Template type - Mad Sad Glad

What is Mad Sad Glad?

The Mad Sad Glad retrospective is a powerful tool designed to delve into the emotional experiences of your team during a sprint or project. By categorizing feelings into three distinct areas—Mad, Sad, and Glad—this retrospective encourages open dialogue, fosters emotional intelligence, and uncovers opportunities for team growth and improvement.

How to use Mad Sad Glad in TeamRetro

Access the Template:
- Navigate to your Team HOME page.
- Click on START A RETROSPECTIVE or + or navigate to the RETROSPECTIVES tab.

Select MAD SAD GLAD from the list of STANDARD templates.

Set the Meeting Context:
- Define the purpose or theme of the session to guide topic suggestions.

ICEBREAKER

Set a warm and welcoming tone with a light activity or fun question.
Use this moment to help participants feel comfortable and ready to engage.
Examples: “What’s one small win you had this week?” or “If our last sprint was a weather pattern, what would it be?”

WELCOME

Introduce the purpose of the session and highlight the value of open, constructive, feedback.
Share the retrospective structure and any key topics or themes you’d like the team to focus on.
Remind everyone of the format, time expectations, and participation roles.

OPEN ACTIONS

Quickly review any action items from the previous retrospective.
Discuss what’s been completed, what’s still in progress, and anything that needs to be carried forward.
This helps create accountability and sets the stage for a productive session.

BRAINSTORM

Mad: Team members share aspects that caused frustration or annoyance.
Sad: Participants discuss elements that led to disappointment or unmet expectations.
Glad: The team reflects on events or outcomes that brought happiness or pride.

GROUP

Collectively organize similar ideas within each category to identify common themes.
Either drag and drop related ideas or utilize AI suggestions for efficient grouping.

VOTE

Allow team members to vote on the topics they feel are most pressing or impactful.
This prioritization helps focus subsequent discussions on areas that matter most to the team.

DISCUSS

Delve into the top-voted topics, exploring underlying causes and potential solutions.
Encourage constructive dialogue, ensuring all voices are heard.

REVIEW

Develop actionable steps to address issues raised in the Mad and Sad categories.

CLOSE

PUBLISH: your action items and meeting summary to any integrated workflow tools.
DOWNLOAD and SHARE Reports: with any absent users or interested stakeholders for a quick summary.
Plan Next Steps: SCHEDULE the next retrospective and encourage continuous reflection.
Summarize Key Takeaways: Recap the main points discussed with AI summaries and the agreed-upon actions.
Express Gratitude: Thank the team for their openness and participation.