Hero's Journey Retrospective
Transform your sprint retrospective into an epic adventure with the Hero's Journey template. This narrative-driven retrospective framework leverages storytelling techniques to help agile teams reflect on their sprint in a creative, engaging way that reveals insights traditional formats might miss.
What Is the Hero's Journey Retrospective?
The Hero's Journey Retrospective adapts Joseph Campbell's classic monomyth structure to agile retrospectives. It invites team members to reframe their sprint experiences as an epic fantasy quest, complete with heroes (themselves), guides, dangers, treasures, and lessons learned.
Rather than simply listing what went well or poorly, this template encourages participants to craft a cohesive narrative about their sprint journey. By structuring reflection as storytelling, teams often uncover deeper insights about their collaboration patterns, challenges, and achievements.
Benefits & When to Use
- Breaks retrospective monotony: Perfect for teams experiencing "retro fatigue" from using the same formats repeatedly
- Encourages broader reflection: The narrative format helps team members connect technical challenges with emotional experiences
- Builds psychological safety: The fantasy framework creates distance that makes it safer to discuss difficulties
- Promotes team bonding: Sharing personal stories builds empathy and understanding between team members
- Surfaces hidden obstacles: The "Dangers" section often reveals impediments team members were hesitant to mention directly
Use this template when your team needs a creative break from standard retrospectives, when you want to understand the emotional journey of your sprint, or when you're struggling to get honest feedback about challenges.
How to Run a Hero's Journey Retrospective Session
Total time: 45-60 minutes
Introduction (5 minutes)
- Explain the Hero's Journey concept and the purpose of the retrospective
- Share a brief example story to inspire creativity
- Remind participants that they are the heroes of their own sprint stories
Individual Reflection & Writing (15 minutes)
- Have team members privately write their journey components:
- Hero: Who they were in this sprint and what their mission was
- Guide: Supportive people, tools, or processes that helped them
- Dangers: Obstacles or challenges they faced
- Treasure: Goals achieved or lessons learned
- The End: How they've grown and what's next
- Have team members privately write their journey components:
Storytelling Round (20-25 minutes)
- Each team member takes 3-5 minutes to tell their sprint story
- As they narrate, they reveal their notes in each section
- Encourage creative storytelling but keep time boundaries
Meta-Reflection (10 minutes)
- Discuss patterns across stories: common guides, repeated dangers
- Identify what worked well and what needs improvement
- Look for insights that might not have emerged in a traditional retrospective
Action Items (5-10 minutes)
- Create specific, actionable items based on the insights
- Assign owners and timeframes for each action
Optional: Story Awards (5 minutes)
- Vote for categories like "Most Heroic Effort," "Best Plot Twist," or "Most Epic Journey"
- This adds a fun, celebratory conclusion to the session
Tips for a Successful Session
- Prepare visual examples: Share fantasy imagery or quick examples of each section
- Set the tone: Use fantasy language in your facilitation to encourage creativity
- Balance fun and productivity: While the format is playful, ensure the retrospective still produces valuable insights
- Help quiet team members: Offer a "storytelling structure" for those who aren't natural narrators
- Time management is crucial: Each story should be given equal time to ensure everyone's voice is heard
- Remote facilitation tip: Use the private writing feature in Metro Retro so stories remain hidden until the sharing phase
- Document metaphorical insights: Translation may be needed to convert fantasy elements into concrete action items
Remember that beneath the fantasy elements, this retrospective format helps teams process their experiences in a psychologically safe way while generating meaningful improvements for future sprints.
