🎖️ Military Mission Debrief
Fall in for a mission debrief! Analyze our latest operation, identify successful tactics, abort ineffective maneuvers, and set coordinates for our next victory. Together, let's improve our agile battle plan!
Template Columns
🪖 Commence Operations
Identify new strategies and actions we should deploy in our next agile mission.
Base column: Startđź’Ł Abort Mission
Mission critical: call out practices or habits we need to stop to avoid friendly fire.
Base column: Stop🏅 Hold The Line
Spotlight the battle-tested practices we should continue deploying for consistent victories.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Military Mission Debrief retrospective harnesses military-inspired language to help agile teams dissect their last delivery, doubling down on effective tactics and calling out outdated habits for improvement.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective after completing significant project milestones, major sprints, or challenging releases to strengthen team practices and clarify future strategies.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and set the fun mission debrief theme to create engagement and clarify the purpose of the session.
Briefly recap the recent sprint or project, highlighting major 'missions,' to level-set everyone's understanding.
Explain the three columns—Commence Operations, Abort Mission, Hold The Line—and their meanings in simple terms.
Give team members dedicated silent time to add their thoughts or cards to each column individually.
Invite participants to review and group similar cards, encouraging discussion as overlapping topics arise.
Facilitate a collaborative discussion on each column, focusing on why proposed actions or changes are recommended and their expected impact.
Work as a unit to prioritize or vote on key action items, assigning owners and next steps for crucial actions to ensure follow-through.
Close the debrief by acknowledging team contributions and setting a reminder to review agreed actions in the next iteration.
Pro Tips
Use themed visuals or soundbites at the start to make the mission debrief feel memorable and foster openness.
Phrase column explanations using both military terms and agile context to prevent confusion for new team members.
Encourage quieter team members to contribute during silent brainstorming rounds or via chat if talking feels intimidating.
Tailor your action items to be concrete and time-bound, so the 'mission orders' are clear for everyone.
Review a previous action or success to reinforce learning and continuity during subsequent debriefs.
FAQ
What if the military theme feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar to some team members?
Acknowledge that it's a metaphor for teamwork and continuous improvement, and offer to simplify the language if needed. Focus on clear definitions so everyone feels included.
How do I keep the discussion focused and avoid getting stuck on negative feedback?
Guide the team to balance critiques with stories of success, using the Hold The Line column to reinforce positivity, and keep discussions time-boxed.
What if team members seem hesitant to suggest practices to stop?
Remind the group that calling out what isn't working helps prevent 'friendly fire' and improves team health. Create a psychologically safe space for honest debriefs.
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At a glance
- Duration
40–55 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective