Alice in Wonderland Adventure Retrospective

Alice in Wonderland Adventure retrospective format

Down the Rabbit Hole

What unexpected surprises did we tumble into this sprint?

This topic captures the surprises, sudden changes, and unforeseen situations the team fell into during the iteration. Encourage participants to share moments that caught them off guard, whether positive or negative. Frame it as curiosity rather than blame, so people feel safe describing the chaos they encountered.

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

What moments felt chaotic, confusing, or out of order?

This explores the messy, confusing, or contradictory parts of the sprint where things felt out of sync. Use it to surface communication breakdowns, conflicting instructions, or processes that felt nonsensical. Keep the tone light so people can laugh about the chaos while still identifying what to fix.

The Cheshire Cat's Wisdom

What did we learn or finally see clearly this sprint?

This topic captures insights, lessons learned, and moments of clarity that emerged during the work. Like the Cheshire Cat appearing to offer guidance, encourage the team to name the realizations that will help them choose a better path next time. Focus on knowledge worth keeping.

The Queen of Hearts

What decisions or actions should we decree for next time?

Inspired by the commanding Queen of Hearts, this topic turns reflection into bold, forward-looking decisions and concrete actions. Guide the team to issue clear 'decrees' as specific, achievable steps rather than vague intentions. Encourage them to assign owners so each chosen action actually gets carried out, but keep the tone playful so nobody loses their head.

When to use this retrospective

• When your team's standard retrospectives feel repetitive and you want a fun, themed format to re-energize participation.
• After a sprint full of surprises and unexpected changes that left the team feeling disoriented.
• When you want to encourage psychological safety and open sharing through a playful storytelling lens.
• For team-building sessions where reflection and connection matter as much as action items.
• When onboarding a new team and you want a memorable, low-pressure way to surface insights.

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If you could shrink or grow like Alice to solve one work problem, which would you choose and why?
• Which Wonderland character best matches your mood after this sprint, and what would they say?

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Set the scene with a short narrative intro so everyone understands how each topic maps to Alice's journey.
• Lean into the playful theme, but make sure each prompt still produces concrete, actionable takeaways.
• Time-box each stage of the adventure so no single topic eats the whole meeting.
• Encourage quieter team members to contribute by reminding everyone that curiosity, not perfection, is the goal.
• Group similar ideas before voting so the team focuses discussion on the themes that matter most.
• Close by converting your 'Queen of Hearts' decrees into owned actions with clear due dates.

Frequently asked questions