🐎🏆 Melbourne Cup Sprint
Gallop through our sprint, celebrate the wins, tackle the hurdles, and fine‑tune our stride for the next race!
Template Columns
🏅 Winning Gallops
Highlight the strong strides and smooth runs that led to success.
Base column: What Went Well⚠️ Stumbling Hurdles
Identify the slips, false starts, and obstacles that tripped us up.
Base column: What Went Wrong🔧 Fine‑Tune the Trot
Plan adjustments to boost speed, stamina, and teamwork for the next race.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
A fast‑paced, race‑themed sprint retrospective that celebrates successes, uncovers obstacles, and creates actionable improvements for the next sprint.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants an energetic, visual way to review a sprint and quickly generate improvement actions.
How to facilitate
Set the timer for 45 minutes and display the three columns: Winning Gallops, Stumbling Hurdles, Fine‑Tune the Trot
Ask each team member to write individual observations on sticky notes, one per idea, and place them in the appropriate column
Group similar notes together, discuss each column, and vote on the top three items to address
For the top items, brainstorm concrete actions, assign owners, and set due dates
Summarize the agreed actions, capture them in the shared board, and close the retrospective
Pro Tips
Encourage brevity on notes – one sentence per sticky – to keep discussion focused
Use a quick dot‑vote or emoji reaction to prioritize items without lengthy debate
Link each action to a specific sprint goal to ensure relevance
FAQ
What if the team runs out of time?
Prioritize the top‑voted items and defer lower‑priority topics to a follow‑up or backlog.
How do we keep the discussion from becoming a blame session?
Focus on the process and outcomes, not individuals, and frame each hurdle as a learning opportunity.
Can we use this format for a longer release retrospective?
Yes, expand the timebox and add an extra column for long‑term improvements, but keep the core three‑column flow.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective