Start Stop Continue Template: The Ultimate Guide

Sometimes, the simplest tools are the most powerful.

The Start, Stop, Continue retrospective is the "Swiss Army Knife" of Agile. It cuts through the noise and forces the team to focus on behavior change. Unlike "Mad Sad Glad" which focuses on emotion, this template focuses on action.

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The Three Pillars

How to Facilitate It (Step-by-Step)

1. Brainstorm (10 Minutes)

Ask the team to silently add cards to each column.
Facilitator Prompt: "Think about the last 2 weeks. What habits helped us? What habits hurt us?"

2. Group & Vote (10 Minutes)

Cluster similar ideas. If 5 people wrote "Too many meetings" in the Stop column, group them. Then, use dot voting to find the top priority.

3. Discuss (20 Minutes)

Focus on the top voted items.
Crucial Question: "What is the root cause of this behavior?"
If people want to "Stop" long meetings, ask why the meetings are long. Is it a lack of agenda? Is it the wrong attendees?

4. Action Items (10 Minutes)

Turn the "Start" and "Stop" items into concrete tasks.
"Stop long meetings" -> Action: "Scrum Master will enforce a hard stop at 15 minutes for Standup."

Common Pitfalls

• The "Stop" column is empty: This usually means the team is afraid of conflict. Remind them that criticizing a process is not criticizing a person.
• The "Start" column is a wish list: "Start using Rust" might be a great idea, but is it feasible next sprint? Keep it realistic.
• Ignoring "Continue": Don't skip this! Celebrating wins releases dopamine and reinforces good behavior.

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Free Template

You don't need to draw this on a whiteboard every time.