What is the Rose Bud Thorn Retrospective?
The Rose Bud Thorn retrospective uses a garden metaphor to help teams reflect on their experiences in an intuitive and engaging way. Developed as a design thinking tool, this format encourages participants to view their work through three distinct lenses: successes (Roses), opportunities (Buds), and challenges (Thorns). Participants identify their 'Roses' - the things that went well and brought joy to their work, 'Buds' - emerging opportunities or ideas that show promise for growth, and 'Thorns' - the obstacles or challenges that caused difficulty. This natural metaphor makes the retrospective format accessible and memorable, helping teams maintain a balanced perspective of their experiences. The simplicity of the Rose Bud Thorn format makes it particularly effective for teams new to retrospectives or when working with cross-functional groups. It provides a structured yet creative way to gather insights and plan improvements while maintaining a positive outlook even when discussing challenges.
Rose Bud Thorn Retrospective Format
Rose
Our positive outcomes, successes and wins.
Roses represent achievements and positive experiences. Encourage participants to share specific examples of what went well, including both big wins and small victories. This helps build team morale and identifies successful practices to continue.
Bud
Areas of opportunity waiting to blossom.
Buds represent potential for growth and improvement. Guide the team to identify promising ideas or partially implemented solutions that could be developed further. Focus on constructive suggestions rather than complaints.
Thorn
Challenges and issues that are causing us pain.
Thorns represent obstacles and challenges. Keep the discussion focused on identifying specific issues that can be addressed, rather than general complaints. Encourage participants to think about potential solutions when raising thorns.
When to use this retrospective
- When you want a balanced view of team performance that includes both positives and negatives
- During project milestones to assess progress and identify course corrections
- With teams new to retrospectives who need an intuitive format
- When you want to maintain a solution-oriented mindset while addressing challenges
Suggested icebreaker questions
- If your week was a garden, what would be growing in it right now?
- What's your favorite flower and why does it represent you?
Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting
- Start with Roses to build positive energy before addressing challenges
- Encourage participants to be specific and provide concrete examples
- Keep a balanced discussion time between all three categories
- Look for connections between Thorns and Buds - challenges often contain opportunities
- Document action items for nurturing Buds and addressing Thorns
- Consider using dot voting to prioritize which Buds to focus on developing
New to retrospectives? Read our guide on how to run a retrospective →
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