🍄🎮 Mario Bros Level Up
Step into the Mushroom Kingdom for our Mario-themed retro! Jump over obstacles, collect power-ups, and outsmart the Koopa Troopas as we reflect on our quest to deliver value. Ready to level up our teamwork?
Template Columns
🌱 Grab New Power-Ups (Start)
Suggest new strategies and actions we should start to boost our progress, just like picking up a shiny new power-up block!
Base column: Start🚫 Avoid the Pits (Stop)
Share which habits, blockers, or risky moves we should stop—let’s not fall into any more Goomba traps!
Base column: Stop⭐ Hit the Checkpoint Flags (Continue)
Celebrate the actions and tactics that help us win, so we can keep doing what works and keep passing those checkpoints!
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Mario Bros Level Up retrospective transforms your retro into an engaging game world, motivating the team to identify new strategies, avoid pitfalls, and celebrate wins.
When to use this template
Use this template when your team needs an energy boost, a fresh perspective, or when you want to foster creative thinking around improvement opportunities.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and introduce the Mario theme, setting an energetic and playful atmosphere to encourage open sharing.
Briefly explain each column using fun analogies: power-ups for new ideas, pits for blockers, and checkpoint flags for successes.
Give everyone a few minutes to write their thoughts in each column, adding specific examples whenever possible.
Invite the team to read and discuss each column, exploring the context behind ideas and surfacing hidden insights.
Facilitate identification of common patterns or recurring themes, grouping similar items to highlight priorities.
Work together to select concrete, actionable steps—especially from the 'Grab New Power-Ups' column—that the team will try in the next sprint.
Wrap up by celebrating the team's progress, perhaps calling out a 'team MVP' moment, and thank everyone for their participation.
Pro Tips
Encourage playful language and references to Mario to lower barriers and spark creativity.
Ask the team to relate blockers to specific 'pits' or 'Goomba traps' they've encountered for clearer actionability.
Challenge the team to identify one small but impactful 'power-up' (strategy) everyone can commit to.
Close with a quick poll or cheer for the best checkpoint flag moment to energize the group.
FAQ
What if the team is unfamiliar with Mario Bros references?
Give a quick explanation or translate column titles to relatable terms. The fun, gamified style still works even without deep Mario knowledge.
How do I handle too many action items in the power-up column?
Prioritize as a team and select one or two focused actions for the next sprint to avoid overwhelming the team.
What if no one adds to the 'Avoid the Pits' column?
Prompt reflection on recent blockers or ask team members to think about small habits or inefficiencies that slowed progress.
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At a glance
- Duration
35–50 min
- Team Size
3-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective