🐎🏰 Knightly Stable Sprint

Gather 'round the stable as we saddle up, tend to our steeds, and forge ahead—celebrate the victories, ditch the missteps, and keep the momentum galloping!
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🐎🏰 Knightly Stable Sprint

Template Columns

🛡️ Ready the Steeds

Identify new practices or tools to begin, like prepping our horses for the next charge.

Base column: Start
⚔️ Halt the Jousts

Pinpoint habits or processes that hinder progress and should be stopped.

Base column: Stop
🏇 Keep Riding Strong

Highlight successful tactics to maintain as we ride forward.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A lively sprint retrospective that uses a medieval stable theme to identify new practices, stop hindering habits, and keep successful tactics rolling.

When to use this template

Use when the team needs a fresh, energizing format to surface actionable ideas and celebrate wins, especially after a few sprints of steady work.

How to facilitate

1

Begin by welcoming the team to the stable, set the theme, and explain the three columns

2

Ask each participant to write down items for Ready the Steeds, Halt the Jousts, and Keep Riding Strong on virtual sticky notes

3

Group similar notes together, discuss each column, and vote on the top three items per column

4

Capture agreed‑upon actions for the Ready the Steeds column, assign owners, and set deadlines

5

Close the session by summarizing decisions, thanking the team, and sharing the board link for follow‑up

Pro Tips

Use a quick timer for each discussion segment to keep energy high and prevent over‑analysis

Encourage participants to frame items as short, actionable statements to make voting easier

After the retro, create a visual “stable board” that tracks the status of each new practice

FAQ

What if the team struggles to generate ideas for the 'Ready the Steeds' column?

Prompt with specific questions such as “What tool could speed up our testing?” or “Which practice from another team could we adopt?” to spark thinking.

How do we handle items that seem both a success and a blocker?

Discuss the context and decide whether the issue is a process tweak (keep) or a habit to stop, then place it in the appropriate column.

Can this format work for a fully remote team?

Yes—use digital sticky‑note tools, virtual whiteboards, and clear visual cues for each column to replicate the stable atmosphere online.

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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

action-oriented
team engagement
themed retrospectives
continuous improvement
remote-friendly

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective