🎈🌈 Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Soar above the clouds and look at our project from new heights! Let's reflect on what lifts us up, weighs us down, and keeps us floating forward as a team.
Template Columns
🪁 Launch New Initiatives
Share fresh ideas and actions we should start to help our project ascend higher.
Base column: Start🎯 Drop Excess Ballast
Point out processes or habits we should stop to lighten our load and fly smoother.
Base column: Stop🎆 Keep Riding the Wind
Highlight the current practices that keep us afloat and should continue on our journey.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Hot Air Balloon Fiesta retrospective invites teams to rise above daily routines and review what propels them, holds them back, and sustains steady progress. With a sky-high view, it prompts action and reflection for continuous improvement.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective when your team needs fresh perspectives—especially mid-project or after a turning point—when you're re-evaluating priorities and seeking momentum.
How to facilitate
Set the tone by briefly explaining the hot air balloon metaphor: what helps us rise, what holds us back, and what keeps us steady.
Frame each column: Launch New Initiatives for new actions, Drop Excess Ballast for things to stop, and Keep Riding the Wind for ongoing positives.
Give participants a few moments to individually add ideas to each column, encouraging honest and constructive input.
Review the columns as a group, clustering similar cards and inviting participants to elaborate on their notes.
Facilitate a discussion around the most impactful lift, ballast, and wind points—guiding the conversation towards actionable commitments.
Prioritize which new initiatives to pursue and which 'ballast' items to address first.
Wrap up by defining clear owners or next steps for selected actions and celebrating ongoing successes.
Pro Tips
Kick off with a fun icebreaker by asking each participant to share a 'high altitude' win from the last sprint.
Encourage balance—ensure the team doesn't just focus on negatives (ballast) but gives time to celebrate ongoing winds and brainstorm new lifts.
Remind the team that removing even small 'ballast' issues can make a big difference over time.
If ideas stall, prompt with examples from recent work or stories from other teams to spark input.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to suggest new initiatives?
Prompt with starter questions: What could give us a boost? What are we not trying that others do? Sometimes, examples help open conversations.
How do we avoid focusing only on 'ballast' (negatives)?
Actively invite contributions to the 'Keep Riding the Wind' column and remind the team that positive momentum is as important as identifying blockers.
What actions should we prioritize after the retro?
Focus first on high-impact 'ballast' items that can be removed quickly, and select 1–2 new initiatives to try in the next sprint.
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At a glance
- Duration
35–50 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