🐮💥 Mad Cow Mayhem
Brace yourselves for a wild herd sprint! In this mad cow retro, we’ll stampede through successes, dodge the pitfalls, and herd our processes toward smoother grazing. Let’s milk the insights and keep the momentum moo-ving forward.
Template Columns
🐄🌱 Start Grazing
Identify fresh initiatives to seed in our herd.
Base column: Start🐄⛔️ Stop Milking Mistakes
Highlight practices that are draining our herd's energy.
Base column: Stop🐄👍 Continue Udder Excellence
Keep the successful routines that keep our herd thriving.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A high‑energy retro that lets the team surface what to start, stop, and continue using a fun cow‑themed framework.
When to use this template
Use when the team needs a quick, engaging pulse check after a hectic sprint or when morale needs a boost.
How to facilitate
Gather the team on a virtual board and explain the three columns: Start Grazing, Stop Milking Mistakes, Continue Udder Excellence
Ask each participant to write brief items for each column, focusing on concrete actions rather than vague statements
Group similar items together and discuss the impact of each, encouraging everyone to share perspectives
Prioritize the top items in each column and decide on specific next steps or experiments for the next sprint
Close the retro by summarizing agreed actions, assigning owners, and thanking the team for their contributions
Pro Tips
Use a timer for each column to keep discussion focused and maintain momentum
Encourage playful language that matches the cow theme to lower inhibitions and spark creativity
After the retro, capture the action items in your team's backlog or task board for visibility
FAQ
What if the team struggles to generate items for a column?
Prompt with specific examples, such as recent successes for Start or recurring blockers for Stop, and remind participants that even small observations are valuable.
How do we ensure the retro stays fun without losing focus?
Set clear time limits for each phase, use the cow theme for humor, and periodically refocus by linking each discussion back to actionable outcomes.
Can this format work for larger groups?
For groups over eight, split into two smaller herds, run the steps in parallel, then merge the top items in a final plenary to keep the session efficient.
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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