Starfish Retrospective: Diagram, Template & Examples for Agile Teams

The Starfish Retrospective helps teams improve by identifying actions to start, stop, continue, do more of, and do less of. Created by Patrick Kua, this method fosters continuous improvement. In this blog, you’ll learn how to use it effectively.

• The Starfish Retrospective is a structured approach to team evaluation that encourages actionable insights through five categories: Start, Stop, Continue, More Of, and Less Of.
• Facilitating an effective Starfish Retrospective includes steps like anonymous brainstorming, dot voting to prioritize issues, and establishing actionable next steps to enhance team productivity.
• Engaging remote teams is essential; using anonymous input can foster open discussions and diverse viewpoints, while icebreakers can create a positive atmosphere for meetings.

The Starfish Retrospective was created to encourage teams to analyze their actions and activities beyond traditional evaluations. Developed by Patrick Kua, this method helps teams focus on actionable items and refine their current practices. Unlike other retrospective techniques, the Starfish Retrospective provides a structured approach to brainstorming, ensuring optimal engagement and meaningful discussions. The starfish retrospective template further enhances this process.

This retrospective method can be used in various contexts, including sprint retrospectives, project post-mortems, and event retrospectives. It addresses the complexities of team processes and the limitations of traditional retrospectives, making it a versatile tool for continuous improvement. During these meetings, teams discuss current techniques and practices, considering which ones should receive more or less attention based on their effectiveness.

The Starfish Retrospective consists of five distinct categories:

• Start
• Stop
• Keep
• More 
• Less

These categories help teams recognize different perceptions of value among members and motivate them to think about new practices that generate value. Participants are encouraged to suggest both traditional and innovative practices during the retrospective, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

The ‘Start’ category focuses on initiating new actions or practices that can enhance productivity and bring about significant improvements. Teams should consider starting new ideas or concepts that align with their goals and values. For example, implementing a daily stand-up meeting or adopting a new project management tool can help streamline processes and improve communication.

Creating a space for new ideas is essential for continuous improvement. By identifying key areas for growth, teams can advance their practices and complete tasks more efficiently. Suggestions for innovative practices during the retrospective meeting can foster creativity and progress within the team.

The ‘Stop’ category is crucial for identifying activities or processes that are not working and should be ceased to improve efficiency. Putting unproductive activities can lead to significant enhancements in team productivity. For instance, if T-shirt sizing is not helping with estimation, it might be time to stop using it.

Eliminating activities that impede progress is crucial for advancing the team’s workflow. Identifying and eliminating unproductive tasks frees up space on the board and resources for more valuable exercise activities, ultimately driving better results.

The ‘Continue’ category emphasizes maintaining activities that are already yielding positive results and contributing to the team’s success. Highlighting these successful practices helps sustain momentum and enhances overall team performance.

Recognizing and discussing effective strategies ensures these practices remain a core part of the workflow. This approach not only boosts team morale but also reinforces the value of beneficial contributions, creating a positive atmosphere for future sprints.

The ‘More Of’ category is designed to scale up valuable activities or increase the frequency of beneficial actions. For example, practices like paired programming or more frequent short meetings can be included in this category to enhance productivity and team dynamics, providing more value.

Promoting behaviors that contribute to the team’s effectiveness is key for continuous improvement. Identifying value-adding practices allows teams to enhance these activities, driving better results and fostering a collaborative environment.

The ‘Less Of’ category focuses on reducing activities that are not currently helpful or productive. For instance, having fewer meetings can increase efficiency if meetings are not adding significant value. Reducing actions that negatively impact productivity helps in focusing on more valuable tasks.

Identifying non-essential or ineffective activities enables teams to make informed decisions about time and resource allocation.

Facilitating a Starfish Retrospective meeting in Kumospace is simple and interactive. The first step is to set up a dedicated room or floor where your team can gather. Within Kumospace, you can use spatial audio and breakout areas to let people share feedback in smaller groups before coming back together. Depending on your team’s preferences, you can encourage input openly during the session, or allow participants to drop notes anonymously on a shared whiteboard or sticky-note board.

