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8 formats

Team Health Retrospectives

These formats are about how the team is doing, not what it shipped. Use them when morale feels off, after a reorg or a hard deadline, or when a few people do all the talking. Each one asks people to describe their own experience first and look for causes second.

How to choose

Match the format to what you suspect is going on.

  • Something happened and people are upset. Mad Sad Glad gives frustration a column of its own, so it gets said and heard before anyone starts fixing. Plan the full 45 minutes.
  • You want a light read without a big conversation. Happy, Meh, Sad, the Weather Report and One Word each take about 15 minutes. Weather has four levels instead of three, which lets people say "cloudy" when they'd never write "sad".
  • People look tired. The Energy Check asks what gave energy, what drained it and what would recharge the team. It points at workload and interruptions rather than feelings in general, which makes the answers easier to act on.
  • A hard stretch just ended. An Appreciation Round closes it with specific thank-yous. It isn't built for solving problems, so hold a regular retro afterward if issues are still open.
  • Some voices go quiet. The Psychological Safety Check asks when people held back and why, and ends with one thing to try. Heard, Seen, Respected is gentler and fits better after a conflict or a change in who's on the team.

What these formats can and can't tell you

Team health formats start conversations. They don't measure anything. Retro Rabbit doesn't score team health or chart it over time, so don't read three sunny weather reports in a row as proof that all is well. If you want a trend, note the one or two themes from each retro yourself and compare them a few sprints later.

A few habits make honest answers more likely:

  • Offer notes without names. Each person can turn off Show Name in their settings, and their notes then appear without a name. Votes still show who voted, so say both things before the retro starts.
  • Keep people out of the notes. Agree beforehand that a concern about one person goes to a one-on-one, not the board.
  • Let managers speak last. If a manager is in the room, their view shouldn't set the tone for everyone else's.
  • End with one change the team controls. "No meetings before 10 on Fridays" can happen next week. "Be less stressed" can't.

For question sets for a hard sprint or a new team, see sprint retrospective questions.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as a team health check?

No. A health check usually scores the team on fixed areas and tracks the scores over time. These formats are open conversations, and Retro Rabbit doesn't score or chart the answers.

How often should we run a team health retro?

Run a 15-minute format like Weather Report or Energy Check whenever you want a quick read, for example every few sprints. Save the 30 to 45 minute formats for after a hard sprint, a reorg or a conflict.

Can people answer without their name shown?

Yes. Each person can turn off Show Name in their settings so their notes appear without a name. Votes still show who voted, so tell the team that before you start.

More formats by goal

Try any of these with your team

Your team adds notes during the sprint, CarrotIQ groups and summarizes them and suggests action items, and unfinished items carry into the next retro.

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