🌞✨ Positive Sunrise

Rise and shine! In this retro we shed the shadows, celebrate bright wins, confront lingering dark spots, and illuminate paths to brighter sprints. Turn every negative into a sunrise of improvement!
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve
🌞✨ Positive Sunrise

Template Columns

🌟 Shining Successes

Highlight the bright moments that lit up our sprint.

Base column: What Went Well
🌧️ Stormy Setbacks

Identify the dark clouds that dimmed our progress.

Base column: What Went Wrong
🌱 Growing Horizons

Plant seeds for future growth and brighter outcomes.

Base column: What We Want to Improve

About this template

A bright, four‑column retro that celebrates wins, examines setbacks, and plants growth ideas to turn challenges into opportunities.

When to use this template

Best for teams that need a balanced view of successes and challenges and want to generate concrete improvement ideas for the next sprint.

How to facilitate

1

Set the stage by sharing the sunrise metaphor and explain the three columns

2

Ask participants to silently write items for each column on virtual sticky notes

3

Collect and group similar items in each column, discussing each briefly

4

Vote on the most impactful setbacks to address

5

Turn the top voted setbacks into improvement actions in the Growing Horizons column

6

Summarize the agreed actions and assign owners

Pro Tips

Encourage participants to phrase setbacks as opportunities for growth to keep the tone positive

Use a timer for each column to maintain momentum and avoid over‑analysis

Leverage color‑coded stickers to visually separate successes, setbacks, and ideas, reinforcing the sunrise theme

FAQ

What if the team focuses too much on negatives?

Remind them that setbacks are framed as learning opportunities and balance discussion by highlighting successes first.

How many items should we aim for per column?

Aim for 5‑7 concise items per column to keep the conversation focused and timeboxed.

Can we combine this with other retrospectives?

Yes, you can run Positive Sunrise as a stand‑alone session or as the first part of a longer retrospective before deeper analysis.

Want a custom template?

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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

celebration
continuous improvement
action-oriented
remote-friendly
team health

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective