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: 4fa6b141aa69de039853f6353c0b843b37c7299362ecc0b4f74ab8cc7a244231

# Learning Matrix

Participants sort retrospective feedback across four quadrants covering likes, dislikes, new ideas, and appreciations. The group then votes on priorities and defines concrete improvements for their next cycle.

**Time:** 45 minutes. Source lists 1 hour for 5 to 8 people; adapted to 45 minutes for parallel tables up to 24 people.
**People:** 4 to 24. Solo reflection followed by small-table groups of 4 to 8 people or a single shared group for 8 or fewer.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Categorize team observations into four distinct operational areas and identify prioritized improvements for the next iteration.
**Use it when:** At the end of a sprint, project phase, or event when a team needs balanced reflection combining critique, recognition, and forward-looking ideas.
**Skip it when:** When a team faces an active interpersonal crisis or needs a focused root-cause analysis on a single technical failure.

## Materials and tools

- 1 large whiteboard, chart paper pad, or digital board per table of up to 8 people
- Sticky notes (at least 20 per person)
- Markers (1 per person)
- Dot stickers (6 per person, for voting)
- 1 collection envelope or anonymous drop box per table

## Before participants arrive

1. Draw a 2x2 grid on chart paper or a whiteboard for each table.
2. Label the four quadrants: Top-Left: Disliked / Needs Change (frown face); Top-Right: Liked / Repeat (smiley face); Bottom-Left: New Ideas (light bulb); Bottom-Right: Appreciations (bouquet).
3. Distribute sticky notes, markers, voting dots, and an envelope to each table.

## Say this to open

We are running a Learning Matrix to look back at our recent work and agree on practical improvements. The board has four quadrants: dislikes to change, likes to repeat, new ideas to test, and appreciations for colleagues. You will write observations silently, post notes to the board, vote on priorities, and define next steps.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce quadrants and write solo (8 minutes)

Explain the four quadrants using neutral examples like 'Disliked: daily standup started late' or 'Appreciation: Alex for organizing sprint backlog'. Participants spend 6 minutes writing observations on separate sticky notes. Anyone may contribute to any quadrant. People may keep personal notes private or place them in the table envelope for anonymous reading.

### 2. Post and cluster notes (12 minutes)

Participants take turns posting notes into the quadrants. Participants may read their own notes aloud, post silently, or pass their turn. The facilitator or a volunteer posts and reads any notes placed in the table envelope without asking who wrote them. Group similar notes together as they appear on the board.

### 3. Vote on priorities (10 minutes)

Give each participant 6 dot stickers. Participants vote on the notes they think need immediate attention in the next cycle. Voting is optional. People may place multiple dots on one note or spread them across several. Count dots to identify the top two or three clusters per board.

### 4. Select improvements and debrief (15 minutes)

Each table discusses its top-voted items and writes down at least one concrete action for the next cycle. If multiple tables exist, one speaker per table reads their action to the room. The facilitator concludes with debrief questions, taking two or three comments from the group.


## Debrief questions

- What is the single most actionable change your team agreed to test next?
- Which patterns across the four quadrants stood out to you most?
- What potential obstacle might get in the way of completing your agreed action item?

**Finished output:** A four-quadrant chart of categorized observations with prioritized clusters and at least one documented action item for the next work cycle.

## Remote

Use a digital whiteboard with pre-drawn 2x2 matrices for each breakout room. Participants write notes during silent reflection. To submit anonymously, participants send text to the facilitator via private chat to paste onto the board. Use digital stamps for dot voting. Breakouts return to the main room to report action items.

## Hybrid

In-person tables use chart paper while remote attendees use a synchronized digital board. Pair each remote attendee with an in-room partner who writes and posts their notes, including any submitted privately by chat. Both groups participate in dot voting simultaneously before discussing shared actions.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may post notes silently, hand them to the facilitator via the table envelope, or keep notes unshared.
- Participants may pass entirely during vocal readouts without offering an explanation.

## If the session gets stuck

**One quadrant like Disliked fills up while Appreciations remains empty.**

Pause for two minutes of targeted silent writing dedicated solely to writing appreciations or new ideas.

**A note contains a vague complaint like 'communication was poor'.**

Ask the room generally, without pointing to the author: 'Can someone provide a specific scenario where this happened so we can make an actionable fix?'


## Terms used here

- Dot voting: A quick selection method where participants place a fixed number of adhesive dots or digital marks on items to reveal group priorities.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Gamestorming, which attributes the method to Diana Larsen and Esther Derby's book Agile Retrospectives.

Retained the core four-quadrant format and dot-voting prioritization from Gamestorming. Standardized run time to 45 minutes for groups up to 24. Added explicit mechanics for passing and anonymous envelope drop to protect voluntary participation. Clarified table reporting and tied debrief questions directly to chosen action items.

[Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/learning-matrix)

[Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/learning-matrix/)

[EasyRetro](https://easyretro.io/templates/learning-matrix/)

[SessionLab](https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/learning-matrix)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/learning-matrix/