Start, Stop, Continue retrospective
Three columns: what the team should start doing, stop doing and continue doing. Every response is already phrased as an action.
Start this retro
Start
Things we should begin doing
Stop
Things that are not helping
Continue
Things that work and should stay
When to use it
Use it when retros have produced plenty of discussion but few changes. The format pushes people to say what should actually be done differently.
How to run it
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1
Start a boardGive it a title and share the link. Your team joins without signing in.
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2
WriteEveryone adds responses to each column. They are anonymous.
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3
VoteEach person votes for the responses that matter most to them.
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4
Discuss and agree actionsTalk through the top-voted responses and write down action items with an owner.
Tips
- Ask for specifics: "start pairing on reviews" is more useful than "communicate better".
- Do not skip Continue. Naming what works protects it from being dropped by accident.
- Pick one Stop and one Start to commit to, and check on them at the next retro.
Other retrospective formats
