Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 7848bdd41e0a29b1248ad29d2f9f2689db0d7ddd95b5cd86ad1fed85cdb8230e

# Check-In Retrospective

Participants answer a single retrospective check-in prompt sequentially without cross-talk or debate. The facilitator logs all keywords on a shared chart and runs a brief debrief to guide the meeting agenda.

**Time:** 15 minutes. UWT plan structured for 15 minutes, fitting the source's lightweight 5 to 15 minute range.
**People:** 4 to 24. Whole group in a single circle or ordered queue. Everyone shares directly to the entire room one by one.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Hear every participant's state or immediate expectation at the start of a retrospective without debate.
**Use it when:** Use at the start of a team retrospective or milestone review to hear from every person, surface blockers, and align session priorities.
**Skip it when:** Skip if the team has already completed an opening check-in during the same work block or if urgent incident triage requires immediate problem solving.

## Materials and tools

- Whiteboard or flip chart
- Dry-erase markers or chart pens
- Scratch paper and pens for individual notes

## Before participants arrive

1. Write the selected prompt prominently at the top of the flip chart or whiteboard.
2. Arrange seating so everyone has a clear view of the board and each other.

## Say this to open

To start our retrospective, we will do a short check-in. I will ask one question. We will go around the room so each person has a turn. Share your answer in a word or short phrase, or say 'pass.' While each person speaks, there will be no debate, comments, or immediate replies. I will record the response on our chart, say thank you, and move to the next person.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce prompt and ground rules (2 minutes)

Display the chosen prompt (such as 'In one word, what do you need from this retrospective?'). Read the opening script. Emphasize that passing is welcomed and that cross-talk is paused.

### 2. Individual silent reflection (2 minutes)

Allow participants two minutes of silent time to choose their word or short phrase and write it down on scrap paper.

### 3. Sequential round-robin sharing (7 minutes)

Go around the group sequentially. Each participant shares their word or says 'pass'. Write each spoken word on the flip chart. Say 'Thank you' with no debate or follow-up questions before calling the next person. At maximum group size, each person has roughly 15 seconds.

### 4. Debrief and agenda check (4 minutes)

Pose the debrief questions to the full group. Invite up to three quick observations about patterns on the board and confirm how these items guide today's retrospective agenda.


## Debrief questions

- What common themes or patterns did you notice across the answers?
- How do these stated needs shape what we prioritize today?

**Finished output:** A visible flip chart list of participant keywords, immediate needs, and agreed focus areas for the retrospective agenda.

## Remote

Post the single question in the meeting chat and on a digital whiteboard. Type the speaking order list into the chat. Each person unmutes, shares their response or types 'pass', and passes to the next name. The facilitator logs words directly onto the shared digital board.

## Hybrid

Post the question on a shared digital board visible on the room screen and to remote attendees. Establish an alternating speaking order between in-person and remote participants. Type all spoken responses onto the shared board so everyone sees the live list.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may speak aloud, write on a card, or submit via chat.
- Passing is permitted without question or penalty.
- A neutral status word such as 'present' is always acceptable instead of personal disclosure.

## If the session gets stuck

**A participant begins explaining their background story at length or critiques another member.**

Intervene immediately: 'Thank you. We are keeping this round to short phrases without side discussion so everyone gets a turn. We will address this topic during our agenda.'

**Several participants pass or repeat the same single word consecutively.**

Accept each answer with 'Thank you.' Repetition reflects genuine shared sentiment; never demand unique words.


## Terms used here

- Round-robin: A structured sequence where each person speaks in turn without debate or immediate replies.
- Cross-talk: Immediate dialogue, rebuttals, or problem-solving that interrupts a speaker's designated turn.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in EasyRetro template library published online. Attributed on platform to EasyRetro Team.

Retained the three core prompts ('One Word Need', 'Last Sprint Issues', 'One Change') and the uninterrupted round-robin format from the EasyRetro source. UWT established a strict whole-group turn sequence for up to 24 people, detailed live flip-chart logging of each response, and allocated structured time for group debrief questions.

[EasyRetro](https://easyretro.io/templates/check-in-retrospective/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/check-in-retrospective/