🐉⚔️ Game of Thrones Council
Summon the council and rule your project like Westeros! Reflect on victories and plot new strategies to claim the agile throne—let’s ensure our team sits atop the Iron Throne next sprint!
Template Columns
🛡️ House Traditions to Uphold
Declare the practices and alliances we should continue, like unwavering house traditions.
Base column: Keep🐺 New Alliances & Tactics
Suggest new strategies and alliances to add to our quest for the throne.
Base column: Add🦌 Fewer Warring Houses
Call out which distractions or rivalries we should put behind us, like ending bitter feuds.
Base column: Less🔥 More Dragonfire!
Identify where we need more power, passion, or effort to conquer our goals.
Base column: MoreAbout this template
The Game of Thrones Council retrospective uses a fantasy-inspired council theme to help teams reflect on successes, forge new strategies, reduce conflicts, and boost motivation for the next sprint.
When to use this template
This format is ideal for teams seeking a fresh, engaging retrospective—especially if you're aiming to energize participants, tackle team dynamics, or chart bold new plans for the upcoming sprint.
How to facilitate
Set the stage by welcoming the 'council' and introducing the four columns, linking each to your team's journey to the agile throne.
Give everyone a moment to add thoughts to each column: uphold valuable traditions, propose new strategies, identify rivalries to drop, and pinpoint areas for more energy.
Allow participants to review and discuss insights shared under each category, encouraging storytelling and connections to current team dynamics.
Facilitate a focused conversation around each column to surface actions: decide which traditions to preserve, which new tactics to test, and how to address rivalries or boost team energy.
Guide the group in prioritizing a shortlist of concrete actions for the next sprint, gaining agreement on ownership and follow-up.
Close by celebrating the team's past 'victories' and rallying the council to conquer the challenges ahead.
Pro Tips
Channel the council theme by assigning playful titles to participants or using themed virtual backgrounds for enhanced immersion.
Encourage people to reflect on recurring 'feuds' or rivalries that may be holding the team back in subtle ways.
Leverage the 'Dragonfire' category to surface underappreciated strengths as well as energy deficits.
Break into small groups for each column to promote deeper discussion, then regroup to share council findings.
FAQ
How do I prevent the council theme from overshadowing real issues?
Keep the discussion tied to real team challenges and only use the theme as a framing device to spark engagement, not as a distraction from honest reflection.
What if some team members don’t relate to the Game of Thrones theme?
Encourage everyone to participate regardless of familiarity with the show. Emphasize that the categories are universal (traditions, new tactics, reducing conflict, boosting momentum) and applicable to any team.
How do I handle heated debates when talking about 'rival houses'?
Remind the team to focus on productive feedback, and guide conversations towards solutions rather than blame. Set clear norms for constructive dialogue at the start.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Keep, Add, Less, More
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective