Template type - Starfish

What is Starfish?

The Starfish retrospective is a structured and balanced way to gather team feedback across a broad spectrum of actions and behaviors. It encourages thoughtful reflection on what to continue, improve, or eliminate, using five distinct categories: Start, More of, Continue, Less of, and Stop.

Setting up the Starfish template

Access the Template

1. Navigate to your Team HOME page.

   

2. Click on START A RETROSPECTIVE or + or navigate to the RETROSPECTIVES tab.

   

   
   

3. Select STARFISH from the list of STANDARD templates.

   

   
   
   

4. Set the meeting context. Define the purpose or theme of the session to guide topic suggestions.

   

Run your meeting

• Icebreaker

• Start with a light activity or question to create a warm, welcoming environment.

• This helps participants feel comfortable and ready to contribute.

  Examples:

• “What’s one small win you had this week?”
• “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

  • Start – New ideas or actions the team should begin doing.
  • More of – Things the team is doing well and should continue to carry out or increase .
  • Continue – Practices that are working and should be maintained.
  • Less of – Activities or habits that may be necessary but should be scaled back.

  • Stop – Things that aren’t adding value and should be discontinued.

    

    
    

• Group

  • Group similar items together to identify common themes and streamline the conversation.
  • Use TeamRetro’s AI grouping tool or group ideas manually by dragging and dropping.

• Vote

  • Have participants vote on the most relevant or impactful items across categories.
  • Set a vote limit to help prioritize discussion.
  • The most-voted items automatically appear at the top.

• Discuss

  • Review the top-voted items from each category.
  • Ask follow-up questions to dig into why these points matter to the team.
  • Facilitate conversation around opportunities, improvements, and next steps.
  • Use the PARK feature for ideas you want to revisit later.
  • Document Action Items and use AI-suggested actions when needed.

• Review

  • Convert key insights into actionable steps.
  • Assign responsibilities and due dates.
  • Document any team agreements or decisions made.

• Close

  • 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.​
  • Plan Next Steps: Schedule the next retrospective and encourage continuous reflection.
  • Download and Share Reports: with any absent users or interested stakeholders for a quick summary.