What is the Goldilocks retrospective?
The Goldilocks retrospective is a creative sprint idea that lets your team review their processes. Participants are invited to identify things that took too much energy and time, or where there were fires to put out (Too hot), things that are working well (Just Right), and things they need to put more time or energy into (Too Cold). This way, the temperature is used as a continuum to gauge how the team operates.
Importantly, this is a chance for your team to discuss what “just right” means to them and that it is aligned with the organization.
This is a good retrospective that can be used in the early stages of a project. It can help ensure that the right processes and resources are in place for the team. It can also check that they are not being hindered by too much red tape, and are supported by the right knowledge and resources.
Goldilocks retrospective format
Too Cold
What are the things that need more energy? What processes are stuck or moving too slowly? What processes are slowing us down?
Just Right
What are the things that we should continue doing? What processes are working well and serving its purpose?
Too Hot
What are the things that we should reduce? What is causing friction or causing fires? What is taking up a lot of energy?
Suggested icebreaker questions for the Goldilocks retrospective
- What was a fairytale from your childhood?
- What is your favorite temperature for your tea, coffee or hot chocolate?
- What do you think the morale of Goldilocks is?
Retro Rehearsal
Use the Goldilocks retrospective to review the story of Goldilocks. What should be changed to bring the story up-to-date?
Ideas and tips for your Goldilocks retrospective
- Rotate the Scrum Master. This will change the voices that are heard and give people a chance to contribute to the retrospective in a different way.
- Use a Return on Time Invested (ROTI) tool to monitor the effectiveness of your meeting.
- Keep your team agreements in view during your retrospective. Remember you can add to them at any time.
- Make the most of your presentation mode and drill down into ideas at the brainstorming, grouping as well as discussion stages of your retrospective. This will let those who contributed the input the chance to explain and feel heard.
How to run a Goldilocks retrospective in TeamRetro
Start Your Session in a Click
Log into TeamRetro and choose your template. Customise questions and the workflow to create your perfect retro for your team.
Create Your Team Easily – No Separate Accounts Needed
Brainstorm Individually – Free From Bias
Smart Grouping for Faster Insights
Fair, Flexible, and Fast Voting
Engage, React, and Capture Key Insights
Walk your team through ideas one by one with Presentation Mode. Stay in sync, spark real-time discussions, and capture feedback with comments, live reactions, and polls—all in one place.
Turn Ideas Into Action
Propose next steps with team buy-in, get AI-powered action suggestions, and keep everything in one place. Committed actions sync to your personal dashboard and integrate with your workflow tools—keeping you on track.
Save, Share, and Stay on Track
Get quick AI-powered summaries, add facilitator notes, and store retrospectives in your library for easy access. Schedule your next session and track published actions to keep your team accountable at the next retro.
Turn Team Data into Actionable Insights
Uncover trends, common themes, and key engagement metrics at a glance. Track sentiment shifts, analyze conversations, and monitor completed actions to drive continuous improvement.