🎁 The Giving Spirit Retro
Embrace the power of giving with the 'giveas' theme! Let’s reflect on how acts of kindness and generosity—big or small—can inspire our team and drive our project forward.
Template Columns
🌱 Seeds to Plant (Starts)
Share new ways we can start giving to each other or the community to help our project bloom.
Base column: Start🛑 Gifts to Pause (Stops)
Identify any actions or habits that aren’t supporting a spirit of generosity and should be stopped.
Base column: Stop🎀 Gifts to Keep Giving (Continues)
Highlight what giving behaviors or approaches we should continue nurturing within the team.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Giving Spirit Retro encourages teams to reflect on generosity by exploring which giving behaviors to start, stop, or continue. It brings a positive, community-oriented focus to improving team culture and collaboration.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective when your team needs a morale boost, wants to strengthen team bonds, or during special occasions where kindness and gratitude are especially relevant.
How to facilitate
Open the session by sharing the purpose and the 'giving spirit' theme, emphasizing the importance of generosity and kindness within the team.
Briefly explain each column and invite team members to reflect on acts of giving that made a difference, or areas with potential for more generosity.
Invite everyone to add notes to the three columns: Seeds to Plant (new giving behaviors), Gifts to Pause (habits to stop), and Gifts to Keep Giving (positive behaviors to continue).
Allow time for participants to review and group similar notes to uncover themes.
Facilitate a group discussion, encouraging storytelling and examples that highlight generosity and its impact.
Collaboratively identify 1–2 actionable items that promote continued kindness and address barriers to generosity.
Wrap up by acknowledging contributions and encouraging everyone to try one new act of giving before the next sprint.
Pro Tips
Share a personal story of generosity to spark the team's imagination and set a positive tone.
Encourage quieter team members by inviting them directly or using anonymous input to ensure everyone has a voice.
Remind participants to keep feedback constructive and focused on growth, not blame or guilt.
Timeout discussions that become too focused on negatives—refocus on opportunities for giving and support.
End the retrospective by celebrating a recent example of the team embodying the 'giving spirit'.
FAQ
What if the team struggles to identify acts of giving at work?
Prompt with examples, such as knowledge sharing, helping during a crunch, or positive feedback, to spark ideas more relevant to your context.
How do you keep the conversation positive and avoid blame?
Frame discussion around opportunities for growth and improvement rather than shortcomings. Set clear expectations at the start about maintaining a supportive tone.
How can you make the action items stick?
Assign responsible parties and follow up on generosity-driven actions at your next retrospective to build accountability.
At a glance
- Duration
40–55 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