The Ultimate Guide to Retrospectives: 5 powerful tactics that transform team performance

I once sat through what was supposed to be a 'retrospective' meeting that was anything but productive. The team lead simply asked, "So, how did everyone think the project went?" A few outspoken team members dominated the conversation with complaints, the quieter members said nothing, and we left with zero actionable insights. Three months later, we were making the exact same mistakes on our next project.

Contrast this with another team I later joined. Their retrospectives were structured, inclusive, and most importantly, led to real improvements. They used specific tactics to gather honest feedback from everyone, focus discussions on what mattered most, and create clear action plans with ownership. Each project built on the lessons of the last, and team morale visibly improved with each cycle.

The difference wasn't the team's experience or talent—it was their approach to retrospectives. In this comprehensive guide, I'll share powerful workshop tactics from Workshop Tactics by Pip Decks that will transform your retrospectives from meaningless meetings into catalysts for continuous improvement.

ℹ️ Skip to key parts of the session by clicking on the chapter dots along the timeline.

What is a Retrospective Meeting?

Retrospectives originate from the agile development playbook and embody the philosophy of continuous improvement. They help teams reflect on what went well, what didn't, and what can be improved in future iterations. These meetings should be regular, informal sessions where team members can speak openly about their experiences and insights.

As Charles, the author of Workshop Tactics, explains in the video above, retrospectives should be part of your business-as-usual process. If you're not looking back and critically assessing what has happened, there's not much chance of improving your team except by chance. This is proactive, intentional improvement—the key selling point for having another regular meeting in the diary!

Why Are Retrospective Meetings Important?

Just like running a faster mile or lifting heavier weights, you need to repeat actions and assess the impact of different approaches you've tried. Retrospectives offer numerous benefits:

• Foster a culture of honesty and transparency
• Create psychological safety (it's okay to talk about problems)
• Provide team members with a reliable forum to raise concerns
• Serve as a team bonding experience
• Drive continuous, intentional improvement rather than accidental progress

How to Organise Your Retrospective Meeting

Charles offers these top tips for organising successful retrospectives:

• Timing: Weekly is too frequent, monthly is too infrequent. Aim for fortnightly sessions.
• Priority: Give retrospectives utmost importance in your calendar.
• Facilitation: Have someone experienced with retrospectives and facilitation run the first few sessions.

After that initial period, encourage team members to take turns facilitating these sessions—you'll see the "Ikea effect" in action, where people value something more when they've played a role in creating it. This rotation also helps you leverage the diversity in your team: different thinking styles, perspectives, and approaches all bring something valuable to the table.

What We'll Cover in This Guide:

1. Uncovering team emotions with Mad, Sad, Glad
2. Facilitating focused discussions with Democratic Discussion
3. Creating accountability with Who, What, When
4. The foundational format: Start, Stop, Continue
5. Risk-focused reflection with Three Little Pigs

Let's explore these tactics with a real-world example: Pip's Elementary School, where educators and administrators aim to boost productivity to create a more effective educational environment.

1. Uncovering Team Emotions with Mad, Sad, Glad

This is Charles' favourite of the retrospective tactics! Mad, Sad, Glad gets to the heart of how your work has made you feel. It can create some quite difficult conversations, but those frank and honest discussions help build stronger teams.

⏱️ Time: 1 hour
🧠 What's the goal? Focus on how the team is feeling.
👀 Why this matters: This tactic gives you a sense of your team's feelings towards a current or previous project. It helps everyone understand their teammates' emotions and work together more effectively as a group. Creating a safe space to air emotions is an important aspect of building trust in a team.

How to Use Mad, Sad, Glad:

1. Since this is the start of your overall workshop, begin with an icebreaker to warm everyone up.
2. Draw three columns on a large surface: Mad, Sad, and Glad. (3 minutes)
3. Ask each person to write down what they are mad, sad, or glad about (relating to the time period or project in question) on sticky notes. (5 minutes)
4. Have each person post their sticky notes in the 'Mad' column. Theme Sort as you go. (10 minutes)
5. Repeat the process from Steps 2 and 3 for the 'Sad' and 'Glad' columns. (20 minutes)
6. Set aside time for discussion at the end of the meeting to reflect on all input and add any new topics that come up. (15 minutes)
7. Use Secret Vote to prioritise the top three things to action. (5 minutes)

Example from Pip's Elementary School:

When Pip's Elementary School used this tactic, they uncovered that teachers were:

• Mad about the lack of coordination between departments on shared resources
• Sad about missing opportunities for cross-subject teaching due to poor communication
• Glad about the enthusiasm students showed when collaborative teaching did happen

After voting, they prioritised improving inter-department communication as their top issue to address.

2. Facilitating Focused Discussions with Democratic Discussion

With emotions surfaced and priorities voted on, it's time to discuss the most important issues in a structured way. The Democratic Discussion tactic ensures that conversations stay on track and that everyone's voice is heard.

⏱️ Time: 50 minutes
🧠 What's the goal? Facilitate a discussion that doesn't lose track of each of the most popular points raised.
👀 Why this matters: This tactic creates a discussion agenda with your participants in order to keep track of what's been discussed, and what needs to be discussed. Giving everyone a say in what will be discussed helps to include a wider range of topics, so everyone will be invested in the meeting. The discussions are prioritised so you can make sure you talk about the most important things first.

How to Use Democratic Discussion:

1. Create three columns on a large surface: 'To Discuss', 'Discussing', and 'Discussed'. (2 minutes)
2. Put the items you prioritised during your retrospective session from the tactic before in 'To Discuss'. (5 minutes)
3. Use Secret Vote to decide which topics to discuss first. (5 minutes)
4. Arrange the 'To Discuss' sticky notes in descending order of votes they received. (3 minutes)
5. Set a 10-minute timer and start the discussion of the highest voted topic. Record down any actions that come up as you go. (10 minutes)
6. Decide as a group whether to move on to the next topic or to continue the discussion for another 10 minutes when you reach the time limit. (10-30 minutes)

Example from Pip's Elementary School:

During their Democratic Discussion, Pip's Elementary School focused on their top priority: improving inter-department communication. They moved this item from 'To Discuss' to 'Discussing' and set a timer for 10 minutes.

The discussion revealed that:

• Different departments were using different communication tools (email, Slack, in-person meetings)
• There was no central calendar for cross-department events or initiatives
• Department heads had conflicting meeting schedules, making coordination difficult

After 10 minutes, they decided to extend the discussion for another 10 minutes to explore potential solutions. The group identified several possible actions, which they would need to assign ownership for in the next tactic.

3. Creating Accountability with Who, What, When

Insights without action are just interesting observations. The Who, What, When tactic transforms your discussion outcomes into a clear, accountable action plan.

⏱️ Time: 20 minutes
🧠 What's the goal? To make the retro worthwhile, create an actionable to-do list from the discussion.
👀 Why this matters: This tactic is great for ensuring you leave your meeting with a clear plan of goals and deadlines. One of the most important things you can do is leave the room knowing who's committed to what, and by when. Using this tactic to encourage the group to define their own actions and deadlines is the meeting cheat-code you need.

How to Use Who, What, When:

1. Create three columns on a large surface: 'Who', 'What', and 'When'. (2 minutes)
2. Start with the 'Who' column, write down the participants. (2 minutes)
3. Ask each participant for specific steps they can commit to and write them in the 'What' column. Ensure all the actions from your Democratic Discussion are included in the 'What' column. (10 minutes)
4. For each row, ask that person for a specific date and time they will have that item completed by and write it in the 'When' column. Avoid using vague timeframes like 'next week'. (2 minutes)
5. Encourage those who have not contributed yet to come up with an action, or assist another person if there is a lot to do. (2 minutes)

Example from Pip's Elementary School:

Pip's Elementary School created a clear action plan from their discussion:

Who	What	When
Sarah (Science Dept.)	Research and propose a unified communication platform for all departments	March 15, 9 AM
Michael (Admin)	Create a shared calendar template for cross-department events	March 10, 3 PM
Elena (Arts Dept.)	Draft a proposal for monthly cross-department coordination meetings	March 20, 2 PM
David (Math Dept.)	Support Sarah in testing communication platforms	March 17, 11 AM

This clear plan ensured that the insights gained during the retrospective would translate into tangible improvements.

4. The Foundational Format: Start, Stop, Continue

Start, Stop, Continue is the bread-and-butter retrospective—the foundational format that provides a simple framework for reflection and improvement.

⏱️ Time: 1 hour
🧠 What's the goal? Identify actions to start, stop, and continue for the next iteration.
👀 Why this matters: This straightforward approach helps teams reflect on their processes in a structured way, focusing on concrete actions rather than vague opinions. It's especially useful for teams new to retrospectives.

How to Use Start, Stop, Continue:

1. Draw three columns on a large surface: 'Start', 'Stop', and 'Continue'. (3 minutes)
2. Ask each participant to write down what they think the team should start doing that they're not currently doing. (5 minutes)
3. Next, have them write what they think the team should stop doing because it's not working or causing problems. (5 minutes)
4. Finally, have them note what is working well that the team should continue doing. (5 minutes)
5. Have everyone post their sticky notes in the appropriate columns and use Theme Sort to group similar ideas. (10 minutes)
6. Use Secret Vote to identify the most important topics to discuss. (5 minutes)
7. Discuss the top items, creating action points as you go. (20 minutes)

Example Application:

A software development team using Start, Stop, Continue might identify that they should:

• Start having shorter, more focused daily stand-ups
• Stop letting technical debt accumulate without addressing it
• Continue their pair programming sessions that have improved code quality

5. Risk-Focused Reflection with Three Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs tactic uses a familiar fairytale to frame discussions around the stability and sustainability of your processes and practices.

⏱️ Time: 1 hour
🧠 What's the goal? Identify weak points and strengths in your processes.
👀 Why this matters: This metaphor-based approach helps teams think more deeply about risk and the robustness of their work processes, often surfacing issues that might not emerge in other formats.

How to Use Three Little Pigs:

1. Draw three columns representing the three houses from the fairy tale: 'Straw', 'Sticks', and 'Bricks'. (3 minutes)
2. Explain what each house represents:
   • House of straw: what's failing and won't support the success of the project?
   • House of sticks: what are you doing that's a bit questionable and needs to be strengthened?
   • House of bricks: what have you done that's rock solid and creates a good foundation for success?
   (5 minutes)
3. Ask participants to write one item for each house on sticky notes. (10 minutes)
4. Have everyone post their notes and use Theme Sort to group similar ideas. (10 minutes)
5. Use Secret Vote to identify the most important topics to discuss. (5 minutes)
6. Discuss the top items, focusing particularly on how to strengthen 'straw' and 'stick' processes. (20 minutes)

Example Application:

A marketing team might identify:

• Straw: Inconsistent approval processes for campaign content
• Sticks: Last-minute rush to meet campaign deadlines
• Bricks: Strong audience targeting and segmentation approach

But What If We Don't Have Time for All This?

Some teams resist structured retrospectives, believing they take too much time away from 'real work'. But consider this: studies show that teams that don't reflect on their processes make the same mistakes repeatedly, costing up to 20% of project time in rework and frustration.

A well-facilitated retrospective using these tactics takes just 2-3 hours—that's less than 2% of the time spent on a typical month-long project. Think of it as an investment in your team's future efficiency.

As one school principal told me: "We used to think retrospectives were a luxury we couldn't afford. Now we know they're a necessity we can't function without."

Ways to Use These Tactics

• Over multiple days: one to three short sessions.
• On one day: 1.5 hours session and 1 hour session with a longer break in the middle.
• Mix and match: Don't always use the same retrospective format. Changing formats can lead to different insights.

What You Need Before You Start

In person

• Preparation (book room, invite people, write and share agenda)
• Materials (whiteboard, sticky notes, pens)
• Tech check (charger, adapter, screen projector)
• Room setup (refreshments, temperature, chairs, wall space)

Hybrid

• Preparation (book room, send call link, invite people, write and share agenda)
• Materials (whiteboard, sticky notes, pens, Miro board)
• Tech check (charger, adapter, screen projector)
• Room setup (refreshments, temperature, chairs, wall space)

Online

• Preparation (invite people, write and share agenda, create and send call invite)
• Materials (Miro board or other virtual collaboration tool)
• Tech check (charger, adapter, microphone/headphones)
• Consider using tools like Butter for managing timed activities and votes

Creating Your Own Retrospective Format

As Charles mentions in the video above, don't be afraid to create your own retrospective formats. You can apply similar principles to develop new approaches that might work specifically well for your team's context.

Some ideas to get you started:

• Goldilocks Retrospective: "Too hot" (too challenging), "Too cold" (too easy), "Just right" (optimal challenge)
• Rollercoaster Retrospective: "Ups" (highlights), "Downs" (low points), "Loops" (unexpected challenges)
• Weather Report: "Sunny" (clear sailing), "Cloudy" (some issues), "Stormy" (significant problems)

Real-World Success: From Frustration to Flow

A software development team I coached was struggling with repeated issues in their project delivery. Client feedback was often incorporated too late, QA processes were inconsistent, and team members were becoming increasingly frustrated.

We implemented these retrospective tactics at the end of their next sprint. The Mad, Sad, Glad exercise revealed deep frustration about unclear requirements and last-minute changes. Democratic Discussion helped them explore how to improve their requirements gathering process. Finally, Who, What, When created clear ownership for implementing a new client feedback loop earlier in the process.

The results were remarkable. In their next sprint, the team reduced rework by 40%, improved client satisfaction scores, and reported higher team morale. As their tech lead put it, "For the first time, we're not just putting out fires—we're actually preventing them."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with these powerful tactics, retrospectives can go wrong. Here are the pitfalls to watch for:

1. Allowing blame games: Maintain a focus on processes and situations, not individuals. Frame discussions around "how can we improve" rather than "who messed up."
2. Creating action items without owners: Every action item needs a specific person responsible for it and a clear deadline.
3. Failing to follow up: Begin each retrospective by reviewing action items from the previous one to create accountability.
4. Rushing through emotions: The Mad, Sad, Glad exercise might feel uncomfortable, but don't skip it—emotional honesty is key to addressing underlying issues.
5. Using the same format too often: Teams can become bored with the same approach. Mix up your retrospective formats to keep engagement high and uncover different types of insights.

Putting It All Together

These workshop tactics from Pip Decks' Workshop Tactics form a powerful toolkit for retrospectives:

• Mad, Sad, Glad surfaces honest emotional feedback and identifies priorities
• Democratic Discussion creates focused conversation around the most important issues
• Who, What, When transforms insights into accountable action
• Start, Stop, Continue provides a foundational framework for reflection
• Three Little Pigs helps identify risks and strengths in your processes

Together, they transform retrospectives from perfunctory meetings into engines of continuous improvement. They replace vague complaints with structured problem-solving. And most importantly, they help your team learn and grow from every project.

Remember the ineffective retrospective I mentioned at the beginning? That team eventually adopted these tactics, and within three months, they had addressed long-standing process issues that had been frustrating them for years. Their projects became more efficient, their clients more satisfied, and their team more cohesive.

Your team deserves the same opportunity to learn and improve. Whether you're leading a software development sprint, a marketing campaign, or an educational initiative, these tactics will help you turn experience into expertise.

Ready to Transform Your Retrospectives?

Start implementing these tactics in your next retrospective and experience the difference they make in your team's ability to learn, improve, and grow.

Introducing Retros by Pip Decks

For teams serious about improving their retrospective practice, Pip Decks offers Retros — a specialized deck of 15 retrospective tactics specifically designed to create a culture of trust and empowerment.

With Retros, you can:

• Ditch endless mistakes
• Learn what to do next
• Grow as a team

Each tactic is presented with clear, jargon-free instructions that fit on the back of a card, so you can get started in minutes. The digital version also includes video masterclasses and Miro templates to make running your retrospectives even easier.

Here's a preview of The Fishbone tactic, one of the video masterclasses included with the Digital Decks:

Retros is available as a physical deck, digital resources, or a complete package combining both. Learn more about Retros →

The Full Workshop Tactics Collection

The tactics we've explored in this guide are just a sample of the powerful facilitation tools available in the full Workshop Tactics deck by Pip Decks. With 54 carefully designed workshop recipe cards, you'll confidently lead teams through any collaborative challenge.

Workshop Tactics helps you:

• Run effective workshops that produce real outcomes
• Put an end to pointless, unproductive meetings
• Give your team clarity on complex problems
• Uncover hidden skills within your organisation
• Generate truly innovative, out-of-the-box ideas

As one team leader put it: "Workshop Tactics turned our retrospectives from complaint sessions into our most valuable team time."

Get Workshop Tactics →

Based on the Retrospective recipe from Workshop Tactics

"I designed this recipe to help teams transform their experiences into insights and their insights into improvements."

– Charles Burdett, Founder of Pip Decks

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