Glad, Sad, Mad
Let's explore our emotions: celebrate wins, acknowledge setbacks, and address frustrations to boost our agile flow.
Template Columns
Glad
Highlight the successes and moments that made the team happy.
Base column: GladSad
Discuss the challenges and disappointments we faced.
Base column: SadMad
Identify frustrations and blockers to improve our process.
Base column: MadAbout this template
A quick emotion‑focused retrospective that lets the team share what made them glad, sad, or mad during the sprint.
When to use this template
Use when you want to surface team morale and identify blockers quickly, especially after a high‑stress sprint or milestone.
How to facilitate
Explain the Glad‑Sad‑Mad framework and its purpose to set the stage
Create three virtual columns labeled Glad, Sad, and Mad on the board
Give each participant five minutes to silently add sticky notes to any column that reflects their feelings
Invite the team to read each column aloud, grouping similar items together
Facilitate a discussion on the top items in each column, exploring why they occurred and what can be learned
Agree on concrete actions to amplify glad items, address sad issues, and remove mad blockers, then capture them in an action list
Pro Tips
Encourage one‑sentence notes to keep the board readable
Add emojis or colored stickers to quickly convey intensity of feelings
Use a parking‑lot column for topics that need a deeper dive later
FAQ
What if some team members are reluctant to share negative emotions?
Assure them that the focus is on processes, not people, and allow anonymous sticky notes or a private chat to increase comfort.
How do we prevent the discussion from turning into a blame session?
Keep the conversation fact‑based, use "we" language, and steer it toward actionable improvements rather than assigning fault.
Can this format be combined with other retrospective techniques?
Yes, it works well as a warm‑up before a deeper analysis or as a follow‑up to capture emotional context after a detailed retrospective.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Glad, Sad, Mad
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective