🎄✨ Holiday Celebration

Gather around the virtual fireplace to reflect on our sprint, sharing gifts of success, shedding the wrapping of obstacles, and planning a brighter holiday sprint ahead.
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🎄✨ Holiday Celebration

Template Columns

🛫 Pack & Begin

Identify new festive practices to launch in our workflow.

Base column: Start
❌ Cancel the Grinch

Highlight holiday habits that hinder our sprint momentum.

Base column: Stop
🎁 Keep the Cheer

Maintain the joyful rituals that boost team spirit.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A festive sprint retrospective that lets the team celebrate wins, discard hindering habits, and keep joyful practices for the next sprint.

When to use this template

Use when the team wants a light‑hearted, holiday‑themed reflection, especially at the end of a sprint that falls near a holiday season.

How to facilitate

1

Warm up by inviting everyone to share a quick holiday greeting and set a festive tone

2

Explain the three columns: Pack & Begin, Cancel the Grinch, Keep the Cheer, and the goal of each

3

In the Pack & Begin column ask participants to suggest new practices or ideas they want to introduce, writing each on a virtual sticky note

4

Move to Cancel the Grinch and have the team list habits or obstacles that slowed them down, encouraging brief discussion on why they should be stopped

5

In Keep the Cheer collect rituals that boosted morale and should continue, then vote on the top items to carry forward

6

Summarize the agreed actions, assign owners, and close with a holiday cheer

Pro Tips

Use holiday‑themed virtual backgrounds or emojis to keep energy high

Timebox each column discussion with a timer to avoid over‑analysis

Pair quieter members with a buddy to ensure all voices are heard

FAQ

What if the team runs out of time?

Prioritize the most critical items in each column and defer lower‑priority ideas to a follow‑up note.

How do we handle remote participants who are less vocal?

Use anonymous polling or ask them to add notes directly on the board before the discussion.

Can we use this format for non‑holiday sprints?

Yes, simply rename the columns to Start, Stop, Continue and keep the same 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

Tags

holiday
team morale
reflection
action-oriented
remote-friendly

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective