Each participant writes down three nouns on a piece of paper that somehow describe him/her. You will need something to write and the function of breakout rooms on Zoom, for example. This game should also be held live but can be easily done online. In this case, we need to find someone who fits and enter that person's name in the appropriate box. he is short, wears glasses, likes Italian cuisine. The game is based on the fact that you have to find people who meet the conditions described on the board as soon as possible, e.g. For the remote version, you need a tool that will enable you to mark the answers on the boards. Regardless of whether you conduct a meeting among people you know well or whether it’s a regular sprint retro. So things like “never have I ever been abroad” or “never have I ever seen Star Wars” can turn into a great icebreaker to get your team talking. The first one to put down five fingers wins. If members of the group have done it, put down a finger up or make a signal to say they have. As you play follow the pattern of “never have I ever…” and fill in the blank. Never have I everįirst, have your team members list activities that they’ve never done, but think other people have. Play until everyone has the opportunity to speak and answer at least one question. It may start with simple subjects, then fill the pool of questions with more difficult ones. This type of warmup can prepare participants for further conversations and successful discussions. This way, no one feels disadvantaged by the choice as it was a random choice. Using an online randomizing machine selects the question, as well as the person whose turn it is to answer it. You can start with: Rapid-fire questionsĮach participant prepares a few questions for the others, the scrum master creates new cards puts them up on the board. The task is difficult when the meeting is held remotely, but there is a patent for everything. Here are 10 icebreakers that you can use to get people talking and build closer relationships. This way you can get to know the character of the person and his attitude towards you and the rest of the team. It is definitely worth getting to know each other, at least to some extent. It’s never easy to be a provocative person.īut to run a successful retro, members need to start talking. In newly formed teams, new members may not yet know the etiquette. Perhaps they don’t feel comfortable with the team members yet, think that their opinion is invalid, or are not sure if their point of view will reach other members. People can choose not to participate actively in discussions for a variety of reasons.

A common problem with retrospectives is reluctance among participants to speak up.

Sprint retrospective examples