The purpose of a retrospective is to reflect on the process of the team’s collaboration, rather than on the content of work itself. This opening icebreaker helps participants to get in a reflective mood and share their thoughts and feelings.
Facilitate a team conversation about personal strengths:
Ask participants to pick from a set of strength card, e.g. one strength each for everyone in the group (or more for small groups)
People take turns to “give” a strength to another team member, share how/when they have seen the strength in the other person and say thank you
Everyone will end up with a set of strengths provided by other team members and feel belonging and appreciation
Open your workshop / session / meeting with a visual check-in that enables people to be there as who they are and what's on their mind:
On a board there is a Sun, a Sun with a cloud, and a cloud with a thunder. Participants write their name on a postit and put it in the area that matches their current mood.
Framework: Consideration for Others x Openness of Communication
Participants practice 4 modes of communication - Aggressive, assertive, passive, passive-aggressive in improv scenario
Explore any complex topic with Hopes, Worries, Risks, Chances seen by your participants. This creates connection, better acceptance for different angles and aspects of the topic and reduces the uncertainty of the group.
Each participant has 7 minutes to describe his life starting with the present moment, ending in early childhood.