Pathfinder Retrospective

Turn retro discussion into small experiments your team will run.

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Let's discuss

What should we talk about?

I've noticed our deployment process is causing delays in delivery
The new collaboration tools aren't being used consistently
Our sprint planning meetings could be more efficient
Let's change

What areas of change could we pursue?

We could automate our deployment pipeline
Let's establish clear guidelines for tool usage
We should create a new sprint planning template
Let's try

What should we try or experiment with?

Try a new deployment tool for two sprints
Test weekly tool training sessions for one month
Pilot a 30-minute sprint planning format

What is the Pathfinder Retrospective?

The Pathfinder retrospective moves your team from talk to a test in one session. Many retros end with a vague action like "improve communication." This one ends with a small experiment that has a goal, a time limit and a way to tell whether it worked. The board has three columns that run in order. Let's discuss is where people raise the topics, observations and frustrations worth talking about. Let's change narrows those down to the areas the team could realistically change. Let's try turns each of those into a specific experiment, like piloting a 30-minute planning meeting for two sprints. It suits teams that feel stuck in their current way of working or keep hitting the same problems. Because each experiment is small and timeboxed, trying something new carries little risk, and the next retro has a clear result to review.

Pathfinder Retrospective Format

Let's discuss

What should we talk about?

This is the discovery step, where people raise the topics worth talking about. Ask for observations about processes, team dynamics and recurring problems, and keep it open: nothing needs a solution yet. Make sure everyone adds something before you start grouping.

Let's change

What areas of change could we pursue?

Help the team turn the topics it voted up into specific changes it could make. Stick to changes within the team's control. If the list is long, have the team rank the changes by likely impact and effort, and carry the top one or two forward.

Let's try

What should we try or experiment with?

Turn each chosen change into an experiment the team can run before the next retro. Each one needs a clear goal, a time limit and a way to tell whether it worked. Small experiments are better here, because they give you a result quickly.

When to use this retrospective

  • When the team feels stuck in its current practices and wants to try something different
  • During an organizational change, when old ways of working no longer fit
  • When you want the team to test ideas in practice instead of debating them
  • When the same issues keep coming back and past actions haven't fixed them

Suggested icebreaker questions

  • What's the most interesting experiment or new approach you've tried recently, either at work or in your personal life?
  • If you could instantly change one thing about how we work together, what would it be?

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

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Keep experiments small and timeboxed, so a failed one costs little and still teaches you something
  • Give each experiment a success measure and a review date before the session ends
  • Record the experiments that failed as well as the ones that worked, so the next team doesn't repeat them
  • Hear from everyone in Let's discuss before narrowing down; the best experiment often comes from a quieter voice
  • Open the next retrospective by reviewing each experiment and deciding whether to keep, adjust or drop it

Frequently asked questions

What is a Pathfinder retrospective?
It's a three-column retrospective that takes your team from discussion to action. You raise topics in Let's discuss, pick realistic changes in Let's change, and turn them into small experiments in Let's try.
How do you run a Pathfinder retrospective?
Work through the columns in order. Collect topics privately, group and vote on them, agree on the changes worth pursuing, then define one or two experiments with an owner, a time limit and a success measure.
When should a team run a Pathfinder retrospective?
Use it when the team feels stuck, during an organizational change, or when the same problems keep coming back. It works best when you're willing to try something new for a sprint or two.
How is the Pathfinder retrospective different from a standard retrospective?
A standard retro usually ends with action items. Pathfinder ends with experiments that have a time limit and a success measure, so the team reviews a result next time instead of asking whether an action got done.
What makes a good Pathfinder experiment?
It's small, it runs for a fixed period such as two sprints, and the team agrees up front how it will judge the result. "Try a 30-minute sprint planning format for two sprints" is a good example.

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