🌞 Summer Equinox Gathering
Step into the warmth of the Summer Equinox! Reflect on our season’s growth, bask in our successes, and find balance as we illuminate both bright moments and shadows on our agile journey.
Template Columns
🌻 Sunlit Successes
Share the bright moments and achievements that brought energy and light to our sprint.
Base column: Liked🍃 Blossoming Insights
Highlight new knowledge and growth that emerged during our season together.
Base column: Learned🌑 Hidden Shadows
Discuss the areas where light was lacking and identify improvements for next time.
Base column: Lacked🌈 Rays of Aspiration
Express desires and hopes for an even brighter and more balanced journey ahead.
Base column: Longed ForAbout this template
The Summer Equinox Gathering retrospective uses a seasonal theme to reflect on achievements, growth, challenges, and future aspirations, helping teams find balance and celebrate progress.
When to use this template
Use this template at the end of a major cycle, after significant milestones, or to recharge team energy by acknowledging both wins and growth areas.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team with a brief introduction to the Summer Equinox theme, inviting everyone to embrace an open and warm mindset.
Explain the four columns, clarifying that you'll be looking at successes, new insights, challenges, and future hopes.
Give the team quiet time to add cards to each column, encouraging everyone to contribute to every area.
Facilitate a round of reading and grouping similar cards in each column, allowing time for team members to clarify or add to others’ comments.
Engage the team in a discussion, focusing on patterns and surprises in each column, and connecting insights across categories where possible.
Guide the team in prioritizing which 'Hidden Shadows' and 'Rays of Aspiration' to turn into actionable follow-ups.
Summarize key takeaways as a group, inviting members to share what they’re most grateful or hopeful for.
Close by celebrating the team’s collective journey and commitments for the next cycle.
Pro Tips
Kick off with a quick warmup, such as sharing a favorite summer activity, to set a relaxed tone.
Encourage quieter team members to contribute first or anonymously to ensure diverse insights.
Draw connections between Sunlit Successes and Blossoming Insights to show how wins lead to growth.
Keep the mood supportive, especially when discussing challenges, to foster safety and openness.
FAQ
What if team members only focus on successes or improvements?
Prompt balanced participation by calling attention to each column and directly inviting contributions to both bright spots and areas for growth.
How do we prevent the session from becoming too abstract with the seasonal theme?
Relate each column back to the team’s real work and recent experiences, asking for specific examples and actionable suggestions.
What if some 'Hidden Shadows' feel sensitive to discuss?
Model vulnerability as a facilitator and remind the group of the retrospective’s purpose to improve, not assign blame.
At a glance
- Duration
50–70 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed For
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective