🧪✨ Innovation Lab Retreat
Step into the Innovation Lab, where experiments fuel improvement! Let’s review what to keep, what to halt, and spark inventive ideas to drive our next actions. Get your lab coats on—it's time for agile alchemy!
Template Columns
🧬 Launch New Experiments
Propose new actions or ideas we should begin testing in our next sprint.
Base column: Start🧯 Cease Ineffective Reactions
Highlight behaviors or processes we should stop doing to avoid setbacks and wasted effort.
Base column: Stop🔬 Sustain Proven Formulas
Identify practices that consistently deliver value and should be continued.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Innovation Lab Retreat retrospective invites your team to explore new ideas, discontinue unproductive behaviors, and reinforce effective practices in a creative, experiment-driven session.
When to use this template
Use this format when your team wants to boost creativity, refresh its approach, or proactively tackle ongoing challenges with experimentation. It's ideal for teams craving innovation or after a routine sprint feels stagnant.
How to facilitate
Set the scene by welcoming the team to the 'Innovation Lab' and explain each column's purpose to foster a mindset of experimentation.
Invite team members to reflect individually, then add notes under each column: propose experiments, call out what to stop, and recognize proven practices.
Allow everyone time to read and group similar items together, discussing patterns or themes as a team.
Dive into the 'Launch New Experiments' column first, brainstorming how to scope and test promising ideas safely in the upcoming sprint.
Move to 'Cease Ineffective Reactions,' openly discussing any blockers or habits that limit progress, and agree on clear actions to stop these trends.
Highlight and celebrate items in 'Sustain Proven Formulas,' exploring why they work well and how to reinforce acceptance of these habits.
Vote on which experiments and improvements should be prioritized for next sprint and confirm owners for key actions.
Wrap up by summarizing commitments, capturing excitement, and inviting quick feedback on the session format.
Pro Tips
Encourage everyone to think in terms of small, safe-to-fail experiments, not only big changes.
Frame 'Cease Ineffective Reactions' as a constructive conversation—focus on processes, not individuals, to maintain psychological safety.
Use images, metaphors, or 'lab' themed prompts to make the session more engaging and playful.
Ask someone to act as a scribe during discussions to capture nuanced insights for action tracking.
FAQ
How do we keep the 'experiments' realistic so they don’t overwhelm the team?
Encourage practical, incremental experiments that only require a small commitment for one sprint, and revisit outcomes in the next retrospective.
What if some team members only focus on negatives or positives?
Remind everyone each column is equally valuable; encourage balanced reflection by prompting quieter areas with questions or examples.
How can we turn identified experiments into actionable sprint items?
Discuss criteria for a good experiment—clear goal, a quick feedback loop, and ownership—then break down broader ideas into manageable next actions.
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