🐿️🌰 Nutty Sprint
Scurry through our sprint like busy squirrels, stashing successes, dropping dead‑ends, and climbing higher together.
Template Columns
🐿️ Gather Nuts
Identify new practices to start that will help us stash more value.
Base column: Start🚫 Drop Acorns
Pinpoint habits to stop that are weighing us down like heavy acorns.
Base column: Stop🌳 Keep Climbing
Highlight actions to continue that help us ascend toward our goals.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A playful sprint retrospective where the team identifies new practices to start, habits to stop, and actions to keep, using a squirrel‑themed metaphor.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants a light‑hearted, quick reflection that still yields concrete improvement ideas.
How to facilitate
Begin by reminding the team of the sprint goal and the squirrel metaphor to set a playful tone.
Ask participants to write on virtual sticky notes any new practices they think will help the team ‘gather nuts’ and place them in the Start column.
Next, have the team add habits that are slowing progress to the Stop column, encouraging brief explanations for each.
Then, collect actions that are working well and should be continued in the Keep Climbing column.
Group similar items, vote on the top three for each column, and turn the selected items into concrete sprint actions with owners and due dates.
Pro Tips
Use a timer for each column to keep energy high.
Encourage participants to add emojis or icons to their notes to reinforce the squirrel theme.
Capture the agreed actions in a shared document immediately after voting.
FAQ
What if the team runs out of ideas for a column?
Prompt with specific questions or examples, and remind them that even small tweaks count as valuable contributions.
How do we ensure the action items are realistic?
Limit each selected item to one owner and a clear, achievable outcome for the next sprint, and review them in the sprint planning.
Can this format be used for longer retrospectives?
Yes, you can extend the time or add a reflection round after voting, but keep the core three‑column structure to maintain focus.
Want a custom template?
Create a retrospective template tailored to your team's needs with our AI-powered generator
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 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