🗡️🐉 Game of Thrones: The Sprint is Coming
Winter is here – let’s gather our small council and reflect on our sprint. Plot your next agile moves, slay blockers, and carry forward the strengths that help us rule our backlog. Claim your seat on the Iron Throne of team excellence!
Template Columns
🌱 Plant New Banners
Declare new strategies and actions our house should begin to strengthen our realm.
Base column: Start🧊 Break the Chains
Reveal what must be stopped or left in the past, just as betrayals are dealt with in Westeros.
Base column: Stop🐺 Defend the Realm
Celebrate and carry on practices that make our house strong and help us thrive.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A themed sprint retrospective that uses Game of Thrones imagery to identify new actions, stop harmful practices, and continue strengths.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants a fun, narrative‑driven way to surface improvements and celebrate successes, especially after a few sprints of steady work.
How to facilitate
Set the scene by reminding the team of the Game of Thrones theme and explain the three columns: Plant New Banners (Start), Break the Chains (Stop), Defend the Realm (Continue).
Give each participant 3–5 sticky notes or virtual cards and ask them to write brief ideas for each column, using the themed language.
Collect all notes, group similar items together, and place them under the appropriate column on the shared board.
Facilitate a discussion for each column, starting with Plant New Banners, then Break the Chains, then Defend the Realm, asking the team to clarify, vote on priority, and agree on concrete actions.
Summarize the agreed actions, assign owners and due dates, and close the session by having the team declare who will sit on the Iron Throne of excellence for the next sprint.
Pro Tips
Encourage participants to phrase items as short, vivid statements that fit the medieval theme; it boosts engagement and memory.
Use a quick dot‑vote (e.g., three votes per person) to surface the most critical banners and chains, keeping the conversation focused.
If the team is large, split into two smaller houses and run the activity in parallel, then merge the top items.
FAQ
What if the team is unfamiliar with Game of Thrones references?
Explain the metaphor briefly and focus on the underlying actions; the theme is optional and can be swapped for any narrative that resonates.
How do we handle too many ideas in a column?
Group similar ideas together and use dot‑voting to select the top three to turn into actionable items.
What if someone feels the theme is distracting?
Acknowledge the concern and offer a quick alternative wording; the goal is to keep the session productive, not to force the theme.
How long should the voting and action‑assignment take?
Allocate about 5 minutes per column for voting and another 5 minutes to assign owners and set deadlines.
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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