The Sailboat Retrospective is a reflection method where a team reflects on what helps them move forward (Wind) and what holds them back (Anchor). It helps the group to feel united in the same boat and reflect on the current state of a project in a visual and constructive way.
Step 1: What moves us forward?
Bring the group's attention to the area above the water where the wind moves the boat forward. Ask "What is already working well in this project?". After the time runs out, each participant reads out their post its without explaining them in length.
Step 2: What holds us back?
Turn your attention below the sailboat. The anchor represents everything that is slowing down the group on their journey. Ask "What problems and obstacles are holding us back?"
Recommendations:
- Encourage the group to create multiple post its
- Look for duplicates on the area below the sailboat
- Follow-up with Dot-Voting on the most important problems
A good example for the Sailboat Retrospective is to do the method as part of a project check-in meeting. The two areas allow the team to reflect on their practices and activities in the past quarter and to get a good overview of what the team collectively values and would like to change.
Below, you see an example of what a Sailboat could look like at the end. As you can see, this provides a transparent overview of the current state of the project and what matters for the team.
