ESVP Retrospective

ESVP retrospective format

Explorer

Curious and ready to dig in.

Explorers want to discover new insights and are happy to look at anything the retro brings up. When you read the spread, treat a high Explorer count as a green light for a deeper agenda. Be a little cautious if every single idea lands here, especially in a team that has been struggling. That can mean people are answering on autopilot or don't fully trust the anonymity, so it may be worth asking a gentle follow-up question.

Shopper

Here to find one useful idea to take away.

Shoppers are engaged but selective. They will look over everything and leave satisfied if they take home one practical improvement. A board with lots of Shoppers suggests keeping the session focused and ending with clear, small actions. Make sure the retro closes with something concrete so these people feel the time was worth it.

Vacationer

Glad to be away from the day job for a while.

Vacationers aren't especially interested in the retro itself, but they appreciate the break from regular work. This is often a signal of fatigue or a heavy workload. Don't treat it as a problem to fix or a person to call out. If several Vacationers appear, consider a lighter, shorter session, or ask the team whether workload needs to be on today's agenda.

Prisoner

Here because I was told to be.

Prisoners feel they have been made to attend and would rather be doing something else. This is the most important signal on the board, so thank people for being honest and never try to work out who wrote what. Several Prisoners means the planned retro is probably the wrong meeting. Shorten it, change the agenda, or ask the room openly what is getting in the way and whether the retro format itself needs to change.

When to use this retrospective

• When the team is starting a new retrospective cadence and you want to know whether people see value in it.
• After a production incident or stressful release, when energy and goodwill may be low.
• Following a change of manager, team lead or team structure, to gauge how people feel about being in the room.
• When previous retros have felt flat or actions have gone nowhere, and you suspect people are attending out of obligation.
• At the start of a long workshop or project review, so you can adjust the agenda before investing hours in it.

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If this meeting were a holiday destination, where would it be?
• What is one thing you would explore if you had a free afternoon at work?

Want a warm-up your team plays, not just answers out loud? Browse free icebreakers →

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Keep responses anonymous and say so out loud before people add ideas. A public vote produces a room full of Explorers and tells you nothing.
• Introduce all four labels in a neutral tone. Make it clear that Vacationer and Prisoner are valid, useful answers and that nobody will be asked to explain their choice.
• Act on the reading. If Prisoners and Vacationers dominate, shorten the retro, swap in a different agenda, or ask the team what is going on before continuing.
• Use ESVP when you suspect low buy-in, such as after an incident, a manager change or a new retro cadence. Running it every sprint leads to people picking Explorer on autopilot.
• Never try to guess who wrote a Prisoner idea or single anyone out. Discuss the overall spread as a team signal.
• For short check-ins, drop Shopper and run a three-label version to keep it to a minute or two.

Frequently asked questions