🎅🛠️ Santa's Workshop

Ho ho ho! Dive into the bustling North Pole as we unwrap successes, spot the frosty mishaps, and craft brighter toy‑making for the next sprint.
45–60 min
5-12 people
Based on: What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve
🎅🛠️ Santa's Workshop

Template Columns

🎁✨ Gifted Successes

Celebrate the bright moments and smooth deliveries from our workshop.

Base column: What Went Well
❄️🔧 Frosty Flaws

Identify the chilly hiccups and broken toys that slowed us down.

Base column: What Went Wrong
🧝‍♂️🔨 Elf Enhancements

Plan magical upgrades and new tools to boost our toy‑making efficiency.

Base column: What We Want to Improve

About this template

A festive sprint review that celebrates wins, surfaces cold spots, and plans magical improvements for the next sprint.

When to use this template

Best for teams that enjoy a playful theme and need a balanced look at successes, failures, and actionable enhancements.

How to facilitate

1

Gather the team in a virtual North Pole board and set a timer for the session

2

Start with the Gifted Successes column, have each member share a highlight and add sticky notes

3

Move to Frosty Flaws, encourage honest but respectful sharing of impediments, clustering similar items

4

Transition to Elf Enhancements, brainstorm concrete actions or experiments to improve the identified flaws

5

Vote on the top three enhancements, assign owners, and close with a quick appreciation round

Pro Tips

Use holiday-themed emojis on sticky notes to keep energy high

Limit each contribution to 30 seconds to keep the pace lively

Turn the top three enhancements into a sprint backlog item with clear acceptance criteria

Capture the board screenshot and share it in the team channel for transparency

FAQ

What if the team is hesitant to share negative feedback?

Set a psychological safety reminder at the start, emphasize that flaws are opportunities for growth, and allow anonymous sticky notes for sensitive items.

How can we keep the holiday theme from becoming a distraction?

Use the theme for visual flair only—stick to concise statements and time‑boxed discussions to maintain focus.

Can this format be shortened for a quick check‑in?

Yes, reduce each column to a single round of rapid-fire sharing and limit voting to one top improvement.

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At a glance

  • Duration

    45–60 min

  • Team Size

    5-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve

Tags

celebration
continuous improvement
team health
festive
action-oriented

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective