Mad Sad Glad Retrospective Template (Free)

What is the Mad Sad Glad retrospective?

The Mad Sad Glad retrospective looks at how your team felt during the last sprint, which makes it a good way to spot what's helping or hurting morale and job satisfaction. Each person shares what frustrated or annoyed them (mad), what disappointed them (sad), and what made them happy or proud (glad). Talking about feelings out loud makes your team more aware of how the work lands on each other, and it shows familiar problems from a different angle. Start by reading out the retrospective prime directive, and keep the conversation on events, behaviors and processes, not on blaming or guilting individuals. Run a mad sad glad retro every few sprints and you'll notice when the mood shifts before it becomes a bigger problem. Patterns in the mad and sad columns usually point at the process fixes worth making, and the glad column tells you what to protect.

Mad Sad Glad retrospective format

Mad What is driving you crazy?: The 'Mad' section allows team members to vent frustrations in a constructive way. As the facilitator, create a safe space for open and honest discussion, without judgment. Remind participants to discuss issues objectively, focusing on processes and events rather than individuals. Capture key points and look for patterns or root causes behind the frustrations.
Sad What is disappointing you?: The 'Sad' section allows participants to share their disappointments, whether related to the team, processes, or outcomes. Encourage team members to be vulnerable and share their genuine feelings. Look for opportunities to improve team dynamics, communication, or processes based on the disappointments raised.
Glad What is making you happy?: The 'Glad' section is a chance to celebrate wins and good moments from the recent sprint or project. Ask participants for specific examples, and to call out individuals or the whole team for great work. Recognizing it lifts morale and makes the habits behind it more likely to stick.

When to use this retrospective

After a sprint or project, when you want an open conversation about how the work felt.
When frustrations are building and you want them raised constructively, not in side conversations.
When the team has done good work that deserves to be called out.
When morale feels off and you want to find out why.
When you want every perspective heard in a format that feels safe.

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

Read out the prime directive first so people know this isn't about blame.
Get input from everyone, including introverts and new hires. Silent writing before discussion helps.
Look for patterns and root causes behind the frustrations and disappointments.
Don't get defensive or explain away a 'Mad' item. Ask questions until you understand it.
Capture the main points and actions, but don't try to solve every issue in one retro.
Finish with the 'Glad' column so the meeting ends on what's working.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Mad Sad Glad retrospective?

It's a retrospective format where your team sorts the last sprint by feeling: what frustrated them (mad), what disappointed them (sad) and what made them happy or proud (glad). It surfaces morale problems alongside process ones.

What questions do you ask in a Mad Sad Glad retrospective?

Three prompts drive the discussion: What is driving you crazy? (Mad), What is disappointing you? (Sad), and What is making you happy? (Glad).

When should you use a Mad Sad Glad retrospective?

Use it after a sprint with mixed results, or when morale feels off. Giving frustrations, disappointments and wins their own columns keeps the discussion away from blame.

What's the difference between mad and sad in this retro?

Mad is for things that frustrate or annoy you, often a problem that keeps coming back. Sad is for disappointments, like a missed goal or work that went unrecognized.

How long does a Mad Sad Glad retrospective take?

Plan on about 45–60 minutes for a typical scrum team. That leaves time to add ideas, group them, vote and agree on one or two actions.