HarborlightA simple one-hour agenda
- Set the stage (5 min). Say which period you're looking at and the one ground rule: talk about the work, not about people.
- Write silently (10 min). Everyone writes notes on their own. Writing before talking keeps the loudest voice from setting the agenda.
- Group and read (10 min). Cluster similar notes and read each cluster aloud.
- Vote (5 min). Dot voting picks the topics worth the discussion time.
- Discuss (20 min). Start with the most-voted topic. Stop when the time is up, not when the list is done.
- Agree on actions (10 min). One to three actions, each with an owner and a date. Fewer actions that happen beat a long list that doesn't.
Shorter iteration, shorter retro: halve each block for a 30-minute version.
Pick a format
- Start / Stop / Continue. Three columns: what should we start doing, stop doing, keep doing. A good default, because every note already points at an action.
- Mad / Sad / Glad. Three columns about how the period felt. Useful after a rough stretch, when frustration needs airing before anyone can fix anything. Turn the top items into actions at the end.
- Went well / To improve / Actions. The plainest version, and the easiest for a team's first retro.
Switching formats every few retros keeps the answers from going stale.
Dot voting, done fairly
- Give everyone the same number of dots, for example three, and say up front whether several dots may go on one note.
- Vote at the same time, or before anyone comments on the results, so people don't simply follow the first voter.
- Discuss in order of dots. Whatever you don't reach waits for next time or is dropped; that's the point of voting.
Timebox every step
Put a visible countdown on each block. When it rings, ask the group: five more minutes, or move on? A timer makes that a quick decision rather than an awkward interruption.
Corkboard has the pieces
Start from the Retrospective template (Went well, To improve, Actions). For Start/Stop/Continue or Mad/Sad/Glad, double-click a frame title to rename it. Then open the Facilitate menu (the spark button in the top bar):
Countdown timer with 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15-minute presets and a chime at the end. Dot voting with 1 to 50 dots per person; press Next voter to hand fresh dots to the next person, and the top note is announced when voting closes. Present mode steps through frames full screen. Afterwards, export the board as PNG or SVG, save a board file, or share a snapshot link. Free, no account, unlimited boards.
What it doesn't do: Corkboard is single-user, with no live multi-user editing. It works best when one facilitator shares their screen, in a room or on a video call, and types the notes people call out or post in the chat, and when voters take turns at the same screen. If your remote team wants everyone writing on the board at once, a hosted collaborative whiteboard fits better.
Make the actions stick
- Share the board right after the meeting: a PNG in the team chat is enough.
- Copy the actions, with owners and dates, wherever the team tracks its work.
- Open the next retro by checking last time's actions. Nothing builds trust in the meeting faster.
Leaving Miro or Microsoft Whiteboard? See Miro's free-plan change and the Whiteboard retirement.