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Criterion
Paper illustration of a Polarity Map with two poles and four quadrants
Systems Thinking
Polarity Mapping
Paper illustration of a team retrospective with three separate Start, Stop, and Continue areas and a shared action list.
Agile
Start Stop Continue
The Scrum Team inspects people, interactions, processes, tools, and the Definition of Done, then agrees on a few testable improvements.
Agile
Sprint Retrospective
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
Purposedifferent
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 team wants to deliberately adjust its working behavior, it makes habits visible and assessable. It focuses on concrete changes instead of diffuse mood.When a sprint is over and friction shouldn't simply be carried forward, it opens the view onto collaboration and patterns. It creates space to see causes and changes together.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.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLowLow
Timedifferent
1-2 h30-60 minUp to 3 hours for a one-month Sprint; shorter Sprints are usually shorter45–75 min
Participantsdifferent
3-123-12Scrum TeamTeam members involved
Formatsame
WorkshopWorkshopWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance ActionsStart Stop Continue Board, Improvement ActionsImprovement actions, Team agreements4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions
Tagsno overlap
Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership
RetrospectiveImprovementTeamReflection
RetrospectiveImprovementLearning
RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam
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