💜🍃 Muk’s Sludge Lab
Let’s ooze through our project like Muk! Mix up what’s working, break down what’s toxic, and evolve our ways for a cleaner workflow. Ready to transform the sludge into success?
Template Columns
🌱 New Mutations (Start)
Experiment with fresh tactics and evolve the team just like Muk adapting to its habitat.
Base column: Start🛑 Toxic Waste (Stop)
Identify what’s contaminating our flow and neutralize unhelpful actions for a healthier process.
Base column: Stop♻️ Stable Compounds (Continue)
Preserve and reinforce what blends well, just like the sludge keeps its core to survive.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
Muk’s Sludge Lab retrospective helps teams evolve their workflow by experimenting with new approaches, removing toxic practices, and solidifying what’s working well.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective when your team needs a fresh perspective on process improvement or wants to address lingering workflow issues in a playful, creative way.
How to facilitate
Open with a brief introduction, explaining the Muk’s Sludge Lab concept and the value of continuous evolution in team processes.
Review the three columns and share what each represents, encouraging creative thinking when brainstorming for each category.
Give the team a quiet moment to individually generate ideas for each column, focusing first on new experiments, then on removing what’s holding the team back, and finally on what to keep stable.
Invite the group to share and add their ideas to each column, discussing and clarifying suggestions as needed.
Facilitate a group conversation to cluster similar points, spot patterns, and highlight key items.
Lead a prioritization exercise, such as dot voting, to select the most impactful actions or experiments.
Define clear next steps for the top action items, assigning owners and setting follow-up expectations.
Close by inviting final reflections, encouraging the team to celebrate small wins and acknowledge progress.
Pro Tips
Lean into the fun theme to energize the group, using visuals or creative language to help ideas flow.
Let experiments in the New Mutations column be low-risk and time-bound to encourage adoption.
If conversations get stuck in the Toxic Waste column, gently ask probing questions to surface deeper issues.
Encourage humor and empathy—sludge can be messy, but growth is the goal.
Consider rotating facilitators so the team brings fresh perspectives to each session.
FAQ
How can we ensure the 'New Mutations' are actually tried?
Assign clear owners, define measurable outcomes, and revisit experiments in your next retrospective to track progress.
What if team members hesitate to name 'Toxic Waste' items?
Build psychological safety by modeling openness yourself and assuring everyone that improvement, not blame, is the purpose.
Can we blend columns if items overlap?
Yes, encourage discussion and combine similar (or linked) items to clarify focus and reduce clutter.
Want a custom template?
Create a retrospective template tailored to your team's needs with our AI-powered generator
At a glance
- Duration
40–50 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective