When holding a sprint retrospective, it is important to keep things engaging and light. While it should be taken seriously and used to get things done, it is important that everyone participates. What better way to do that than to get creative?

As many of us know, work meetings can be a little dry sometimes. So why not spice things up?If you are in search of some ideas to get creative during your retrospective meeting, continue reading. We will go over 5 creative retrospective meeting ideas for you to try with your team and see the motivation rise. They will add some fun and excitement to an otherwise not-so-exciting retro.

5  Creative Sprint Retrospective Meeting Ideas

1. Start each meeting with “2 Roses and a Thorn”. This is a great way to get everyone loosened up and ready to participate. This little game is simple. Everyone takes turns telling 2 great things (the roses) that have happened to them that day or week and 1 not so great thing. This game is not only interactive, but it gets everyone in gear to pay attention as well as participate in the meeting.
2. Break the team up into small groups to discuss. This method is a great way to get everyone participating in the discussion at hand. Break the team into pairs or small groups to discuss the topic at hand. Give them a set amount of time and at the end, they can elect someone from their group to be the speaker and present what they discussed. After that, the group can discuss the issue as a whole, building off of what the small groups talked about.
3. Do giveaways or prizes. This is a great way to get everyone’s attention. Have a fun prize or giveaway at the end of the meeting. Not only will you grab everyone’s attention, but they will also be excited and bring high energy to the meeting. Be sure that the prize is something relevant and something that your team would want to win. You can hold a drawing at the end of the retrospective meeting for the winner, but make sure it is at the end of the meeting so that everyone pays attention and isn’t distracted by the prize.
4. Have a “leader’s board” visible. This is a great way to get your dev team motivated to sell more or get more clients. By having a monthly or quarterly leader board up and announcing the leaders for the last month or quarter, you will motivate everyone to sell more and work even harder. It is a great way to recognize the hard work that your team is putting in as well and give them some credit. Nothing creates motivation like recognition for accomplishments.
5. Play icebreakers or warm-up games. By starting out the meeting on a fun, not serious note, your team will be motivated and excited to participate in the retrospective. You can find tons of fun retrospective warm-up games and icebreakers on the internet that everyone loves to play. Even working adults. Who doesn’t like to have a little fun, right? If you play a game before each retrospective meeting, it will raise the energy of the group and get them excited and ready to go for the meeting.

When running agile retrospectives, it is important to not let it get too monotonous. Bring some creativity and fun to the meeting with some of the above ideas. Keep your team motivated and excited to grow!After all, no one likes a boring, run-of-the-mill retrospective meeting, so why not spice things up a bit?

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