Template for quarterly retrospectives: Questions you should ask your team on a quarterly basis.
1 - Winter Retrospective ❄️ | 2 - Spring Retrospective 🌼 | 3 - Summer Retrospective 🌞 | 4 - Autumn Retrospective 🍂 | 5 - DAKI Retrospective 🌍
In this article, I have brought you the five best retrospectives that you can ask your team every quarter.
These are, the DAKI retrospective, the best retro for this purpose in my opinion and 4 seasonal retrospectives that fit the 4 quarters of the year exactly.
Why quarterly retrospectives are so important 👍:
It is not uncommon for activities to be planned in intervals.
Teams often plan on a weekly to bi-weekly basis.
In contrast, planning at company level often takes place on an annual and quarterly basis. This is a time window that is still short enough to make adjustments, but long enough for strategic changes to be identified in the figures.
This is precisely why it makes sense to not only check how the last sprint cycle went on a quarterly basis with a retrospective, but also to take a macro perspective here.
Quarterly retrospectives allow you to build a bridge between the short-term agility of your team and the long-term strategic direction of the company.
Template for quarterly retrospectives
#1 - The Winter Retrospective ❄️
Whether you like it or not, the year begins with winter in the northern hemisphere. It’s cold and wet and sometimes there’s even snow. But winter also has its good sides, or can you imagine anything more cozy than sitting on the sofa with a warm cup of hot chocolate wrapped in a blanket?
It’s exactly the same in the corporate world. There are the cozy and uncomfortable sides of everyday life. But how did your first quarter go and what are you looking forward to in the next one?
Winter Retro: How the retro works
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Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
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Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
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Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- Snow: What have we almost forgotten under the snow blanket?
- Ice: Where do we have to be careful not to slip?
- Stove: What warms us up?
- Anticipation: What can we hardly wait for in spring?
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Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
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Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
-
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
-
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
Winter Retro
Template for quarterly retrospectives
#2 - The Spring Retrospective 🌼 (Spring Cleaning Retro)
After winter comes spring and this stands for renewal. Nature blossoms again and it’s time to look at yourself and see what you want to renew. A spring clean is ideal for this:
Spring Cleaning Retro: How the retro works
-
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
-
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
-
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- What sparkles joy, which item should we keep?
- What can we throw in the bin?
- What can we recycle and reuse - maybe this time for a different challenge?
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Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
-
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
-
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
-
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
Spring Cleaning Retro
Template for quarterly retrospectives
#3 - The Summer Retrospective 🌞
Was your summer wonderful? And this is exactly where the matching retro should not be missing. Let summer feelings blossom again, but also see when the warm weather made you sweat. - The perfect retrospective to complete the third quarter:
Summer Retrospective: How the retro works
-
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
-
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
-
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- What was the ice cream, your favorite moment?
- What made you sweat?
- What could be a treat to cope with the summer heat in the future?
-
Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
-
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
-
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
-
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
Summer Retrospective
Template for quarterly retrospectives
#4 - The Autumn Retrospective 🍂
And then, last but not least, autumn arrives. The leaves fall from the trees and both beautiful rainbows and slippery roads are part of everyday life. How did you get through the fall and how do you prepare for winter?
Autumn Retro: How the retro works
-
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
-
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
-
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- 🌧🍂 On which slippery wet paths did we (almost) slip?
- 🌧🌈 What was your rainbow moment (favorite moment of the sprint)?
- 🥜🐿 What do we need to prepare to get well through the winter? (Like squirrels prepare nuts for winter)
-
Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
-
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
-
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
-
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
Autumn Retro
Template for quarterly retrospectives
#5 - The DAKI Retrospective :
Whether spring, summer, fall or winter. The DAKI Retrospective is a great all-rounder and is suitable for every season. It allows you to reflect on each quarter from the most important perspectives (Drop, Add, Keep, Improve):
DAKI Retro: How the retro works
-
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
-
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
-
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- Drop: What should we drop?
- Add: What should we add?
- Keep: What should we keep?
- Improve: What should we improve?
-
Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
-
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
-
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
-
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
DAKI Retro
Conclusion - Quarterly Retrospective Template⚡
It is important to hold regular retrospectives. Our recommendation is to do this every 2-4 weeks. However, quarterly retrospectives are something very special, as many companies plan on a quarterly basis. This makes it all the more important to harmonize the Agile way of working with this quarterly planning. The retrospectives presented here are ideal for this.
If you like these retrospectives, you’ll probably like this too: 54 retrospectives for beginners and professionals.
Would you like to start one of these retrospectives right away? Then try out our Echometer tool for the continuous improvement of agile teams:
DAKI Retro: How the retro works
-
Random Icebreaker (2-5 minutes)
Echometer provides you with a generator for random check-in questions.
-
Review of open actions (2-5 minutes)
Before starting with new topics, you should talk about what has become of the measures from past retrospectives to check their effectiveness. Echometer automatically lists all open action items from past retros.
-
Discuss retro topics
Use the following open questions to collect your most important findings. First, everyone does it themselves, covered. Echometer allows you to reveal each column of the retro board individually in order to then present and group the feedback.
- Drop: What should we drop?
- Add: What should we add?
- Keep: What should we keep?
- Improve: What should we improve?
-
Catch-all question (Recommended)
So that other topics also have a place:
- What else would you like to talk about in the retro?
-
Prioritization / Voting (5 minutes)
On the retro board in Echometer, you can easily prioritize the feedback with voting. The voting is of course anonymous.
-
Define actions (10-20 minutes)
You can create a linked action via the plus symbol on a feedback. Not sure which measure would be the right one? Then open a whiteboard on the topic via the plus symbol instead to brainstorm root causes and possible measures.
-
Checkout / Closing (5 minutes)
Echometer enables you to collect anonymous feedback from the team on how helpful the retro was. This creates the ROTI score ("Return On Time Invested"), which you can track over time.
DAKI Retro
