Candy Hearts Retro

What is the template about?

The Candy Hearts Retrospective is a fun, Valentine’s Day-themed framework designed to reflect on the team's performance in a sprint. It incorporates sweetness and positivity while also identifying areas for improvement and brainstorming actionable ideas for the next sprint. The structure includes an icebreaker (Sweet Inspirations) and a retrospective (Box of Chocolates) that keeps the team engaged and motivated.

What does it help you achieve?

This template helps teams:

• Celebrate successes with a lighthearted and fun activity.

• Encourage gratitude and camaraderie among team members.

• Identify challenges and areas for improvement in a positive and constructive way.

• Brainstorm actionable steps for better outcomes in future sprints.

Who would benefit from it the most?

Remote Agile teams, Scrum Masters, and facilitators who want to:

• Keep their retrospectives engaging and themed for the season.

• Foster team collaboration and positivity.

• Introduce a creative twist to routine retrospective meetings.

How to use it?

1. Set Up the Icebreaker:

   • Start with the Sweet Inspirations activity.

   • Ask each participant to create a virtual candy heart on Miro, write a short motivational or fun phrase, and share it with the team. Examples: "Team Goals 💖", "Dev Squad 💎".

2. Run the Retrospective:

   • Use the Box of Chocolates layout on Miro with three sections:

     • Sweet (What went well?): Team members add sticky notes with positive outcomes or successes.

     • Bittersweet (What could be improved?): Encourage constructive feedback about challenges or areas that didn’t go as planned.

     • Next Flavors (Improvements for next sprint): Brainstorm ideas to address challenges and try new approaches.

3. Facilitate Discussions:

   • Discuss each section, encouraging all team members to participate. Use Miro tools like voting to prioritize improvements.

4. Wrap-Up:

   • End on a high note by revisiting the "candy hearts" and celebrating the team’s efforts.