Look back
Starfish retrospective
A five-part retrospective: keep doing, do more of, do less of, stop doing, and start doing.
- Time40 to 60 minutes
- People3 to 12 people
- Steps4
What it's for
Start, stop, continue forces every practice into all or nothing. Starfish adds "more of" and "less of", which suit the many practices that are useful in the right amount: a meeting that's fine weekly but not daily, pairing that helps on hard work but not every ticket.
Use it with a team that has run a few retrospectives and wants finer adjustments.
How to run it
Write notes8 min
Silently, add notes to all five areas.
Share and group12 min
Go area by area, grouping duplicates.
Vote4 min3 votes each
Vote on the changes that matter most.
Agree actions8 min
Turn the top votes into actions with owners.
Tips
- More of and less of are the interesting columns. Spend time there.
- Practices often move between columns over a year. Keep old boards to compare.
Where it comes from
Usually credited to Patrick Kua, who wrote about the format in 2006.
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.
4Ls retrospective
A retrospective in four quadrants: what people liked, learned, lacked and longed for, which balances facts and wishes.
Sailboat
Picture the team as a boat: wind pushes it on, anchors hold it back, rocks lie ahead, and the island is the goal.