🐎🎩 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!
45–60 min
5-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue, Change
🐎🎩 Melbourne Cup Showdown

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: Change

About 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

1

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

2

In the Start Your Engines column have participants write new actions or habits they want to introduce, then group similar ideas

3

Move to Pull Up the Reins and collect practices or obstacles to stop, discussing why they slow the team

4

In Keep the Momentum capture what’s working well, encouraging brief stories of success

5

For Change Lanes gather suggestions for course corrections, then vote on the most impactful ideas

6

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

team health
goal alignment
action-oriented
remote-friendly
fun

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective