The Arrive and Focus template is a specialized retrospective tool designed for facilitators and leaders to help teams transition effectively to a productive team meeting mindset. This workshop framework creates a mental clearing by physically and virtually categorizing "mental tabs," allowing participants to shelve distractions and prioritize high-impact discussion topics.
What Is the Arrive and Focus Template?
This visual workspace helps teams categorize thoughts using a "Shelf" and "Table" metaphor. As a meeting transition tool, it facilitates a focused collaborative environment for groups to move from individual tasks to group problem-solving.
What Problems Does Arrive and Focus Solve?
In fast-paced environments, teams often lack the transition time needed to show up fully. This retrospective framework solves context-switching fatigue by allowing members to "shelve" unrelated tasks, which reduces cognitive load and improves meeting outcomes.
How to Use the Arrive and Focus Template
Arrive: Provide five minutes for a mental reset and personal tasks.
Focus: Move distractions to "The Shelf" and active agenda items to "The Table."
Prioritize: Use dot voting or stickers to rank the most important topics.
Discuss: Address items by popularity and document "Next Steps."
Arrive and Focus Template FAQs
This template is ideal for teams needing a mental reset. It typically takes 50 to 60 minutes and uses "Handy Tools" like sticky notes and voting dots to drive decisiveness and clarity.
