🌞🔥 Heatwave Huddle
Feel the sizzle as we reflect on our sprint! Let’s ride the heatwave to uncover the habits to keep cool, the blockers overheating us, and the flows keeping us refreshed.
Template Columns
🌅 Spark New Breezes
Share cool ideas or actions to start that will help us beat the project heat.
Base column: Start🕶️ Shade the Burn
Identify scorching issues or practices to stop to prevent burnout and keep things chill.
Base column: Stop🍧 Stay Refreshed
Highlight the habits and wins that keep our team cool under pressure and should continue.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Heatwave Huddle retrospective helps teams reflect on high-pressure sprints by surfacing burning issues, refreshing practices, and new ideas to keep cool.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective after intense, high-stress sprints or when your team feels overloaded and needs to identify ways to prevent burnout and sustain positive momentum.
How to facilitate
Set the scene by explaining the Heatwave Huddle theme and encourage everyone to think about both hot-button issues and cooling solutions from the last sprint.
Invite the team to submit ideas to each column: Spark New Breezes for actions or ideas to start, Shade the Burn for stop-worthy pains, and Stay Refreshed for things to continue.
Give everyone time to add their thoughts anonymously or openly, ensuring even participation.
Once submissions are in, group similar cards and ask the team to briefly clarify any unclear items.
Facilitate a discussion on each column, focusing especially on Shade the Burn to address immediate stressors, then balance with positive practices and new ideas.
Vote on the most impactful actions or issues across the columns, prioritizing a mix of relief actions and proactive strategies.
Finish by assigning clear owners and next steps for agreed-upon actions, ensuring accountability for improvement.
Pro Tips
Balance the discussion so both blockers and wins get airtime—don't let tough issues overshadow successes.
Ask the team to share short stories about what helped them stay refreshed to foster practical peer learning.
Set ground rules for psychological safety so team members feel comfortable surfacing sensitive or stressful topics.
Start the session with a quick temperature check (e.g., 'How hot was the sprint for you?') to set the mood and open sharing.
FAQ
What if my team is hesitant to surface stressful issues?
Normalize open discussion by sharing your own challenges first or framing the session as a shared opportunity to cool things down for everyone.
How do I keep the session from becoming a complaint fest?
Always balance each pain point with a discussion of refreshing habits and encourage actionable proposals in the Spark New Breezes column.
Can I use this template with a large team?
For groups over 10, consider running in smaller breakout rooms and then sharing highlights to keep discussions focused and inclusive.
At a glance
- Duration
40–50 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