🗺️💎 Treasure Map Expedition
Welcome, brave explorers! Follow the treasure map of our project, marking new paths (starts), avoiding hidden traps (stops), and sticking to golden trails (continues) to find our team's greatest treasure: success!
Template Columns
🪁 New Horizons
Chart new actions or experiments we should embark on to uncover hidden riches.
Base column: Start☠️ Dangerous Reefs
Identify what pitfalls or unhelpful habits we should leave behind on our quest.
Base column: Stop💎 Golden Trails
Mark the reliable strategies and practices we want to keep following to reach the treasure.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Treasure Map Expedition retrospective helps your team explore new opportunities, identify obstacles, and reinforce proven strategies—all mapped toward team success.
When to use this template
Use this format when your team needs fresh inspiration, wants to address recurring issues, or seeks to reinforce what’s working after a busy sprint or major milestone.
How to facilitate
Set the scene by inviting everyone to imagine themselves as a team of adventurers seeking project success as hidden treasure.
Explain each column: New Horizons for new actions, Dangerous Reefs for things to stop, and Golden Trails for proven practices to continue.
Ask team members to spend a few minutes individually brainstorming entries for each column.
Have everyone share and post their thoughts to each column, grouping similar ideas for clarity.
Review and discuss each section together, exploring what new experiments excite the team, which obstacles are most important to avoid, and which practices are non-negotiable for ongoing success.
Encourage the group to prioritize the most valuable ideas from each column and identify clear action items.
Agree on owners and next steps for selected items, ensuring accountability.
Wrap up by reflecting on what the team learned during this adventure and celebrate the collaborative spirit.
Pro Tips
Use storytelling language throughout the session to make it memorable and boost engagement.
Encourage everyone to draw parallels between real expedition challenges and project obstacles to spark creative insights.
Set aside time at the end to celebrate recent 'golden trail' moments as a way to foster positivity.
Use visuals like a digital treasure map or icons to reinforce the expedition theme.
Prepare warm-up questions or fun icebreakers that fit the adventure motif.
FAQ
What if our team struggles to come up with 'New Horizons'?
Prompt with thought-starters like recent challenges, blocked tasks, or competitor inspiration to spark new ideas.
How do we prevent the session from focusing only on problems?
Balance is key—ensure each column gets equal attention and celebrate successes found in 'Golden Trails'.
How can we make decisions on action items if the team disagrees?
Facilitate a quick vote on ideas, and for contentious items, assign a small group to investigate solutions offline for next time.
Can this theme be used more than once?
Absolutely! Reusing the theme keeps retrospectives fresh, especially if you vary the 'adventure' each time.
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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