A Serious (Play) Retro

Use:
To create a playful environment encouraging systemic thinking and more honest self-evaluation.

Length of time:
60 minutes.

Short Description:
Using Lego, each individual builds and shares a model of the previous Sprint (or period of working together); they follow-up with a model of their 'ideal Sprint' (or future period of working together). Finally, time permitting, the team constructs a collective model of their 'ideal Sprint'.

Materials:
Lego - the larger Lego Serious Play sets work best, flipchart/whiteboard, pens

Process:
- Intro and warm-up model (10 mins)

- Build a model to represent the last Sprint (10 mins)

- Share about your model (10 mins)

- Build a model to represent your ideal Sprint (10 mins)

- Share about your model (10 mins)

- What can we commit to as individuals or as a team to do differently based on what we’ve learnt? (10 mins)

Time permitting (and usually requiring a further 10-15 minutes in addition to the 60 minutes:

- As a team, build a collective model of your ideal Sprint.

'The Sprint' can be thought of as the outcomes of the Sprint, the team dynamic during the sprint, or the processes of the Sprint. This is deliberately left open to interpretation to allow for what's pertinent for the participant to emerge.

Source:
richardatherton.net