🥊 UFC Showdown
Step into the octagon! Let’s analyze our sprints like UFC fighters—celebrating knockouts, avoiding submission holds, and building endurance for future rounds. Share your winning moves and tap-outs as we aim to be champions in agility!
Template Columns
🥇 Start Throwing Winning Combos
Suggest new tactics or practices we should adopt to land more victories in our workflow.
Base column: Start🛑 Stop Pulling Punches
Identify actions or habits that keep us on the ropes or risk a technical knockout.
Base column: Stop💪 Continue Fighting Strong
Highlight the strategies that keep us powerful, resilient, and on top of our game.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The UFC Showdown retrospective uses martial arts metaphors to help teams candidly reflect on their agile practices—identifying new strategies, dropping ineffective habits, and reinforcing their strengths.
When to use this template
Run this retrospective at the end of a sprint when you want to boost energy, encourage honest feedback, and inspire competitive, but collaborative, improvement.
How to facilitate
Kick off with a brief explanation of the UFC Showdown theme and set an energetic, respectful tone.
Ask everyone to add ideas in the three columns: winning combos (new tactics to try), pulling punches (actions to stop), and fighting strong (what’s working well).
Encourage team members to elaborate with specific examples or stories to increase insight and engagement.
Once ideas are shared, read through each column together and invite clarifying questions.
Group similar items, then vote on the most impactful suggestions in the Start and Stop columns.
Discuss the top-voted items and define clear action steps for adoption or change.
Wrap up with quick reflections—did anything surprise you and how can the team keep its fighting spirit in future sprints?
Document action items and share a summary with the team after the session.
Pro Tips
Use the fighting theme to inject energy—invite the team to wear sporty gear or come up with fun fighter aliases.
Encourage honesty but remind everyone to keep critiques constructive and focused on improvement, not blame.
Celebrate small wins or creative tactics to build a positive, champion mindset.
Be prepared with a few examples in each column to spark initial contributions if the team feels hesitant.
FAQ
How do I keep the theme fun without it becoming a distraction?
Keep references light and occasional. Focus on metaphors that help clarify feedback—not detract from discussion.
What if the same issues keep appearing under 'Stop Pulling Punches'?
Acknowledge repeat patterns and work as a team to define concrete actions or experiment with new solutions.
How do I handle heated debates during this high-energy format?
Remind everyone to keep feedback respectful and constructive—referring to team goals, not individuals.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 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