Questions, Comments, Concerns Retrospective

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Categorize team inquiries, observations, and risks regarding a project or organizational change to build a prioritized discussion agenda.

Use it when: Use following a sprint, major team announcement, or organizational shift when members need to surface uncertainties and potential friction.

Skip it when: Skip when the immediate need is tactical task estimation, post-incident root-cause analysis, or when leadership cannot address the concerns raised.

Group arrangement: Individual writing followed by whole-room clustering, dot voting, and structured group discussion.

Timing: UWT facilitation plan. The source web pages describe an open-ended retrospective workflow without a fixed timetable.

Materials and tools

• Whiteboard or wall space divided into 3 columns (Questions, Comments, Concerns)
• Sticky notes (1 pad per participant, uniform color to protect anonymity)
• Felt-tip pens (1 per person)
• Voting dot stickers (3 dots per participant) or dry-erase markers for tally marks
• Timer

Before participants arrive

1. Draw three wide vertical columns on a whiteboard or wall titled Questions, Comments, and Concerns.
2. Place sticky note pads and identical pens at participant seats to allow anonymous writing.
3. Write the three prompt definitions clearly at the top of each column.

Say this to open

We are taking 35 minutes to check in on our recent work and recent changes. We have three categories: Questions are things you need clarity on. Comments are observations, appreciations, or general feedback. Concerns are potential risks or worries you see. Please write one thought per note. You do not need to put your name on your notes.

How to run it

1. Introduce prompts and write silently 7 minutes

   Deliver the opening script. Direct everyone to write silently on sticky notes. For example, a question might ask, 'What is the exact rollout date for client onboarding?' while a concern might state, 'Merging intake queues could create confusion over who handles escalations.' Participants place their notes directly into the corresponding column or hand them to the facilitator to post anonymously.

2. Group and clarify items 8 minutes

   Read each note aloud for basic comprehension without debating solutions yet. Invite the room to cluster related notes into shared thematic groups. Combine exact duplicates.

3. Prioritize with dot voting 5 minutes

   Give each participant 3 dot stickers or ask them to place 3 tally marks next to the themes or individual notes they most want to discuss. Allow 3 minutes for silent voting, then count totals to sequence the top 2 to 4 topics.

4. Discuss top priorities and assign actions 12 minutes

   Work down the prioritized list. For each top topic, invite open remarks for up to 3 minutes: answer open questions directly, note feedback, and identify immediate mitigation steps or owners for raised concerns. Stop when the timer runs out.

5. Debrief and conclude 3 minutes

   Review the immediate answers provided and document any outstanding items that require research or management follow-up.

Debrief questions

• Which unanswered question needs escalation outside this room before we move forward?
• Did any concern reveal a shared operational risk we had not planned for?
• What is one positive observation or comment from today that we should keep doing?

Finished output: A prioritized board of categorized feedback with documented answers to key questions and assigned owners for unresolved concerns.

Remote

Use an online whiteboard tool with three pre-made columns titled Questions, Comments, and Concerns. Set digital sticky notes to hide author names to preserve anonymity. Give 5 minutes of silent digital posting, use the board's native voting tool to allocate 3 votes per person, and facilitate the top-voted topics over audio and video.

Hybrid

Have in-person participants and remote participants both input their cards directly into a shared digital board using laptops or phones. Display the digital board on a main room screen. Ensure the facilitator reads aloud notes from both remote and in-room participants during the clustering and discussion phases.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may submit blank notes or choose not to write in all three columns.
• Participants may decline to speak during the discussion and let their written notes represent their input without identifying themselves.
• Digital or enlarged physical sticky notes provide alternate text entry methods.

If the session gets stuck

Participants put critical concerns into the comments column to soften them.

During the grouping step, ask the room neutrally if that card identifies an operational risk, and offer to move it to Concerns so it receives dedicated attention.

The discussion on the very first question consumes all remaining time.

Enforce a strict 3-minute timer per topic. When the timer sounds, ask for a concrete action step or assign an owner to investigate offline before moving to the next item.

Terms used here

• Dot voting: A prioritization technique where each participant places a limited number of stickers on their top choices to establish group rank.