💖🌠 Likes & Wishes
Share what we love and what we dream of, turning likes into wishes and actions for our agile journey.
Template Columns
🚀✨ Start New Wishes
Pinpoint fresh actions to begin that bring our wishes closer to reality.
Base column: Start🛑❌ Stop Unwanted Habits
Identify practices to halt so we can focus on what truly matters.
Base column: Stop🔄💡 Continue What We Like
Maintain the strengths we love that propel us toward our wishes.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A three‑column retrospective that celebrates what works, stops what doesn’t, and creates new wishes to guide future actions.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants to balance appreciation with actionable change, especially after a sprint or project milestone.
How to facilitate
Explain the purpose of the Likes & Wishes format and review the three columns: Start New Wishes, Stop Unwanted Habits, Continue What We Like.
Give participants 5 minutes of silent brainstorming to add sticky notes to the Continue column, focusing on strengths they love.
Allow another 5 minutes for the Stop column, encouraging honest identification of habits that hinder progress.
Spend 5 minutes on the Start column, asking team members to write concrete wishes that could improve the way they work.
Group similar notes together in each column and discuss the underlying themes as a whole group.
Vote on the top three wishes using dot voting or emoji reactions to decide which actions to prioritize.
Translate the selected wishes into specific, time‑boxed action items and assign owners.
Close the session by summarizing decisions, thanking participants, and confirming the next review point.
Pro Tips
Use silent brainstorming for each column to ensure equal participation and reduce anchoring bias.
Phrase wishes as small, testable actions that can be completed within the next sprint.
Limit each sticky note to one concise sentence to keep the board readable.
Set a timer for each column to keep the session on track.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to come up with wishes?
Prompt them with questions like “What would make our next sprint smoother?” or “What new practice could boost our collaboration?” to spark ideas.
How do we handle a large number of items in a column?
Cluster similar notes together and ask the group to vote on the most impactful ones, keeping the focus on a manageable few.
Can we reuse this format for non‑sprint retrospectives?
Yes, it works well after project milestones, quarterly reviews, or any time the team wants to reflect on both positives and improvement opportunities.
What if some team members dominate the discussion?
Encourage silent brainstorming first, then use a round‑robin or timed speaking turns to give everyone a voice.
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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
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective