The Greek Odyssey retrospective invites your team on a themed journey to reflect on what new practices to start, which old habits to leave behind, and which successful traditions to continue.

When to use this template

Use this retrospective at the end of major projects, after sprint cycles, or when your team needs to refresh its ways of working with both innovation and wisdom in mind.

How to facilitate

Introduce the Greek Odyssey theme and briefly explain each column’s meaning, connecting them to how your team works today.

Set the stage with a quick check-in, inviting team members to share a favorite myth, voyage, or tradition.

Give everyone time to add thoughts to each column: new traditions for fresh practices, ballast to release for things to stop, and wisdom to uphold for strengths to continue.

Once thoughts are shared, invite everyone to review and group similar items together within each column.

Facilitate a group discussion, moving through each column and encouraging honest conversation about why specific practices or habits should be started, stopped, or continued.

Agree on a shortlist of new actions or experiments to try in the next iteration, assigning owners or champions for any new traditions proposed.

Close the session by celebrating the wisdom the team will carry forward and thanking everyone for their openness.

Pro Tips

Encourage storytelling—ask for quick examples or anecdotes to enrich understanding.

If time allows, let the team vote on the most valuable ideas in each column before discussing them.

A visual backdrop or a Greek soundtrack can set a playful, engaging tone for the meeting.

Clarify that 'new traditions' can be small rituals—daily, weekly, or per project.

Prompt the team to define clear success signals for any new practices introduced.

FAQ

What if my team gets stuck when suggesting new traditions?

Offer prompts like 'What's one small ritual that could boost our mood or productivity?' or reference other teams' best practices for inspiration.

How do I handle resistance to letting go of old habits in Release the Ballast?

Acknowledge the comfort found in habits but focus discussion on the cost of maintaining outdated practices and what could be gained by letting go.

Can we adapt the columns for our context?

Absolutely—rename columns or tweak the descriptions as needed to match your team's culture or challenges, but keep the start/stop/continue structure.

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At a glance

Duration
45–60 min
Team Size
4-12 people
Columns
3 columns
Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

🇬🇷 Greek Odyssey

Set sail for the Aegean as we embark on an epic retrospective journey through ancient Greece! Together we'll honor our victories, learn from our myths, and chart heroic paths for the future.

Template Columns

🏛️ New Traditions (Start)

⚓ Release the Ballast (Stop)

🌿 Uphold the Wisdom (Continue)

About this template