🎆🇺🇸 Stars, Stripes & Sprints
Celebrate our team's progress with a burst of reflection, fireworks-style! Reflect on project independence, teamwork, and spark up ideas for future collaboration. Let’s keep our project shining bright!
Template Columns
🎇 Firework Highlights
Share the standout moments that lit up our sprint like fireworks across the sky.
Base column: Liked🧨 Rocket Lessons
Discuss lessons learned that launched us forward, like rockets in the night!
Base column: Learned🥁 Missing Drummers
Call out what we lacked, those missing beats we noticed during our collaborative parade.
Base column: Lacked🎆 Wished-For Wonders
Express the ideas or tools you longed for to make our project celebration even brighter.
Base column: Longed ForAbout this template
The Stars, Stripes & Sprints retrospective uses a festive, fireworks-inspired theme to review team highlights, lessons learned, areas that were missing, and new ideas for collaboration. It's designed to spark positive discussion and ignite creative thinking for future teamwork.
When to use this template
This format is great for ending milestone sprints, celebrating accomplishments, or boosting team morale after a period of intensive work. Use it when you want to combine appreciative feedback with forward-looking action.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and introduce the fireworks-themed columns, encouraging a celebratory and positive atmosphere.
Give participants a few moments to silently reflect and add notes to each column: Firework Highlights, Rocket Lessons, Missing Drummers, and Wished-For Wonders.
Invite team members to read their contributions aloud or allow everyone to review the board, grouping similar cards and clarifying any points as needed.
Lead a discussion focused first on recognizing team wins and clever solutions, then shift to the lessons learned and areas where teamwork or resources fell short.
Encourage sharing of new ideas, tools, or changes that could make future 'celebrations' even better and more effective.
Vote on key items or ideas worth acting on and collaboratively decide on action steps to implement in the next sprint.
Close by acknowledging the team's achievements and enthusiasm, reinforcing positivity for the next sprint.
Pro Tips
Use the celebration theme to energize your team—ask everyone to share at least one 'Firework Highlight.'
When discussing 'Missing Drummers,' approach missing elements constructively and look for patterns, not blame.
For 'Wished-For Wonders,' encourage bold thinking by prompting, 'If anything were possible, what would you wish for next time?'
Group similar feedback in real time so the discussion stays focused and actionable.
Capture action items directly in your collaboration tool to keep momentum after the session.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to think of 'Firework Highlights'?
Prompt with specific moments or milestones—small successes and positive interactions count, not just big wins.
How do we avoid 'Missing Drummers' turning into a blame session?
Frame the column as investigating opportunities for improvement rather than assigning fault. Keep discussion solution-oriented and inclusive.
How can we make the 'Wished-For Wonders' column actionable?
After capturing ideas, vote on feasible suggestions and turn them into concrete action steps for the next sprint.
What if the team finds the theme too lighthearted for serious issues?
Acknowledge the tone and invite honest input—assure the team every topic is welcome, and balance celebration with thoughtful problem-solving.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective