What is the State of Nirvana futurespective?
The State of Nirvana futurespective is an exercise designed to help teams map the steps needed for the delivery of a perfect outcome. Participants define their team’s version of nirvana along with what they expect to have achieved by the first, third, sixth and tenth month. The ideas they share build an outline of their way forward.
The State of Nirvana futurespective is a great tool for new projects, products or epics. It offers a team the chance to imagine what it would take for them to experience and reach a state of working in which they would feel bliss, happiness and a sense of satisfaction.
The definition of nirvana will be different for every industry, organization and team. This is for two main reasons. Firstly, the people that make them up are all different; with differing experiences, values and expectations. Secondly, they are likely to subscribe to differing maturity models, industry standards and methodologies. These things will underpin their version of nirvana.
With that said, most versions of an agile nirvana are likely to include –
- continuous delivery
- all operational needs being constantly met
- monitoring of agreed metrics
- continuous improvement, and lastly
- scalability
State of Nirvana futurespective format
Our definition of nirvana
The ultimate state we want to be in. What do we want to be able to do?
1 month
Things to do by month 1. What’s the perfect way to start off now? What goals do we want to hit by the first month? How do we want to feel about the first month?
3 months
Things to do by month 3. What is the ideal first quarter? How did we benefit from the first three months?
6 months
Things to do by month 6. What do we want to see by the time we pass halfway? What will we have learnt? What momentum will we be leveraging?
10 months
Things to do by month 10. As we near the end of the year, what will we be celebrating? What will we have changed? What will be the same?
Suggested icebreaker questions for the State of Nirvana futurespective
- Describe an ideal day or moment you have experienced.
- What would be your personal nirvana?
- What do you think drives us to pursue nirvana?
Futurespective Rehearsal
Apply the State of Nirvana futurespective to running a marathon. Define nirvana and the one month, three month, six month and ten month milestones.
With the input in mind, suggest a plan of action to start your run!
Ideas and tips for your State of Nirvana futurespective
- Customize your futurespective template to reflect the intervals that will best support the project.
- Encourage participants to draw on their experience from other projects to fill in the futurespective template.
- Get your project off on the right foot. Consider using the futurespective to define your team’s Definition of Done.
- Allow participants to brainstorm anonymously to help them feel safe when adding their thoughts to the futurespective. People are more likely to engage when they feel they will not be judged.
- Encourage participants to reference the tools, processes and practices they will be using.
- Ben Linders recommends limiting the number of action items coming out of a futurespective to just the few vital ones needed to get started. Further actions will be shaped when the team meets for their regular retrospective.
How to run a State of Nirvana futurespective in TeamRetro
Start Your Session in a Click
Log into TeamRetro and choose your template. Customise questions and the workflow to create your perfect retro for your team.
Create Your Team Easily – No Separate Accounts Needed
Brainstorm Individually – Free From Bias
Smart Grouping for Faster Insights
Fair, Flexible, and Fast Voting
Engage, React, and Capture Key Insights
Walk your team through ideas one by one with Presentation Mode. Stay in sync, spark real-time discussions, and capture feedback with comments, live reactions, and polls—all in one place.
Turn Ideas Into Action
Propose next steps with team buy-in, get AI-powered action suggestions, and keep everything in one place. Committed actions sync to your personal dashboard and integrate with your workflow tools—keeping you on track.
Save, Share, and Stay on Track
Get quick AI-powered summaries, add facilitator notes, and store retrospectives in your library for easy access. Schedule your next session and track published actions to keep your team accountable at the next retro.
Turn Team Data into Actionable Insights
Uncover trends, common themes, and key engagement metrics at a glance. Track sentiment shifts, analyze conversations, and monitor completed actions to drive continuous improvement.