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Sailboat

A visual metaphor retro: the wind pushes the team forward, anchors hold it back, rocks are risks ahead, and the island is the goal. Great for teams that think better in pictures.

Steps

  1. 5 min
    Set the stage

    Welcome the team, state the retro's goal and the prime directive. Draw the sailboat: boat, wind, anchor, rocks, island.

  2. 15 min
    Gather ideas

    Everyone writes notes silently: wind (what pushes us), anchors (what slows us), rocks (risks), island (our goal).

  3. 10 min
    Group and read

    Place notes on the drawing, cluster duplicates, and read every cluster aloud without discussing yet.

  4. 15 min
    Discuss top clusters

    Dot-vote the clusters, then discuss the top 2–3: what is really going on, and what could we change?

  5. 15 min
    Decide actions

    Agree on 1–3 concrete, owned actions for next sprint. Close with a quick round: one word on how the retro felt.