Collaboration
Sailboat Retrospective
Use the sailboat metaphor to run a team retrospective. Visualize what helps (wind), hinders (anchor), defines goals (island), and threatens (rocks). It's an accessible way to discuss project status and team performance.
Duration
45 mins
Group Size
4-10
Category
Collaboration
Difficulty
Easy
The goals of this exercise are to reflect on team performance, identify obstacles and aids using a visual metaphor, create actionable improvements, and build alignment on challenges and goals.
- Completed sailboat retrospective.
- Identified key anchors and winds.
- Action plan created.
This visual metaphor makes difficult conversations easier, especially for teams new to retrospectives. The drawing doesn't need to be perfect. Consider adding a SUN element for "things going well" to balance the discussion. Some teams add SHARKS for external threats or TREASURE for unexpected wins. Start with the positive (wind/sun) to set a constructive tone. When discussing anchors, focus on solutions, not blame. The rocks discussion should lead to risk mitigation plans. Regular use (monthly/quarterly) shows progress over time. Take a photo for comparison in the next retrospective. I've found that sometimes the 'rocks' category is difficult for teams - be prepared to prompt them with examples.
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