Rose, Bud, Thorn
Rose, Bud, Thorn is a simple yet powerful retrospective technique for gathering feedback and identifying areas for improvement. It encourages participants to reflect on what went well (Roses), what shows potential (Buds), and what challenges were faced (Thorns).
Use Rose, Bud, Thorn to quickly gather feedback on a project, sprint, or meeting. It's a great way to identify successes, opportunities, and challenges in a structured and positive manner.
Solves: Lack of clear feedback; difficulty identifying areas for improvement; negative focus in retrospectives.
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Step 1: Explain the Rose, Bud, Thorn framework: Roses (what went well), Buds (opportunities for improvement), Thorns (challenges faced) (2 minutes).
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Step 2: Instruct participants to individually write down their Roses, Buds, and Thorns on sticky notes (10-15 minutes).
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Step 3: Have participants share their sticky notes and place them in the corresponding columns on a whiteboard (5-10 minutes).
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Step 4: Discuss the key themes and identify actionable steps for improvement (5-15 minutes).
- Encourage participants to be specific and provide examples.
- Create a safe space for honest feedback.
- Focus on identifying actionable steps for improvement.
- Sailboat Retrospective: Use a sailboat metaphor to represent progress, enablers, and obstacles.
- Start, Stop, Continue: Identify what to start doing, stop doing, and continue doing.