The Elvis Retrospective

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Surface unnoticed risks, unresolved recurring debates, and urgent priorities across recent project work.

Use it when: Use during sprint or milestone reviews with an established team that needs to move past talk into action and identify blind spots.

Skip it when: Skip for brand-new teams without shared history, or during acute conflict where metaphorical prompts add confusion.

Group arrangement: Individual reflection, followed by table groups of 4 to 6 people or a single whole group for smaller cohorts.

Timing: UWT suggested full retro timing; source materials specify prompt categories without minute breakdowns.

Materials and tools

• 5 wall posters or digital columns labeled with the category prompts
• Sticky notes (at least 15 notes per participant)
• Fine markers or pens (1 per person)
• Dot stickers for voting (3 per person)
• Timer or visible clock

Before participants arrive

1. Create 5 distinct columns or poster stations around the room: 1. Always On My Mind, 2. A Little Less Conversation, 3. Now Or Never, 4. Blue Suede Shoes, 5. Devil In Disguise.
2. Write the prompt question clearly under each title.
3. Place sticky notes, markers, and voting dots at each table.

Say this to open

Welcome. Today we are reviewing our recent work using five prompts named after classic Elvis Presley songs. We want to identify what should stay front and center, what we talk about without acting on, what needs urgent attention, what sensitive areas need careful handling, and what hidden dangers we might be missing. Write silently first so everyone has room to think.

How to run it

1. Introduce prompts 5 minutes

   Explain the five categories using the poster prompts. Give an explicit neutral example for each category, such as noting under 'Devil in Disguise' that an upcoming vendor dependency has no confirmed delivery date.

2. Silent generation 10 minutes

   Participants write ideas independently on sticky notes, one thought per note. They may contribute to any category or pass on categories that do not apply. Aim for at least one note per person across the board.

3. Post and cluster 10 minutes

   Participants place their sticky notes in the matching columns. If working in subgroups of 4 to 6, split the categories across groups to cluster duplicate themes. Otherwise, invite the full group to review the wall together and group related notes.

4. Prioritize and select 8 minutes

   Give each participant 3 voting dots. Everyone votes on the items or clusters that most urgently require action or team attention. Tally the top 2 to 3 priority items.

5. Action planning and debrief 12 minutes

   Discuss the top-voted topics. Write down concrete next steps, naming an owner and a review date for each. Close with debrief questions.

Debrief questions

• Which item under 'A Little Less Conversation' can we resolve this week?
• What subtle risk from 'Devil in Disguise' surprised you the most?
• What is one thing we agreed to drop or change immediately?

Finished output: A list of prioritized team observations with at least one assigned action item including an owner and deadline.

Remote

Set up a digital whiteboard with five columns for the song titles and questions. Keep video active. Run silent writing directly on virtual sticky notes for 10 minutes, use voting tags for prioritization, and document actions in a shared team space.

Hybrid

In-person members use physical sticky notes while a designated hybrid scribe photographs or duplicates them onto the digital board, or all participants use the digital whiteboard from their laptops while sitting together in the room.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may submit written notes anonymously or pass on speaking during the review.
• Printed handouts with large text definitions of all five prompts for participants who prefer reading at their desk.

If the session gets stuck

Participants do not understand the song references.

Remind the room that the pop culture reference is just a label; direct their focus entirely to the plain question prompt written under each header.

The group spends all their time rehashing old complaints under 'A Little Less Conversation' without proposing fixes.

Intervene and enforce a rule: every complaint moved into the discussion must be paired immediately with a suggested action or an explicit decision to drop it.

Terms used here

• Blue Suede Shoes: A metaphor in this retrospective for delicate topics, fragile systems, or relationships where people must tread lightly.
• Devil in Disguise: A metaphor for an overlooked threat, hidden dependency, or unseen risk.