Rose, Thorn & Bud Check-in
A versatile team reflection exercise that helps identify positives, challenges, and opportunities in a simple, structured format. This three-part check-in provides a balanced approach for remote teams to share their experiences, whether as part of a stand-up, retrospective, or regular team meeting.
What Is the Rose, Thorn & Bud Check-in?
The Rose, Thorn & Bud framework is a mindful reflection method that balances appreciation for what's working, acknowledgment of challenges, and enthusiasm for future possibilities. Inspired by nature's lifecycle, this template uses an intuitive metaphor that anyone can understand:
- Rose - Represents something positive or what team members are grateful for
- Thorn - Identifies challenges, pain points, or areas where support is needed
- Bud - Highlights emerging opportunities, sources of hope, or things to look forward to
This balanced approach prevents retrospectives from becoming either too negative or unrealistically positive, creating a psychologically safe space for honest reflection.
Benefits & When to Use
The Rose, Thorn & Bud Check-in is particularly valuable when:
- Starting team meetings to quickly gauge team sentiment
- Running lightweight retrospectives when time is limited
- Checking in on team well-being during stressful project phases
- Breaking ice with new teams who may be hesitant to share challenges
- Creating a regular rhythm of balanced reflection in agile teams
Teams benefit from this template through:
- Improved emotional awareness across the team
- Quick identification of issues that need immediate attention
- Recognition of positive moments that might otherwise go unacknowledged
- Forward-looking thinking that prevents dwelling exclusively on problems
- Simplicity that makes it accessible even to teams new to retrospectives
How to Run a Rose, Thorn & Bud Check-in Session
Introduce the format (2 minutes)
- Explain the three categories and their meanings
- Clarify that each person will contribute to all three sections
Set up for private reflection (1 minute)
- Start a meeting in Metro Retro to become the Facilitator
- Enable Private Writing mode so participants can reflect honestly
Individual reflection (5-10 minutes)
- Ask participants to add at least one note to each section
- Encourage specific, concrete examples rather than generalizations
Share and discuss (10-15 minutes)
- Choose either a section-by-section or person-by-person approach
- For section-by-section: Review all Roses, then all Thorns, then all Buds
- For person-by-person: Each team member shares their complete rose-thorn-bud set
For retrospective use, add these steps:
- Group similar items together to identify patterns (5 minutes)
- Vote on which themes deserve deeper discussion (3 minutes)
- Brainstorm potential actions for high-priority areas (10 minutes)
- Decide on 1-3 concrete action items to implement (5 minutes)
Total time: 20-30 minutes for a check-in, 40-50 minutes for a retrospective
Tips for a Successful Session
- Ensure each participant contributes to all three categories, not just thorns
- Set a timer for the reflection phase to maintain momentum
- For remote teams, consider having participants place emojis next to items they resonate with
- If using as a regular check-in, track patterns over time to identify recurring themes
- When used as a retrospective, focus primarily on thorns that relate to process issues rather than one-off incidents
- Remind participants that buds don't need to directly address thorns—they can be unrelated opportunities
- For teams new to retrospectives, this format provides an excellent introduction to balanced reflection
Remember that the power of this template comes from its simplicity and balance—it acknowledges challenges while ensuring teams don't lose sight of positive moments and future possibilities.
