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Best Retrospective for Beginners
60 min3–15 peopleRemote · Hybrid · In-person
A simple, proven retrospective format that helps any team start improving immediately.
What is this workshop?
If you've never run a retrospective — or your team has tried them and given up — this is the format to start with. It uses the classic Start / Stop / Continue structure, which is easy to understand and produces immediately actionable output. No facilitation experience needed. Most teams can run this in under 60 minutes.
What's included
- Start / Stop / Continue slide deck
- Facilitator guide with timing
- Action item tracker slide
- Check-in and check-out activities
This is for you if…
- First-time facilitators who've never run a retrospective
- Teams that have tried retros and given up because nothing changed
- Managers who want a proven format they can run without prep
How to access this template
- 1Enter your email in the card — we'll send you the template link right away.
- 2Open the link and go to File → Make a copy → Entire presentation.
- 3Choose a destination folder in your Google Drive and click 'OK'.
- 4Your copy is ready — rename it and start editing.
How to run this workshop
- 1Click the link — it automatically creates a copy in your Google Drive.
- 2Share the slides with your team and block 60 minutes.
- 3Give everyone 10 minutes to silently add sticky notes to each column: Start, Stop, Continue.
- 4Read out the notes together, group similar themes, and discuss.
- 5Pick the top two action items, assign an owner and a deadline, and write them down before the session ends.
Tips for first-time facilitators
- Read the speaker notes before the session — the timing guidance is built in.
- Give people time to write silently before sharing. Silent writing produces more honest input than open discussion.
- End by reading action items aloud and confirming owners. Don't skip this — it's the only thing that makes change happen.