Green and Red Flags Retro

Using new, creative templates in retros helps the team think differently. It’s easy to fall into a pattern when we use the same format every time — people already know what to say, and reflections become routine.

But when we bring in something new it nudges the brain to think in a fresh way. The metaphors give people a new lens to look at their experiences.

Sometime back I was watching an content on the television and this was about green and red flags in a person. Again a creative mind is always intrigue by ideas and I do try to create templates based on day to day topics.

Few of my most liked retro templates are

• Snakes and Ladder

• Sugar and Salt Feedback

• PacMan

• Easy VS Hard conversation

Coming back to the Green and Red Flag Retro – 🟢 Green flag indicates things that we are doing great. These are strengths and habits we should continue. 🔴 Red flag indicates something that can be improved, or something that needs to change. I’ve also seen people list out toxic behaviours when we talk about red flags — that’s completely okay too, if it helps the team reflect.

It’s a very simple retro template. You can even customise it using a traffic signal theme:

• Green light — Keep going! What’s working well?

• Red light — Stop! What needs attention or change?

• Yellow light — Something new or in transition. It’s not fully tested, but we believe it’s a step in the right direction.

When I facilitated the Traffic lights I used included the Red and the Green light:

Try it out in your next retrospective. It’s quick, relatable, and easy for everyone to engage with.

My Experience Facilitating This Retro

When I ran this retro with my team, the Green light section filled up quickly. The team listed quite a few positive things, some even included personal compliments, which was lovely to see.

On the other hand, most of the items under the Red light could be grouped under one broad theme: Quality issues or the need to improve the quality of our deliverables.

That became our focus. We started brainstorming how to improve the quality. This led to clear action items, and we took the extra step to assign owners to each of them.

This way, the retro didn’t just end with a discussion. We made sure to follow through and actually take action on what we talked about.

These creative formats also make retros less monotonous. When it’s fun and visual, team members feel more engaged. It sparks storytelling, deeper thinking, sometimes laughter and some times you also see some actual emotions, which is all part of building a healthy team culture.

So, the next time your retro feels a bit dry, just borrow from something you saw on TV, a childhood game, or even your daily commute. Inspiration is everywhere!