🐎🎩 Melbourne Cup Showdown
Saddle up for a high-stakes race to sprint past blockers and gallop toward our goals! Reflect on what gets us across the finish line, and what keeps us in the stalls. Let’s turn our project into a winner!
Template Columns
🏁 Start Your Engines
Share new actions or habits we should kickstart to give our team a head start in the race.
Base column: Start🐎 Pull Up the Reins
Identify practices or barriers we should hold back to prevent stumbling on our path.
Base column: Stop🎉 Keep the Momentum
Celebrate the tried-and-true strategies that keep our project in full stride.
Base column: Continue🔄 Change Lanes
Suggest course corrections that can help us surge ahead of the competition.
Base column: ChangeAbout this template
A race‑themed retrospective that helps teams identify new actions, stop blockers, celebrate strengths, and pivot with fresh ideas.
When to use this template
Use when the team needs an energizing, goal‑focused review, especially after a sprint with mixed results or before a major milestone.
How to facilitate
Start with a quick ice‑breaker: ask everyone to imagine the project as a horse race and share one word that describes the current pace
In the Start Your Engines column have participants write new actions or habits they want to introduce, then group similar ideas
Move to Pull Up the Reins and collect practices or obstacles to stop, discussing why they slow the team
In Keep the Momentum capture what’s working well, encouraging brief stories of success
For Change Lanes gather suggestions for course corrections, then vote on the most impactful ideas
Conclude by turning the top items from each column into concrete, time‑boxed action items, assigning owners and deadlines
Pro Tips
Use a timer for each column to keep energy high and prevent over‑analysis
Encourage visual metaphors like horses and tracks on the virtual board to reinforce the theme
Limit each participant to three votes total when prioritising items to surface the most critical actions
FAQ
What if the team feels the race metaphor is too gimmicky?
Explain that the metaphor is just a framing tool; focus on the underlying purpose of identifying actions, and you can switch to simpler labels if needed.
How do we ensure the action items are realistic after the fun discussion?
After voting, spend a dedicated 10‑minute block to turn each top item into a SMART action with a clear owner and deadline.
What if remote participants are less vocal during the “Start Your Engines” brainstorming?
Use a silent brainstorming round in the chat or a quick poll before opening the discussion, giving everyone time to contribute.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
5-12 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue, Change
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective