🚗 Road Trip Retrospective

Buckle up for our Road Trip Retrospective! Let’s steer through project highlights, detours, and open roads to keep our team cruising smoothly toward our goals.
40–60 min
4-10 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
🚗 Road Trip Retrospective
Template Columns
🟢 Start the Engine

Share new practices or actions we should kickstart to accelerate our journey.

Base column: Start
🛑 Hit the Brakes

Identify habits or obstacles we should stop to avoid project potholes.

Base column: Stop
🛣️ Cruise Control

Call out things we should keep doing to maintain our momentum on the road ahead.

Base column: Continue
About this template

The Road Trip Retrospective uses a journey metaphor to help teams identify new initiatives, eliminate blockers, and spotlight effective practices for ongoing success.

When to use this template

This retrospective format works well at the end of a sprint or project, especially when a team wants a fresh, energizing approach to explore what to start, stop, and continue.

How to facilitate
1

Welcome the team and introduce the road trip metaphor, outlining each column’s purpose for framing your discussion.

2

Allow team members a few minutes to individually reflect and add notes anonymously in each column: Start the Engine, Hit the Brakes, and Cruise Control.

3

Invite everyone to read through the posted items, then discuss each column in turn, grouping similar ideas and clarifying where needed.

4

Facilitate an open discussion to prioritize which 'Start the Engine' actions to try, which 'Hit the Brakes' issues to address, and which 'Cruise Control' practices to reinforce.

5

Collaboratively decide on 2-3 action items as a team, assigning owners and timelines to ensure accountability.

6

Close by summarizing key points, celebrating successes, and encouraging continued transparency for your team’s ongoing journey.

Pro Tips

Relate team experiences to the road trip theme to make discussions memorable and engaging.

Ask each participant to share a quick, fun road trip anecdote as an icebreaker to loosen up the group.

Set a digital timer for each column discussion to help keep the retrospective on track.

Encourage quieter team members by inviting their input in writing first if they’re hesitant to speak.

FAQ
What if our discussion gets stuck in one column and we run out of time?

Set clear time limits for each section, and use a timer to ensure all areas receive attention. Summarize items quickly if time is running short and prioritize offline follow-up if needed.

How can we avoid vague or repetitive feedback?

Encourage specifics by prompting team members with clarifying questions, and group similar feedback together to surface unique insights.

What if the team is not engaged with the road trip theme?

Lean into the metaphor lightly—it's a tool, not a requirement. Focus on the core questions and adjust the tone to the team's comfort level.

At a glance
  • Duration

    40–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-10 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags
start-stop-continue
engaging
team alignment
action-oriented
fun
reflection
Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective