❄️🌨️ Winter Wonderland Retro
Bundle up for a cozy reflection as we traverse our project’s frosty paths! Let’s celebrate our warm wins, melt away challenges, and shovel aside frustrations, turning this winter into a season of agile growth.
Template Columns
☕ Cozy Comforts
Share the moments and wins that kept us warm this season.
Base column: Glad🌧️ Frostbitten Feelings
Highlight the cold spots or challenges that left us feeling a bit down.
Base column: Sad🧤 Slippery Slopes
Vent about the icy frustrations and blockers we need to address.
Base column: MadAbout this template
The Winter Wonderland Retro invites your team to reflect on wins, challenges, and frustrations with a seasonal twist, fostering open conversation and collective improvement.
When to use this template
Use this retro during year-end reviews, project wrap-ups, or any time team morale could use warmth and a touch of playfulness.
How to facilitate
Set the scene by welcoming the team to your Winter Wonderland and explain the three themed columns for reflection.
Give everyone a few quiet minutes to brainstorm and add their thoughts to each column: Cozy Comforts for wins, Frostbitten Feelings for challenges, and Slippery Slopes for frustrations or blockers.
Invite the team to review and cluster similar notes within each column, encouraging discussion as common threads emerge.
Walk through each column together, letting team members elaborate on their contributions and ensuring all voices are heard.
Facilitate discussion around prioritizing the biggest challenges and frustrations that should be addressed in upcoming sprints.
Work together to identify concrete next steps or actions to warm up the team's workflow and melt away major blockers.
Wrap up the session by acknowledging standout positives and encouraging everyone to share go-to ''comfort tips'' for the team.
Pro Tips
Lean into the cozy atmosphere by encouraging webcam backgrounds or props related to winter to boost engagement.
Refresh the energy by briefly inviting everyone to share their favorite winter treat or ritual before starting reflections.
If discussions get heated, guide the team back to the seasonal metaphor to maintain a solution-focused, light-hearted mood.
FAQ
How do I keep the discussion positive when frustrations come up?
Guide the team to look for underlying opportunities and frame frustrations as ''icy patches'' we can overcome together, focusing on solutions not blame.
What if the winter theme feels too playful for some team members?
Frame the theme as a creative way to foster open discussion, but let participants choose how light-hearted they want to be—substance remains the focus.
How can I keep the remote team engaged throughout the retro?
Switch up facilitation styles, use winter-themed visuals or polls, and assign timeboxes to keep things lively and everyone involved.
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At a glance
- Duration
40–50 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Glad, Sad, Mad
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective