🌌 Galactic Journey
Embark on a galactic adventure as we orbit our project’s successes and dodge cosmic obstacles. Let’s reflect on our mission’s high points, black holes, and chart a course to new star systems of improvement!
Template Columns
🌟 Shining Stars
Spotlight the stellar achievements and cosmic wins from our sprint.
Base column: What Went Well🕳️ Black Holes
Reveal the obstacles or missteps that pulled us off course.
Base column: What Went Wrong🚀 Next Galaxy Targets
Set new coordinates for improvement to soar farther and faster in upcoming missions.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
The Galactic Journey retrospective uses a space adventure theme to help teams reflect on their wins, challenges, and growth opportunities in an engaging way.
When to use this template
This format is great after any sprint or project milestone, especially when your team needs a creativity boost or is looking to break out of routine retros. Perfect for energizing teams and encouraging open, imaginative thinking.
How to facilitate
Set the scene by inviting your team on a galactic mission—explain each column's metaphor for achievements, obstacles, and improvements.
Begin with Shining Stars—ask everyone to share the moments, deliverables, or teamwork they’re most proud of from the recent sprint.
Move to Black Holes—invite the team to candidly identify hurdles, frustrations, or any points where progress stalled.
Transition to Next Galaxy Targets—collaboratively brainstorm fresh actions or experiments that will help the team avoid past pitfalls and aim higher in the next cycle.
Group similar ideas in each column and open space for discussion, clarifying key themes and surfacing any surprises.
Decide on 1–3 practical actions or experiments to implement in the next sprint, assigning owners if possible.
Close with a fun team reflection—share what sci-fi skill or gadget would have helped most, bringing lightness before wrap-up.
Pro Tips
Encourage storytelling—ask team members to describe their 'star' moments or 'black holes' in vivid detail to spark discussion.
Bring visuals—a galaxy or space-themed background can boost engagement and reinforce the theme.
Mix up who shares first in each round to give everyone a voice and keep energy high.
Be playful with language but stay focused on actionable outcomes for the Next Galaxy Targets.
If time allows, celebrate each Shining Star moment with a brief virtual applause or emoji reaction.
FAQ
How do I get my team engaged with the space theme if they're not into sci-fi?
Focus on the fun and creativity of the metaphors rather than deep sci-fi references—use the theme to open up conversation but keep it lighthearted and inclusive.
What if we have too many suggestions in Black Holes?
Cluster related items together, then let the team vote on the top issues to address, ensuring focus on the most critical or recurring challenges.
How do we avoid the retrospective getting too silly and off-topic?
Balance playfulness with purpose—set expectations up front that each metaphor leads to concrete insights, and guide conversations back to outcomes as needed.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective