🐐🏔️ Mountain Goat Ascent
Welcome to the mountain slopes! Like agile goats, let's reflect on our team's climb—sharing nimble moves, tricky ledges, surefooted steps, and new paths for a smoother ascent to success.
Template Columns
👣 New Paths to Start
Suggest actions or habits we should begin for a smoother climb up the mountain.
Base column: Start🛑 Loose Rocks to Stop
Identify stumbling blocks or risky behaviors we should avoid to keep our team on solid ground.
Base column: Stop⛰️ Steady Steps to Continue
Highlight steady practices that help us stay surefooted on our agile journey.
Base column: Continue🔄 Changing Trails
Recommend adjustments to our current route so we can reach the summit more easily.
Base column: ChangeAbout this template
The Mountain Goat Ascent retrospective uses the metaphor of mountain climbing to help teams reflect on habits to start, stop, continue, and change for better agility and teamwork.
When to use this template
Use this format at the end of an iteration or project when your team needs to examine processes, celebrate steady progress, and find ways to navigate challenges more effectively.
How to facilitate
Start with a brief introduction, sharing the mountain climbing theme to set a collaborative tone and encourage creative thinking.
Review each column's meaning, clarifying the metaphor of agile goats—especially if team members are new to this format.
Give team members time (5–7 minutes) to add notes under each column: New Paths to Start, Loose Rocks to Stop, Steady Steps to Continue, and Changing Trails.
Invite everyone to read through the notes and group similar ideas by dragging related insights together for easier discussion.
Facilitate discussion by stepping through each column, prioritizing topics with the most focus or energy. Encourage specific examples and actionable suggestions.
Collaboratively agree on a shortlist of new actions or experiments to try in the next cycle, and clarify owners for follow-up.
Wrap up by reflecting on the team's journey so far and highlighting moments of solid teamwork or creativity noticed during the retro.
Pro Tips
Encourage vivid examples for each column to make insights more actionable and easier to remember.
Use the mountain climbing imagery to keep the conversation light and engaging, especially when discussing challenges.
If conversation stalls, prompt the team by asking what habits keep them 'surefooted' or what risks feel like 'loose rocks.'
Summarize and document agreed actions visually, such as a simple team mountain map or trail chart, to reinforce commitment.
FAQ
How do I help the team avoid generic feedback in each column?
Prompt for specific stories or recent examples. Ask team members to describe what actually happened and the impact it had.
What if there are too many suggestions and not enough time to discuss them all?
Prioritize by dot-voting or focus on topics most likely to impact the team's 'climb.' Summarize remaining suggestions for future retros.
How can I keep the 'mountain goat' metaphor from feeling forced?
Use the metaphor as a creative frame but allow the team to use everyday language if that feels natural. Don't let the theme get in the way of honest conversation.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue, Change
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective