🔥🌞 Heat Wave Retrospective
It’s getting hot in here! Let’s beat the heat by reflecting on what’s sizzling in our process, what’s burning us out, and how to keep our cool as a team. Let’s turn up the temperature on improvement!
Template Columns
🌡️ Rising Temperatures (Start)
Share fresh initiatives or ideas we should heat up and start doing.
Base column: Start🚫 Burnout Zones (Stop)
Identify practices that are overheating our workflow and should be cooled down or stopped.
Base column: Stop🌴 Chill Currents (Continue)
Highlight the cool, effective actions and habits we should keep flowing.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Heat Wave Retrospective uses a summer-inspired theme to help teams identify what's heating up, what's burning them out, and what keeps them cool and productive. Energize continuous improvement by spotlighting new ideas, removing draining practices, and reinforcing effective habits.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective when your team needs a creative, energizing approach to uncover burnout risks, refresh routines, or after a high-intensity period. It's especially useful to address team well-being alongside process improvement.
How to facilitate
Start with a brief icebreaker about summer favorites to set a relaxed tone.
Clarify the meaning of each column: Rising Temperatures for new ideas to try, Burnout Zones for draining or negative practices, Chill Currents for strengths to maintain.
Invite the team to silently add notes to each column for 7–10 minutes, encouraging honest input across all areas.
Review each column in turn, grouping similar items and allowing team members to elaborate on their notes.
Facilitate an open discussion: focus first on Burnout Zones to identify urgent problems, and collaborate on actionable solutions.
Move to Rising Temperatures to select one or two new initiatives and discuss how to pilot them safely without overloading the team.
Celebrate your Chill Currents by sharing gratitude for what's working; invite team members to recognize peers or highlight specific wins.
Conclude by agreeing on 2–3 clear action items, documenting owners and next steps, and closing with a collective commitment to keep the team cool.
Pro Tips
Check in with team energy regularly—let people step away or stretch if it gets intense.
Encourage vulnerability by sharing your own challenges with burnout first.
Rotate the order of columns occasionally to keep discussions fresh and prevent routine answers.
Use heat-inspired visuals or language in your board and check-in questions to keep the energy light.
Ask the team to rate their temperature (stress/energy) at the start and end to track shifts.
FAQ
What if team members are hesitant to talk about burnout?
Start by sharing your own experience and reassure the team that all input is valued and confidential. Offer anonymous input options to ease discomfort.
How do we avoid overcommitting when many ideas appear in Rising Temperatures?
Prioritize together—choose one or two ideas to test, and use Chill Currents to maintain balance by ensuring you don’t drop existing strengths.
What if the same burnout issues keep showing up?
Acknowledge recurring issues and use this as a signal to dig deeper together. Consider inviting outside support or experimenting with new solutions.
Is this template suitable for large teams?
For teams bigger than ten, split into subgroups for discussion, then share highlights with the whole team to keep engagement high.
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