The Hero's Journey Retrospective

The Hero's Journey Retrospective Format

Hero

The person or group going through the journey

Decide who the hero is: the whole team, a particular role or a group within it. Then ask where that hero stands today, including what it's struggling with and what it wants to achieve.

Quest

The challenges ahead

Ask the team to list the obstacles in front of it, both current and expected. For each one, push past the surface and ask what's really causing it.

Guide

The people supporting the hero

Name the mentors, supporters and other teams that help the hero, inside or outside the organization. It's a good moment to thank people, and to ask where the team should be asking for help but isn't.

Inventory

The tools and resources available

List what the team already has to work with: tools, knowledge, processes and skills. Then look for gaps, meaning the things the quest needs that the inventory doesn't have yet.

Treasure

The rewards and achievements that await

Ask what the team gains when the quest is done, both measurable results and things like new skills or better ways of working. A clear picture of the reward helps when the work gets hard.

When to use this retrospective

• At the start of a big project or initiative that will need sustained effort from the team
• After a major milestone, to look back on how you got there and prepare for the next stage
• When morale is low and you want to talk about challenges without the meeting turning into a list of complaints
• During organizational change, when the team needs to make sense of where it's heading

Suggested icebreaker questions

• If you could choose any fictional character as a mentor for our team, who would it be and why?
• What's the most epic 'quest' you've completed in your professional life so far?

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

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

• Invite people to use the story to describe challenges. It's easier to talk about a dragon than to criticize a colleague
• Draw a simple journey map so the team can see where it is in the story
• Make sure everyone adds to each column. The most useful guide is often someone nobody thought to mention
• Keep the tone forward-looking and avoid blame. The hero is meant to come out stronger
• Save the finished board. It's a useful record when you start the next big project
• Give the discussion enough time. Rushing the story leaves you with a list instead of a conversation

Frequently asked questions