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: e5ef2716eb2ca9d3013d6beac95f67c16011acbc361af0686fc7d3c4912255c9

# ROBIN Retrospective

Team members write reflections across five columns: Right actions, Obstacles, Battery, I appreciate, and New ideas. The team reviews operational notes, energy levels, and peer appreciation, then selects one actionable improvement to test.

**Time:** 25 minutes. Matches the 25-minute duration specified in the source template.
**People:** 4 to 16. Individual timed silent posting followed by whole-group review facilitated from the shared board.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Review operational work, monitor energy levels, share appreciation, and pick practical improvements.
**Use it when:** Use at the end of a sprint or operational cycle, especially when external headwinds require balancing problem-solving with morale and energy checks.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the sole goal is deep technical root-cause analysis or when participants do not share ongoing operational touchpoints.

## Materials and tools

- Whiteboard or wall space divided into 5 columns labeled R, O, B, I, N
- Sticky notes (at least 10 per participant)
- Markers or pens (1 per participant)
- Timer
- ROBIN Column Reference sheet posted or displayed
- Shared digital whiteboard tool if running remotely
- Designated room scribe device (laptop or tablet) if running hybrid with physical sticky notes

## Before participants arrive

1. Draw 5 columns on the board labeled: Right actions, Obstacles, Battery, I appreciate, New ideas.
2. Display the ROBIN Column Reference sheet near the board or write the guiding questions under each column header.
3. For purely in-person sessions, place sticky notes and pens at each seat. For remote sessions, set up digital board frames. For hybrid sessions, provide physical notes in the room while opening the digital board for remote attendees.
4. If running a hybrid session with physical notes, designate one participant as the scribe to transcribe physical notes into the shared digital board.

## Say this to open

Welcome to our retrospective. Today we use the ROBIN framework to review our cycle across five areas: Right actions, Obstacles, Battery, I appreciate, and New ideas. We will write silently for 3 minutes per column, moving together when the timer chimes. Writing in any column is optional. Anything you post on the board is visible to the group so we can spot support needs and progress.

## How to run it

### 1. Write and post column by column (15 minutes)

Explain the task and start the timer. Participants write notes and post them continuously into the active column as each thought is written. Spend 3 minutes per column: (1) Right actions, (2) Obstacles, (3) Battery, (4) I appreciate, (5) New ideas. Call time every 3 minutes to prompt everyone to focus on the next column.

### 2. Review right actions and obstacles (3 minutes)

Read 2 to 3 cards under Right actions to acknowledge progress. Scan Obstacles, group similar cards, and read up to 2 key barriers aloud. Ask for a quick show of hands to see which barrier is within the team's direct power to address.

### 3. Check battery levels and celebrate appreciation (2 minutes)

Scan the Battery column silently. Note if any cards show low energy or fatigue so you can offer support afterward. Read aloud 2 or 3 notes from I appreciate to highlight peer contributions. Do not require recipients to respond.

### 4. Select an operational improvement (3 minutes)

Point out 2 or 3 distinct proposals under New ideas. Conduct a 30-second dot vote where each person gives 1 vote to their preferred idea. Identify the idea with the most votes and ask for one volunteer to try it during the next cycle.

### 5. Debrief and close (2 minutes)

Ask one debrief question from the list. Invite two quick reflections from volunteers, record the agreed improvement owner, and close the meeting on time.


## Debrief questions

- Which obstacle identified today is most urgent for us to address together?
- What adjustments can we make this week to help team members whose batteries are running low?

**Finished output:** A board with categorized operational notes, acknowledged peer appreciations, identified energy support needs, and at least one chosen improvement idea with an assigned volunteer owner.

## Remote

Set up an online whiteboard with five columns matching the ROBIN framework. Use a shared timer. Call out column transitions every 3 minutes. Run the review steps using audio and highlight sticky notes as they are read.

## Hybrid

In-person participants and remote participants both write into the shared digital board from individual devices. If physical sticky notes are used in the room, the designated room scribe types notes onto the digital board during writing time. Ensure room audio and video clearly capture the board.

## Access and participation choices

- Writing on the Battery column is optional; participants may post a neutral status, leave it blank, or speak privately later.
- Appreciation notes may be posted anonymously or handed directly to a colleague instead of posted publicly.

## If the session gets stuck

**The group spends the entire discussion debating the first obstacle.**

Enforce the sample limit. Read only 2 or 3 clustered obstacle notes and park deeper debate for a dedicated problem-solving session.

**A participant posts a note indicating severe exhaustion or distress on the Battery column.**

Acknowledge the note gently without demanding public explanation, and schedule a private one-on-one check-in right after the retro.


## Terms used here

- Battery: A metaphor for personal mental energy, capacity, and current enthusiasm for ongoing work.

## Participant material: ROBIN Column Reference

Right actions: What did we do right as a team? What improvements did we make since our last retro?
Obstacles: What obstacles did we face in our operations? Is it within our range to tackle these obstacles?
Battery: How is everyone doing? Are we still excited about our work, and why? How did your battery change since the last retro?
I appreciate: What do you appreciate from your colleagues? This can be both personal and professional!
New ideas: What suggestions do you have to improve our operations?

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in EasyRetro template library, credited to a user named Robin.

Retained the 5-column ROBIN structure, exact column prompts, and 25-minute total duration from the EasyRetro template. UWT standardized continuous posting during each 3-minute column interval, structured the New ideas decision phase with rapid dot voting to fit the time limit, and clarified visibility expectations in the opening script.

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

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