🎳 Strike Zone
Roll into the lanes of improvement! Let's bowl through our sprint, aiming for strikes with what worked, picking up spares with new ideas, and polishing our form for a perfect game.
Template Columns
🎳 Perfect Rolls to Keep
Celebrate and keep the winning techniques that helped us hit the pins this sprint.
Base column: Keep🎯 New Lanes to Explore
Suggest fresh approaches or tools that could help our team bowl over new challenges.
Base column: Add🛑 Gutter Balls to Avoid
Identify approaches or practices we should use less to avoid landing in the gutter next time.
Base column: Less📈 More Spare Pickups
Highlight things we want to do more, aiming for higher scores and more consistent strikes.
Base column: MoreAbout this template
The Strike Zone retrospective uses bowling-inspired themes to review what worked, brainstorm improvements, and fine-tune team performance.
When to use this template
This format is great after a sprint with mixed results or when the team needs a fun, energetic approach to identify wins and areas for growth.
How to facilitate
Open with a brief introduction, explaining the bowling metaphor and each column's meaning to set a playful, productive tone.
Ask everyone to contribute cards to all four columns in Kollabe: what went well, ideas to try, pitfalls to avoid, and successes to amplify.
Give the team a set time to review and read all posted cards, encouraging clarifying questions or short comments in-app if needed.
Facilitate a group discussion, starting from 'Perfect Rolls to Keep' and moving through each column; cluster similar ideas and vote on top priorities if time allows.
Collaboratively agree on 2–3 actionable takeaways or experiments for the next sprint, especially from the 'New Lanes to Explore' and 'More Spare Pickups' columns.
Close with a quick round for feedback on the format, and celebrate the team’s focus on continuous improvement.
Pro Tips
Link key points back to bowling analogies for engagement and memorable action items.
If energy drops, take a quick bowling-themed break (like share favorite strike stories) to reset attention.
Encourage specific, actionable suggestions in each column rather than generic feedback.
Invite quieter team members to contribute anonymously if needed to ensure all perspectives are heard.
FAQ
What if the team struggles with the bowling metaphor?
Quickly clarify each column’s intent and focus on the improvement themes, adjusting language if needed to suit the group’s culture.
How do we ensure concrete outcomes?
Guide the discussion toward specific action items, and capture them clearly in Kollabe before ending the session.
Is this template suitable for serious sprint issues?
Yes, the playful metaphor lightens the mood but the columns drive productive conversations about wins, opportunities, and fixes.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Keep, Add, Less, More
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective