🇺🇸 Preamble to Progress

Unite as project patriots! This Constitution Day, we draft our team’s charter—reviewing freedoms (successes), amending our processes, and promising a stronger union. Let’s lay the foundation for liberty and agility!
45–60 min
4-10 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🇺🇸 Preamble to Progress
Template Columns
🖋️ Author New Amendments

Propose new practices for our team constitution to strengthen our collaboration.

Base column: Start
⛔ Repeal Outdated Laws

Identify habits or rules that no longer serve us, and declare independence from them.

Base column: Stop
📜 Uphold Our Traditions

Celebrate unifying routines and commitments that keep our team united and effective.

Base column: Continue
About this template

The Preamble to Progress retrospective helps teams collectively redefine their working agreements, celebrating successful practices, retiring ineffective ones, and introducing new approaches for better collaboration.

When to use this template

Use this format when your team needs to refresh its ground rules, align on shared values, or during significant project transitions—especially around Constitution Day or team milestones.

How to facilitate
1

Kick off with a brief welcome, explaining the Constitution Day theme and how today’s focus is on teamwork and continuous improvement.

2

Invite team members to reflect silently and add notes in the three columns: Author New Amendments, Repeal Outdated Laws, and Uphold Our Traditions.

3

Guide the team through a round of sharing—start with traditions to highlight strengths, then move to outdated laws to identify blockers, and finish with proposed amendments to encourage creative solutions.

4

Group similar ideas as a team, discuss each point, and clarify the rationale behind proposed changes or celebrations.

5

Prioritize amendments and repeals, voting as necessary, and gain consensus on which new practices or changes to adopt.

6

Wrap up by drafting the updated team charter, making sure everyone agrees on the commitments, and set a reminder to revisit this charter in a future retrospective.

Pro Tips

Draw explicit connections between celebrated traditions and your team’s outcomes to reinforce their value.

Encourage everyone to propose at least one new 'amendment', even if experimental, to keep thinking innovatively.

Use the repeal column as a safe space to discuss unproductive 'rules' without blame—reframe each as an opportunity for growth.

FAQ
What if we can't agree on what should be repealed or amended?

Focus on open discussion and use silent voting to reach a decision. Consider running experiments for divisive changes rather than making permanent commitments immediately.

How do we ensure new amendments are actually followed?

Translate amendments into concrete, visible actions and assign ownership. Revisit them in future retrospectives to assess progress and accountability.

What if our team has few traditions?

Frame even small, recurring positive behaviors as traditions. This can help build positive team identity and encourage the formation of new rituals.

Can this template be used outside Constitution Day?

Absolutely—the structure is great any time your team wants to reset agreements, enhance collaboration, or reinforce shared values.

At a glance
  • Duration

    45–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-10 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags
team charter
continuous improvement
collaboration
team alignment
reflection
process changes
Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective