🧙♂️🎂 Harry Potter Birthday Bash
Accio, retros! Let's gather in the Great Hall to reflect on our magical journey. Celebrate our successes like birthday feasts, banish what hinders us with a flick of our wands, and carry forward the charms that work wonders.
Template Columns
✨ Cast New Spells
Share new ideas or rituals we should begin to make our teamwork more magical.
Base column: Start⛔ Banish Bogeys
Discuss what dark arts or habits we should leave behind for a brighter project future.
Base column: Stop🦉 Continue the Magic
Highlight the enchanting practices we should keep using for successful sprints.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Harry Potter Birthday Bash retrospective transforms reflection into a magical celebration, inviting teams to spark new ideas, banish unhelpful habits, and highlight their most successful team rituals.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective when your team needs a fun, creative boost—especially after intense sprints or milestones where mixing celebration and self-improvement can reinvigorate morale.
How to facilitate
Begin with a light, theme-appropriate icebreaker to set a whimsical tone and help everyone transition into retrospective mode.
Explain the purpose of each column, tying them to magical concepts: 'Cast New Spells' for fresh practices, 'Banish Bogeys' for behaviors to let go, and 'Continue the Magic' for rituals worth keeping.
Ask everyone to privately brainstorm reflections for all columns, encouraging imaginative and specific suggestions related to teamwork and workflow.
Invite team members to add their thoughts to Kollabe’s board, using the Harry Potter theme to inspire playful and vivid examples.
Read through and cluster similar ideas as a group, discussing each cluster to ensure collective understanding.
Facilitate a focused conversation on the top action items for each column, uncovering root causes and possible experiments to implement.
Agree on clear action items to trial new spells, let go of bogeys, and formalize ongoing magical practices for the next sprint or cycle.
Close the session by celebrating the team’s progress, perhaps with a virtual toast or by sharing the most 'magical' team moment since the last retro.
Pro Tips
Use Harry Potter soundtracks or themed visuals for increased engagement and to help the team get into character.
Encourage people to relate 'spells' or 'bogeys' to actual work experiences rather than only abstract concepts.
Invite quieter team members to share by asking gentle, open-ended questions tied to the magic theme.
Keep the pace lively to maintain a celebratory atmosphere without losing focus on outcomes.
FAQ
How do I handle team members unfamiliar with Harry Potter?
Provide a brief, playful explanation of the magical categories and relate each one back to standard retrospective principles so everyone feels included.
What if the conversation strays into too much theme and not enough substance?
Lightly refocus the discussion by translating fun references into actionable team behaviors and linking back to real project experiences.
How can I keep the discussion from stalling during brainstorming?
Set a visible timer for each phase and prompt with theme-inspired questions to maintain pace and creativity.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective