🎾 Wimbledon Winner's Circle
Step onto the grass courts of improvement! Let's serve aces with our successes, volley away obstacles, and strategize for the next set. Ready to play a winning match with teamwork and continuous improvement? Game, set, retro!
Template Columns
🟢 Fresh Serves to Start
Rally up new actions and innovative plays we should initiate to win our next set.
Base column: Start🛑 Faults to Stop
Call out double faults and unforced errors that we should stop to avoid being broken in future sprints.
Base column: Stop✨ Winning Strokes to Continue
Highlight the champion moves and successful rallies we should keep repeating for future Grand Slams.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Wimbledon Winner's Circle retrospective uses tennis-inspired themes to help teams identify fresh initiatives, eliminate unhelpful habits, and reinforce winning behaviors for future sprints.
When to use this template
Use this retrospective format when your team needs an energizing, engaging way to review recent teamwork, especially after project milestones or intense sprints.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team and introduce the Wimbledon theme, inviting everyone to approach improvement like a winning tennis match.
Set the stage by reviewing the last sprint or milestone, highlighting key events and results to get everyone on the same page.
Guide the team through the three columns: Fresh Serves to Start, Faults to Stop, and Winning Strokes to Continue. Give participants time to add insights to each column independently.
Start a focused group discussion for each column. Encourage participants to elaborate on their points, ask clarifying questions, and look for patterns.
Vote as a team on the most impactful items in each column, prioritizing new actions, critical stops, and proven strengths.
Collaboratively decide on clear action items for selected topics. Confirm owners and due dates to ensure accountability for follow-up.
Wrap up the session with a quick reflection: did the tennis metaphor help the discussion? Gather feedback to improve future retros.
Pro Tips
Encourage playful engagement by inviting team members to share tennis-themed analogies, which can spark creative thinking.
For each 'Fresh Serve' action, identify who will 'serve' or lead the new initiative in the next sprint.
Take time to celebrate standout 'Winning Strokes'—public recognition boosts morale and motivation.
If discussion stalls, ask team members what would make their collaboration feel like winning a match.
Rotate facilitators to keep the energy fresh and perspectives varied with each retro.
FAQ
What if the team isn't familiar with tennis?
You can explain the metaphor at the start, but focus on the retrospective's intent—identifying starts, stops, and continues. Participation matters more than sports knowledge.
How can we prevent the discussions from staying too light or playful?
Balance fun with purpose by steering conversations toward actionable outcomes and asking follow-up questions that focus on real improvements.
What should I do if the same 'Faults to Stop' keep showing up?
Use this as a signal to dig deeper. Facilitate a root cause discussion to identify barriers, and agree on a concrete next step to address the underlying issue.
At a glance
- Duration
35–50 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