To get the most out of a retro I recommend using engaging and fun themes. This creates a positive ambiance and makes it easier for people to open up about their feelings. It can also uncover problems and ideas by asking the right questions.

Besides the standard M&M and sailboat retro, I found the internet lacking in creative retro themes.

So, I started creating my own.

Around the World Retro

One such retro theme I created is the Around the World Retro. It is especially fun to use right before holidays, as it revolves around visiting interesting places around the world. However, you can use this template at any time of year.

How it Works

The image below is a map of the world. Make sure everyone can see the map and read the numbers on it. The map shows 25 locations that you can visit. Ask everyone in turn which location they want to visit. The number corresponds with the question they will have to answer.

And that's it!

You can go around the room until you run out of locations or stop earlier if you do not have enough time. You can also allow people to visit the same locations if people desire to answer the questions as well.

Some questions are general in nature, like "What concerns you?". I believe these questions are good to include since they can yield more creative answers, or touch upon topics that normally would not come up.

The Map

Open or download the image for a larger version where the numbers are easier to read.

List of Questions

1. Spain: Who do you want to put in the spotlight and why?
2. Mount Everest: What was your highlight this sprint?
3. Suez Channel: What obstacle obstructed you during this sprint?
4. Las Vegas: What can we improve regarding the pokering of our stories?
5. Panama Channel: Which information channel should we as a team be using more often?
6. Sweden: Which habit worked well, and should we recycle in the future?
7. Greenland: In which topic are you still a novice and do you want to learn more about?
8. Somalia: Which habit of other teams can we "hijack" and use ourselves as well?
9. The Netherlands: What are you proud of this sprint?
10. Japan: What should we work harder on?
11. France: How can we improve our refinement?
12. Micronesia: What small improvement can we make?
13. Switzerland: Where do you want to be more involved in?
14. Silicon Valley: Which new technology would you like to adopt?
15. Mariana Trench: What was your deepest low this sprint?
16. Alexandria: What should we document better?
17. India: What did you learn during this sprint?
18. China: What would you like to work on that we do not have time for right now?
19. Chili: In your opinion, which scrum ritual are we spending too much time on?
20. Australia: What made you nervous this sprint?
21. Bermuda Triangle: What do you not yet understand?
22. Russia: What put your mind at ease this sprint?
23. Philippines: On what topic are we working on separate islands and not collaborating enough?
24. The Amazon Rainforest: What concerns you?
25. North Korea: What should we stop doing?

Conclusion

Original themes keep retrospectives interesting. They also help discover valuable insights. This article contains such a theme: the Around the World Retro. A ready-to-use list of 25 questions themed around the world.

Give it a go and let me know how it went!

Also, if you have your own themes or ideas for new themes: leave them in the comments.