🏖️☀️ Summer Splash
Grab your shades and dive into our sunny retro, surfacing bright ideas, shedding heat, and riding the wave of continuous improvement!
Template Columns
🌊 Ride the Wave
Identify fresh initiatives to launch, like catching the perfect wave of progress.
Base column: Start🔥 Melt the Heat
Pinpoint practices that are burning us out and should be cooled down.
Base column: Stop🌞 Keep the Sunshine
Highlight bright successes to keep shining in our workflow.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
A sunny, three‑column retro that surfaces new initiatives, cools down burnout, and celebrates what’s working.
When to use this template
Use when the team needs a quick, energizing check‑in to balance fresh ideas with relief from stress.
How to facilitate
Set the stage by reminding the team of the summer theme and the purpose of each column
Ask participants to write individual notes for each column on virtual sticky notes
Group similar notes together and discuss each column, starting with Ride the Wave, then Melt the Heat, then Keep the Sunshine
Vote on the top ideas for Ride the Wave and the most critical items to address in Melt the Heat
Create concrete action items with owners and due dates for the selected initiatives
Close by reflecting on the session’s energy and thanking participants
Pro Tips
Use a timer for each column to keep momentum
Encourage playful language to keep the summer vibe alive
Limit each participant to three items per column to avoid overload
Capture action items in a shared board immediately after the retro
FAQ
What if the team runs out of ideas for Ride the Wave?
Prompt with future‑focused questions like ‘What could we start doing next sprint to improve…’ or draw inspiration from recent customer feedback.
How do we handle strong emotions when discussing Melt the Heat?
Acknowledge feelings, keep language focused on behaviors, and use a short cool‑down timer to give space before moving on.
Can we combine this retro with a sprint review?
Yes, schedule a brief 10‑minute warm‑up using the Summer Splash format before the review to surface quick wins and blockers.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective