Wish & Wonder Retrospective

Wish & Wonder Retrospective

Step into the realm of possibilities with the 'Wish & Wonder' retrospective. This format encourages teams to envision a brighter future, sparking creativity and fostering a positive atmosphere. It's not just about identifying areas of improvement; it's about dreaming big and wondering about the potential changes that can elevate the team's performance.

When to Choose Wish & Wonder

Opt for 'Wish & Wonder' when you want to infuse a dose of optimism into your retrospective sessions. It's especially beneficial for teams that have faced challenging sprints and need a morale boost. By focusing on aspirations and potential changes, this format ensures that discussions remain constructive and forward-looking.

👍 I Like

What did we do well that we should continue?

Celebrate the successes and acknowledge the practices that have served the team well.

🙏 I Wish

What could we have done better?

Share aspirations and areas where the team feels there's an opportunity for growth, without dwelling on the negatives.

💫 I Wonder

What might we change?

Let your imagination run wild. Discuss potential changes, innovations, or strategies that could be game-changers for the team.

🌟 Shout outs

Who deserves praise for their efforts?

Take a moment to recognize and appreciate team members who went above and beyond, fostering a culture of gratitude.

---

The 'Wish & Wonder' retrospective is about hope and potential. It's a reminder that every challenge is an opportunity in disguise and that the future holds endless possibilities.

Start a Wish & Wonder Retro View all retro templates

---

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Wish & Wonder retrospective template?

The Wish & Wonder retrospective template (I Like, I Wish, I Wonder, Shout outs) is a psychologically safe retrospective format that reframes potentially negative feedback into aspirational language. Instead of saying "what went wrong," teams express wishes for improvement. The "I Wonder" column encourages creative speculation without commitment, making it safe to propose unconventional ideas. Combined with explicit recognition through Shout outs, this format creates one of the most positive and non-confrontational retrospective experiences available.

When should you use the Wish & Wonder retrospective template?

Use Wish & Wonder when team morale is low after difficult sprints, when psychological safety is fragile, or when you want to encourage creativity without defensiveness. It's particularly effective for new teams still building trust, teams with conflict-averse cultures, or situations where critical feedback might trigger defensiveness. The aspirational language ("I wish" instead of "you should") and speculative framing ("I wonder" instead of "we must") makes this format ideal when you need honest feedback but want to avoid confrontation.

How do you run a Wish & Wonder retrospective meeting effectively?

To run an effective Wish & Wonder retrospective, follow these steps:

• Set the stage - Use a mood check-in to gauge sentiment and play uplifting icebreaker music to create an optimistic atmosphere
• Brainstorm - Give 5-10 minutes for individual brainstorming. Encourage anonymous contributions for I Like, I Wish, and I Wonder. Shout outs can be named or anonymous depending on team preference
• Group and sort - Group and sort similar wishes and wonders together
• Discuss and vote - Review items and vote to prioritize which wishes to fulfill and which wonders to explore. Read all Shout outs aloud to celebrate contributions
• Create action items - Convert wishes into concrete actions with assigned owners. For wonders, create small experiments or research tasks rather than full commitments. Frame as "Let's try X to see if Y happens" rather than "We must do X"
• Share summary - Export and share the retro summary, especially Shout outs for team recognition

The session typically takes 45-60 minutes. Emphasize that wonders are speculative - no idea is too wild for the Wonder column.

What makes a good Wish & Wonder retrospective discussion?

Good Wish & Wonder discussions maintain aspirational, non-blaming language:

• I Like - Be specific about what worked. "I like how we paired on complex features" gives clear direction for future success
• I Wish - Frame improvements aspirationally. "I wish we had more time for refactoring" feels safer than "We wrote too much technical debt"
• I Wonder - Encourage wild speculation. "I wonder if we could automate deployments" or "I wonder what would happen if we tried mob programming" opens creative possibilities without commitment
• Shout outs - Be genuine and specific. "Shout out to Maria for helping me debug that tricky concurrency issue" creates meaningful recognition

The key is maintaining the aspirational tone - even criticism becomes constructive when framed as wishes and wonders rather than complaints.

How is Wish & Wonder different from other retrospective formats?

Wish & Wonder is linguistically designed for psychological safety in ways other formats aren't. While Mad Sad Glad surfaces emotions and Start Stop Continue demands decisions, Wish & Wonder reframes everything positively. "I wish" is gentler than "we should stop," and "I wonder" allows speculation without the pressure of "we must try." This makes it uniquely non-confrontational. The Shout outs column also makes recognition explicit rather than optional, ensuring teams don't only focus on improvements but also celebrate contributions.

What are the benefits of using the Wish & Wonder retrospective template?

The Wish & Wonder template offers several key benefits:

• Psychological safety - Aspirational language reduces defensiveness and blame
• Encourages creativity - "I wonder" invites wild ideas without commitment pressure
• Maintains positivity - Even critical feedback feels constructive when framed as wishes
• Explicit recognition - Shout outs column ensures appreciation is built into the process

Wish & Wonder is particularly valuable for building team culture. The format itself teaches non-violent communication patterns - framing feedback as personal wishes rather than demands. Over time, teams internalize this communication style beyond retrospectives.

What are some alternatives to the Wish & Wonder retrospective template?

If you're looking for different retrospective formats and templates, consider these alternatives:

• Mad Sad Glad retrospective - When you need to surface emotions more directly rather than Wish & Wonder's gentle approach, especially if suppressed feelings are blocking progress
• FLAT retrospective - When you want future focus with gratitude (Thanks column) but need more structured planning (Future/Lessons/Accomplishments) than Wish & Wonder's speculative approach
• Sailboat retrospective - When you want optimism through metaphor (wind/anchors/destination) but need clearer problem identification than Wish & Wonder's aspirational framing provides

Each format serves different needs - Wish & Wonder excels when psychological safety and creativity matter more than direct problem-solving.