Mad Sad Glad Retro: Questions, Process & Template
The Mad Sad Glad Retro is a simple retrospective format for teams that want to openly discuss experiences from the last sprint and turn them into concrete improvements. It combines two negative perspectives – Mad and Sad – with a positive one: Glad. This keeps the retrospective honest without just collecting problems.
Mad Sad Glad Retro: The three questions
The method works with three columns and one question per emotion:
- Mad: What made you angry?
- Sad: What made you sad?
- Glad: What made you glad?
The difference between Mad and Sad helps with analysis: “Mad” often points to obstacles that can be influenced, such as unclear priorities or avoidable waiting times. “Sad” tends to reveal disappointing or burdensome experiences, for example when important feedback is missing. “Glad” draws attention to practices the team should maintain or expand.
Mad Sad Glad 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 made you mad? 😤
- What made you sad? 😢
- What made you glad? 🤩
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.
Mad Sad Glad Retro 😯
Open questions
Examples for Mad, Sad, and Glad
What made you mad? 😤
“The new tool makes it harder to prioritize our product backlog.” Statements like this often point to a specific process the team can change. Ask: What exactly happened, who is affected, and what would be different next time?
What made you sad? 😢
“Not everyone on our team feels comfortable speaking up.” This topic may indicate a lack of psychological safety. Give the group time to understand the observation instead of immediately suggesting a solution.
Strengthening psychological safety in agile teamsWhat made you glad? 🤩
“Our alignment before the sprint really created clarity this time.” Positive examples are not a side note: They show which habits work and should be continued deliberately.
Moderating a Mad Sad Glad Retro in 30 minutes
- Set the frame (3 minutes): Remind everyone that this is about observations and shared improvement – not assigning blame.
- Collect silently (5 minutes): Each person writes individual notes for Mad, Sad, and Glad. Silent work also gives quieter team members space.
- Cluster and understand (10 minutes): Group similar notes and ask the authors to briefly provide context if needed.
- Prioritize (5 minutes): Choose one or two topics with the greatest benefit for the team.
- Define actions (7 minutes): For each topic, formulate a concrete, accountable next action and review it in the following retrospective.
Important: A good Mad Sad Glad retrospective does not end with collecting emotions. Only a clear action turns an observation into an improvement.
When is the Mad Sad Glad Retro suitable?
The format is especially useful after a turbulent sprint, when there are tensions in the team, or when you want to make successes visible alongside problems. For new teams, the structure is easy to understand; experienced teams can use the three questions as a quick check-in.
When sensitive topics arise, the facilitation should ensure a respectful setting. If uncertainty or a lack of trust becomes visible repeatedly, a more in-depth team health check is worthwhile.
Team Health Check in three stepsFrequently asked questions about the Mad Sad Glad Retro
What is a Mad Sad Glad Retro?
A retrospective with three questions about what made the team angry, sad, and glad. It helps process negative experiences and strengthen effective collaboration.
How many topics should a team work on?
Usually one or two prioritized topics are enough. Few, clearly owned actions are more valuable than a long list without implementation.
How often should you use the Mad Sad Glad Retro?
It works as a standalone sprint retrospective or as a change from other formats. Use it when emotions, collaboration, and concrete sprint experiences should be at the center.
Conclusion: Turning emotions into improvements
The Mad Sad Glad Retro is deliberately straightforward: Three questions create space for frustration, disappointments, and successes. If the team then agrees on a few concrete actions, it becomes a helpful retrospective with a lasting effect.
