🦶🌲 Sasquatch Search Party
Step into the woods and join the quest for improvement! Just like tracking the elusive Sasquatch, let's hunt for new ways to grow, clear obstacles, and celebrate what helps us thrive. Ready to leave your mark on the project wilderness?
Template Columns
🌱 Fresh Footprints
Track down new actions or experiments we should begin to catch a glimpse of better outcomes.
Base column: Start🚫 Lost Trails
Identify habits or blockers that lead us astray like misleading Sasquatch tracks—let’s stop following them!
Base column: Stop🪓 Trusty Trail Tools
Share the steady tools, rituals, or habits that reliably guide our expedition—let’s continue to use them.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Sasquatch Search Party retrospective invites your team to explore new experiments, identify obstacles, and recognize reliable practices in a fun, woods-themed format.
When to use this template
This format works best at the end of an iteration or sprint when your team needs fresh ideas, wants to address recurring blockers, and appreciates a playful approach to reflection.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and introduce the Sasquatch Search Party theme, setting the tone for fun exploration and open discovery.
Explain each column: Fresh Footprints for new actions, Lost Trails for habits/blockers to drop, and Trusty Trail Tools for reliable practices to keep.
Give team members a few minutes to add contributions to each column individually in silence, focusing first on quantity, not quality.
Invite the team to review all items together, clarify unclear points, and group similar items where needed.
Facilitate discussion for each column: explore which new experiments to try, analyze persistent blockers, and affirm tools or practices that help.
Prioritize and select concrete actions for the next sprint, assigning owners or champions for accountability.
Close by celebrating key contributions and highlighting any especially creative or bold ideas unearthed during the search.
Pro Tips
Lean into the expedition theme to reduce pressure and encourage honest sharing.
Encourage quieter team members to contribute early and ensure every voice is heard when reviewing the columns.
Use storytelling—have team members share a quick story or example for items in Trusty Trail Tools or Lost Trails.
Set aside time for deeper discussion on surprising or recurring blockers in the Lost Trails column.
FAQ
What if my team finds the theme silly or distracting?
Acknowledge that playfulness is intentional to spark creativity—invite them to focus on the structure while enjoying the atmosphere.
How do we ensure the Fresh Footprints column leads to real change?
Turn promising ideas into specific experiments with clear owners and follow-up plans, revisiting outcomes in the next retrospective.
What if there are too many blockers in Lost Trails?
Group similar blockers, prioritize the biggest ones, and agree to address a manageable number each sprint.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective