🌧️ Rainy Season Reflections
Let’s weather the storms of our project together! In this rainy season-themed retro, share what helped us thrive, what needs shelter, and where we can plant new seeds for growth. Together, we’ll dance in the rain and cultivate success!
Template Columns
🌱 New Seeds to Plant
Share fresh ideas and practices we should start cultivating to help our team grow, rain or shine.
Base column: Start☔ Umbrellas to Close
Identify habits or processes we should stop, so we don’t get drenched by recurring problems.
Base column: Stop🌦️ Showers of Success
Highlight strengths and routines we should continue to nourish for a bountiful harvest.
Base column: Continue⛈️ Weathering Change
Suggest areas where we need to adapt or pivot to weather the next storm more smoothly.
Base column: ChangeAbout this template
Rainy Season Reflections uses weather themes to help teams identify what to start, stop, continue, and adapt. It encourages open sharing of fresh ideas, recurring issues, successes, and necessary changes for robust team growth.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective after a turbulent sprint or during periods of change when the team needs to reflect, reinforce strengths, and prepare for upcoming challenges.
How to facilitate
Set the tone by introducing the rainy season theme and encourage a mindset of resilience and growth.
Briefly review the purpose of each column—planting new ideas, closing ineffective habits, celebrating successes, and adapting for change.
Ask participants to silently add notes in all four columns, focusing on specific behaviors or practices related to the theme.
Invite team members to read and clarify their contributions to ensure shared understanding.
Group similar notes together and prioritize topics that appear most impactful or urgent.
Guide the team through a discussion of each column, surfacing key insights and actionable takeaways for growth.
Decide on 2-3 concrete actions the team will try next, ensuring owners and follow-up plans are clear.
Close with a quick round of appreciations, reinforcing the team's shared resilience.
Pro Tips
Use thematic visuals or gentle background sounds of rain to create an immersive and calming atmosphere.
Encourage storytelling—ask team members to tie feedback to 'weather' moments from the past sprint.
If energy dips, try a quick rain dance or stretch to keep engagement high.
FAQ
How do we avoid the conversation becoming too negative when discussing problems?
Mix feedback by encouraging everyone to balance challenges with stories of resilience and new growth, reinforcing both successes and areas for improvement.
What if the same issues show up in 'Umbrellas to Close' every retrospective?
Highlight recurring patterns for collective problem-solving and ask the team to brainstorm new approaches or escalate persistent blockers.
What if team members are shy or hesitant to share?
Start with anonymous submissions or pair sharing, and model vulnerability by openly sharing your own observations as a facilitator.
How much time should we dedicate to each column discussion?
Allocate more time to columns with the most contributions, but aim for balanced discussion to ensure all areas get attention.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue, Change
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective