🤼♂️ Pro Wrestling Showdown
Step into the ring! In this retro, we celebrate our victories, bounce back from tough falls, and channel our frustrations into stronger moves. Let’s tag-team for continuous improvement as agile champions!
Template Columns
🏆 Title Belt Moments
Highlight the big wins and crowd-pleasers that made our sprint a thrilling success.
Base column: Glad🤕 Painful Slams
Reflect on the setbacks and stumbles that knocked us down or took the wind out of our sails.
Base column: Sad😡 Heel Turns
Share frustrations or blockers that made you want to leap over the ropes and demand a rematch.
Base column: MadAbout this template
The Pro Wrestling Showdown retrospective uses wrestling themes to help teams spotlight wins, recover from setbacks, and openly air frustrations, turning challenges into opportunities for agile growth.
When to use this template
Use this engaging format when you want to energize the team, address tough issues with humor, and encourage honest discussion about recent sprints or iterations.
How to facilitate
Introduce the wrestling theme and explain the meaning of each column to set an energetic, playful tone for the session.
Give everyone 3–5 minutes to add their thoughts to each column: Title Belt Moments for big wins, Painful Slams for setbacks, and Heel Turns for frustrations or blockers.
Invite each team member to present one or two of their posts in each column, clarifying details and sharing context where needed.
Facilitate group discussion to spot patterns, shared experiences, and areas needing improvement, ensuring all voices are heard.
Guide the group in brainstorming action items, focusing on solutions for the most impactful Painful Slams and Heel Turns.
Assign clear owners and timelines for selected actions to ensure accountability.
Close the session by celebrating the team’s courage to share openly and reinforcing the tag-team spirit for future improvement.
Pro Tips
Lean into the fun wrestling theme—use playful language and visuals to make the atmosphere relaxed and engaging, especially if tough topics arise.
Encourage quieter team members to contribute by tagging or privately inviting them to share a story or challenge.
Stay alert to recurring Heel Turns; repeated frustrations may point to deeper process or interpersonal issues.
Keep the focus on continuous improvement instead of dwelling on blame or negativity, even in the 'Painful Slams' and 'Heel Turns' columns.
FAQ
What if team members don’t relate to the wrestling theme?
Let the group know the theme is just a fun wrapper—focus on the emotions and content of each column, and adjust references to match your team’s comfort.
How do we avoid the session becoming too negative?
Start with wins (Title Belt Moments), keep humor involved, and always steer discussions toward constructive solutions and actions for improvement.
What if the same issues appear repeatedly in 'Heel Turns'?
Flag these as priority topics for action, and consider a deeper dive or a focused discussion to address underlying causes.
At a glance
- Duration
40–55 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Glad, Sad, Mad
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective