Trick or Treat! Retrospective Template: A Spooky Sprint Review
Looking for a fun way to energize your next retrospective? The Trick or Treat retrospective template transforms the classic sailboat retrospective into a Halloween-themed adventure that will engage your team while uncovering valuable insights about your project progress, challenges, and goals.
What Is the Trick or Treat Retrospective?
The Trick or Treat retrospective is a creative, seasonal adaptation of the popular Sailboat retrospective. Instead of navigating the seas, your team goes door-to-door in search of Halloween treats (your team goals). Along the way, you'll encounter various Halloween-themed elements that represent different aspects of your team's experience:
- Halloween Treats (Goal/Vision): The delicious rewards your team is working toward
- Monsters (Wind): The positive forces pushing your team forward
- Spooky House (Rocks): The risks and challenges your team faces
- Spider Web (Anchor): The obstacles holding your team back
This metaphor provides a playful framework for discussing what's helping or hindering your team while keeping the retrospective engaging and memorable.
When to Use This Template
This template is ideal for:
- Adding seasonal fun to your regular sprint retrospectives
- Breaking out of retrospective monotony with a fresh theme
- Encouraging participation from team members who may be hesitant to share
- Uncovering deeper insights through metaphorical thinking
- Creating a more relaxed atmosphere for honest feedback
- Teams looking to identify both opportunities and challenges
How to Run a Trick or Treat Retrospective
Set the Scene (5 minutes)
- Introduce the Halloween theme and explain each metaphorical element
- Clarify that despite the fun theme, the purpose is to gather meaningful feedback
Collect Individual Reflections (10 minutes)
- Ask each team member to add sticky notes to all four areas
- Prompt them to consider what treats they're working toward, what monsters are pushing them forward, what spooky houses represent risks, and what spider webs are holding them back
Share and Discuss (15-20 minutes)
- Take turns revealing sticky notes in each area
- Discuss each point as a group to ensure understanding
- Use the Topic tool to group similar items together
- Pro tip: Click on a participant's icon to highlight their specific contributions
React and Prioritize (5-10 minutes)
- Encourage team members to use the Reaction tool to show agreement/disagreement with ideas
- Identify patterns and popular topics based on reactions
- Focus on items with the most engagement for deeper discussion
Create Action Items (10 minutes)
- Based on the discussion, identify specific follow-up actions
- Assign owners and timeframes to each action
- Record these in the dedicated Actions section
Tips for a Successful Trick or Treat Retrospective
- Embrace the theme but don't let it overshadow the important reflections
- Balance the areas - make sure teams contribute to all four sections, not just challenges
- Watch the time - the suggested 10-minute timer for initial reflections helps keep energy high
- Look for connections between the different areas (e.g., how can "monsters" help overcome "spider webs"?)
- Keep it visual - encourage team members to use Metro Retro's visual tools and emojis
- Document insights thoroughly so they can be referenced in future retrospectives
This Halloween-themed retrospective provides a refreshing way to gather team feedback while maintaining the structured approach of the sailboat model. By transforming potential challenges into spooky elements, teams can discuss difficult topics more openly and collaborate on solutions more effectively.
