.

2

Review each column and clarify what types of insights belong in Drop The Beat (Start), Skip The Track (Stop), and Encore! (Continue).

3

Individually, invite team members to add their thoughts to each column, focusing on specific behaviors or patterns from the sprint.

4

After ideation, group similar notes and ask the team to clarify or elaborate where needed.

5

Facilitate a team discussion on each column, allowing members to share stories and connections they see between items.

6

Prioritize action items, especially for Start and Stop columns, and make sure each agreed change has an owner and timeline.

7

End the retrospective by celebrating the team’s greatest hits—what you want to repeat next sprint—and optionally, play a team-chosen song to close on a high note.

Pro Tips

Encourage using music analogies or song titles in entries to keep the energy up and foster creativity.

Prompt quieter team members with open-ended questions, using the column themes as conversation starters.

When deciding action items, relate them back to the metaphor—what will help your next team 'album' go platinum?

Use a playlist or short musical cues as timeboxes or transitions to keep the session lively.

FAQ
How can we keep the session productive and not just fun?

Set clear expectations at the start: the music theme is to spark insight, but the goal is actionable improvement. Balance creative engagement with timeboxing for focused discussion.

What if someone struggles with the music theme?

Remind the team it's just a creative twist—standard retro insights are still welcome. The theme is optional, not required for participation.

How do we ensure follow-through on action items?

Assign owners and deadlines to each action during the meeting, and revisit them in your next retro as part of your opener.

At a glance
  • Duration

    40–55 min

  • Team Size

    3-10 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags
creative
team morale
reflection
action-oriented
fun
music
remote friendly
Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective