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Criterion
Paper illustration for Mad Sad Glad
Agile
Mad Sad Glad
Paper illustration of a Polarity Map with two poles and four quadrants
Systems Thinking
Polarity Mapping
A structured reflection surfaces what was liked, learned, lacked, and longed for. It is a conversation format and does not validate actions automatically.
Agile
4Ls Retrospective
Paper illustration of a team retrospective with three separate Start, Stop, and Continue areas and a shared action list.
Agile
Start Stop Continue
Purposedifferent
When a team's or workshop's mood needs to become readable, it structures emotional signals with little setup. It makes strain, relief, and sources of energy tangible.Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely.When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time.When a team wants to deliberately adjust its working behavior, it makes habits visible and assessable. It focuses on concrete changes instead of diffuse mood.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
30-60 min1-2 h45–75 min30-60 min
Participantsdifferent
3-103-12Team members involved3-12
Formatsame
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Emotion Board, Themes, Action ItemsPolarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement ActionsStart Stop Continue Board, Improvement Actions
Tagsno overlap
RetrospectiveTeamReflection
Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership
RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam
RetrospectiveImprovementTeamReflection
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