🐮💥 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.
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🐮💥 Mad Cow Mayhem

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: Continue

About 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

1

Gather the team on a virtual board and explain the three columns: Start Grazing, Stop Milking Mistakes, Continue Udder Excellence

2

Ask each participant to write brief items for each column, focusing on concrete actions rather than vague statements

3

Group similar items together and discuss the impact of each, encouraging everyone to share perspectives

4

Prioritize the top items in each column and decide on specific next steps or experiments for the next sprint

5

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

start‑stop‑continue
team health
fun
engagement
action‑oriented

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective