🧙♂️✨ Magical Ceremonies
Step into the enchanted world of agile rituals! Let’s conjure up the ceremonies that cast the most powerful results, banish the ineffective spells, and brew up new enchantments to make our teamwork legendary.
Template Columns
🔮 Cast New Spells (Start)
Share new magical rituals or ceremony tweaks we should try to boost our teamwork enchantment.
Base column: Start🕸️ Dispel Fading Charms (Stop)
Reveal ceremonies or habits that have lost their magic and need to be banished from our spellbook.
Base column: Stop🧪 Strengthen Potions (Continue)
Celebrate and refine the ceremonies that continue to work wonders for our spellbound squad.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Magical Ceremonies retrospective invites teams to reflect on their agile rituals, deciding which practices to begin, discontinue, or keep improving for enchanted teamwork.
When to use this template
Use this format when you want to review the effectiveness of your agile ceremonies, especially if rituals feel stale or the team seeks to refresh their processes.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and set the theme by inviting everyone to step into a world of magical teamwork rituals
Clearly explain the purpose of each column: starting new practices, stopping ineffective habits, and continuing what works
Request everyone to add ideas to the three columns focusing on recent experiences with existing rituals and ceremonies
Allow time for individuals to read and comment on each other's suggestions, noting patterns or surprises
Group similar suggestions together, then engage the team in discussing what to prioritize in each column
Decide on specific new ceremonies to try, which practices to retire, and agree on what should remain or evolve
Assign owners for action items and determine how changes will be monitored in upcoming sprints
Close with a lighthearted recap, inviting everyone to share their favorite 'ritual' from the session
Pro Tips
Give examples of agile ceremonies or routines such as standups, sprint reviews, or demos to spark ideas
Encourage honest discussion about why certain rituals aren’t working and what makes others successful
Use creative prompts or magical metaphors to keep the session lively and focused on positive change
Capture one concrete tweak for each column to ensure improvements are actionable
Follow up in future retrospectives to see if new ceremonies are casting the desired effects
FAQ
What if the team can’t think of any rituals to stop or start?
Prompt with examples from your own experience or industry best practices. Focus on the purpose behind each ceremony to spark ideas.
How do we ensure new rituals actually get adopted?
Assign clear owners for each new action and agree on how you'll review progress, such as a check-in at the next retrospective.
How can we keep the session from becoming too silly with the magical theme?
Set expectations early on that the theme is for engagement, and maintain focus on practical outcomes throughout the discussion.
At a glance
- Duration
35–50 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