Look back
Mad, sad, glad
A retrospective that starts with feelings: what made people angry, what disappointed them, and what made them happy.
- Time30 to 45 minutes
- People3 to 12 people
- Steps4
What it's for
Most retrospectives ask about events. Asking about feelings brings out things a team rarely says in a status meeting: frustration with a process, disappointment about a cut feature, pride in a hard fix. It is a good format after a stressful stretch.
Feelings come first and actions second. Don't rush to fix things in the first half.
How to run it
Write notes7 min
Silently, add notes to each column.
Share12 min
Go column by column. Listen and ask questions; don't argue with feelings.
Find the patterns6 min3 votes each
Group the notes and vote on what to work on.
Agree changes8 min
For the top themes, agree one change each.
Tips
- Make sure the team has enough trust for this. In a tense team, start with the glad column.
- "Mad" notes about people need care. Turn them towards the situation, not the person.
Where it comes from
A long-standing retrospective activity of unclear origin. Esther Derby and Diana Larsen's book Agile Retrospectives (2006) helped make it widely known.
Pairs well with
Start, stop, continue
A retrospective in three columns: what to start doing, what to stop, and what to keep, which leads straight to changes.
Rose, thorn, bud
Sort observations into roses (what's good), thorns (what's painful) and buds (what has promise), using colour to see the pattern.
4Ls retrospective
A retrospective in four quadrants: what people liked, learned, lacked and longed for, which balances facts and wishes.