Start With Why Retrospective

The Start With Why Retrospective aims to foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and authenticity within your team. By exploring the core elements of the Golden Circle - What, How, and Why - you can uncover insights, identify areas for improvement, and inspire action towards achieving your goals.

How to Use this Template

Follow the steps below to get the most of this retro for you and your team.

Step 1: Icebreaker activity - Golden Circle

Start your retrospective session with the Golden Circle icebreaker. This activity helps team members understand and add value to the team's "what," "how," and most importantly, "why." Using the provided score from 1-5, rate how well you understand and contribute to each element. Discuss any differences or opportunities to improve with the team.

Step 2: Core retrospective discussion

Move to the main board for the core of the retrospective discussion. Here, you will find three key areas to explore: Purpose, Leadership, and Collaboration. Each area poses essential questions to guide your reflection and generate meaningful insights.

Purpose

Use this section to capture your team's collective understanding of your purpose and brainstorm ways to reinforce it. Reflect on your team's "why" - what motivates you to come to work each day? Discuss how you can ensure alignment around your purpose and values.

Leadership

Utilize the Leadership section to document your ideas and action plans. Explore how you can balance the roles of leadership and management within your team. Identify strategies to empower team members to take on leadership roles and inspire others to action.

Collaboration

Use the Collaboration section to provide a space to capture your insights and initiatives. Delve into creating a culture of trust and collaboration within your team. Brainstorm strategies for building a sense of belonging and purpose among team members.

Step 3: Dot Voting

After the core discussion, use the Golden Circle tokens to dot vote for the most important tickets on your board. This process allows the team to prioritize the ideas and actions that resonate the most. The Dot Vote section provides a visual representation of the team's preferences.

Step 4: ROTI Assessment

Finish up the retrospective by rating the session using the ROTI (Return on Time Invested) assessment. Place a book cover icon on your rating, ranging from terrible to excellent.

Additionally, leave any feedback for future retrospectives via stickies and comments in the Finally section,