During the reflection stage:

1. Team members brainstorm and share their ideas in silence, allowing for independent thought and honest feedback.
2. After the reflection phase, similar ideas can be grouped using drag-and-drop or AI-suggested groupings to save time.
3. Dot voting is used to prioritize the most important issues, and a discussion follows on the most voted items.
4. Actionable steps are set based on the discussion, ensuring that everyone has a chance to vote on the next steps.

Open and honest input is vital for fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Tools like Parabol allow participants to leave comments on topics during the discussion phase at the table, helping to clarify and address potential barriers effectively.

Ending the meeting with a thank-you or shout-out to the team can enhance morale and show appreciation for their contributions to the team’s success.

Managing remote teams in Starfish Retrospectives is crucial for their active participation and meaningful contributions. Anonymous input offers several benefits:

• It can reduce bias and promote honest feedback during brainstorming sessions.
• Anonymously collecting reflections can prevent groupthink.
• It ensures diverse viewpoints are shared.

An environment that promotes honest feedback helps remote team members share their thoughts without hesitation. Fostering a culture of openness and inclusion helps remote teams feel more connected and engaged during retrospectives, leading to more productive discussions and actionable outcomes.

Starting a Starfish Retrospective can involve the following steps:

• Begin with an icebreaker to warm up participants and create a positive atmosphere.
• Start with uplifting topics to set a positive tone for the meeting and encourage open discussion.
• Conclude the meeting with a gesture of appreciation, such as thanking the team, to enhance morale.

Engaging icebreaker questions can include asking participants about recent nostalgia, their zodiac sign, or fun hypotheticals like which two famous people or person they would want on their team during a zombie apocalypse.

These questions can add humor and engagement, helping to break the ice and foster a sense of connection among team members.

Common challenges in Starfish Retrospectives include differing perceptions on what practices to start or stop, and disagreements during discussions. Brainstorming, voting, and discussion are crucial for securing team buy-in for changes during the retrospective. Dot voting can help prioritize ideas and make team discussions more productive.

Open dialogue fosters collaboration and ownership in the process improvement process. Identifying ineffective practices encourages constructive discussions and helps the team find better alternatives.

Tracking items under each category provides insights into the project’s overall health and enhances team morale.

A retrospective tool is essential for conducting effective Starfish Retrospectives with remote teams. TeamRetro enables teams to customize retrospective sessions with a flexible retrospective template and tailored questions. The platform supports anonymous brainstorming to encourage honest feedback from all team members.

TeamRetro offers the following features:

• Smart group features that use AI to help organize similar ideas efficiently.
• Various voting options that ensure team members can express their votes privately.
• Presentation mode that facilitates real-time discussions and feedback during retrospectives.

Monitoring trends and sentiment shifts over time provides insights into team dynamics and helps improve future retrospectives.

Translating retrospective insights into actionable steps is crucial for continuous improvement. Categorizing feedback into actionable items allows teams to plan more effectively for future iterations. The More Of and Less Of categories simplify the process of generating practical action items. This is particularly useful during the retrospective.

Monitoring the effectiveness of actions can involve tracking sentiment shifts, analyzing conversations, and monitoring completed actions. Common themes and trends uncovered during retrospectives drive continuous improvement and help teams stay focused on their goals.

A team that utilized the Starfish Retrospective method noted substantial enhancements in their project workflows. Evaluating their actions and processes helped them identify areas for improvement and make significant strides in collaboration and efficiency. The overall impact of the Starfish Retrospective led to increased productivity and more streamlined processes within the team.

This case study illustrates how the Starfish Retrospective can be a powerful tool for teams looking to optimize their performance and achieve better results. Addressing key workflow issues enabled the team to create a more effective and cohesive working environment.

The Starfish Retrospective is a valuable method for teams looking to enhance their productivity and efficiency. By utilizing the five distinct categories, teams can systematically evaluate their practices and make informed decisions about which activities to start, stop, continue, increase, or reduce. This structured approach fosters deeper reflection and promotes continuous improvement.

Implementing the Starfish Retrospective can lead to significant improvements in team dynamics and project outcomes. By engaging team members, addressing common challenges, and leveraging tools and technologies, teams can turn insights into actionable steps and achieve greater success.