4-Step Sailboat Retrospective for Smooth Sailing

The Sailboat Retrospective is an Agile technique that uses the metaphor of a sailboat journey to help teams identify factors that propel them forward, such as favorable winds, and obstacles that slow them down, like anchors and rocks. This method involves visualizing the team as a sailboat navigating towards a goal while encountering potential risks and challenges. The process is divided into four steps: setting the stage by creating a visual board with categories like sunshine, anchors, and obstacles; brainstorming to generate ideas about what supports or hinders progress; gathering data by grouping related ideas and discussing them; and deciding on actionable steps to enhance positive elements and mitigate risks. The technique, as adapted and used at PagerDuty, has proven effective by incorporating adjustments to fit team dynamics, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in refining Agile processes.