Red Alert! is an emergency-themed retrospective that helps teams recognize quick wins, diagnose pressing problems, and build stronger crisis response strategies together.

When to use this template

Use this template after a sprint or project phase with unexpected challenges or high-stress scenarios, or when the team needs to strengthen its ability to handle future incidents.

How to facilitate

Welcome the team, set the emergency-response theme, and outline the three focus areas: Successful Rescues, Critical Incidents, and Emergency Upgrades.

Invite everyone to add notes to the Successful Rescues column, encouraging recognition of quick teamwork or solutions that averted issues.

Move on to Critical Incidents, prompting open and honest discussion of any breakdowns, bottlenecks, or near-misses during the period.

Collect ideas in the Emergency Upgrades column, focusing on practical improvements, new processes, or tools to enhance the team's crisis readiness.

Group similar notes in each column and discuss the main patterns or themes that emerged.

Prioritize the most vital Emergency Upgrades and define clear action items, assigning ownership and follow-up dates.

Close by celebrating quick wins, thanking the team for their candor, and summarizing next steps.

Pro Tips

Use real examples and timelines to frame incidents—this helps separate issues from blame.

Balance the discussion so quick wins are celebrated as thoroughly as challenges are examined.

Reference past Emergency Upgrades to track your team's progress and encourage a sense of achievement.

Consider inviting a neutral facilitator if the team recently experienced a heated incident.

FAQ

How do we ensure psychological safety when discussing critical incidents?

Set clear ground rules for respectful, blameless discussion and remind the team the goal is learning, not assigning fault.

What if the team focuses only on negative or positive experiences?

Guide the conversation to balance both sides—ask specific questions to prompt highlights or deeper analysis as needed.

How do we make Emergency Upgrades actionable?

Encourage the team to propose concrete steps with clear owners and deadlines, rather than vague suggestions.

Want a custom template?

Create a retrospective template tailored to your team's needs with our AI-powered generator

Try AI Template Generator

At a glance

Duration
45–60 min
Team Size
4-10 people
Columns
3 columns
Base Format
What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

🚨 Red Alert!

Sound the sirens! In this emergency-themed retro, we'll don our virtual responder hats to celebrate swift wins, diagnose trouble spots, and plan our next crisis-proof strategies. Let’s defuse issues and level-up our project response!

Template Columns

✅ Successful Rescues

🔥 Critical Incidents

🛠️ Emergency Upgrades

About this template