Purpose
The method helps clarify backlog, sprint work, and team flow concretely. It helps sort work by value, risk, and deliverability. The result is captured as an Emotion Board, Themes, and Action Items.
Agile
Mad Sad Glad
Turns backlog, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by defining the timeframe, collecting signals of mad, sad, and glad, and deriving patterns and actions.
Which emotional signals from the last period indicate learning or change needs, and which actions follow from them?
LowWorkshop30-60 min
How it works
The team follows the steps: define the timeframe, collect mad signals, collect sad signals, collect glad moments, and derive patterns and actions. Each step is captured visibly. In the end, an Emotion Board, Themes, and Action Items are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Define the timeframe
- 2Collect mad signals
- 3Collect sad signals
- 4Collect glad moments
- 5Derive patterns and actions
The runsheet guides execution with 5 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Team Health
- Retrospectives
- Change Reflection
Not good for
- Pure process measurement
- Groups without psychological safety
Deep dive
In detail
Mad Sad Glad follows a clear working logic: define the timeframe, collect mad signals, collect sad signals, collect glad moments, and derive patterns and actions. This turns the method into a visible thinking process instead of only a conversation. The participants move step by step from raw material, observations, or options to a shared structure. As a result, an Emotion Board, Themes, and Action Items support decisions, learning, and further planning.
Facilitation
Prepare a clear guiding question, the right information, and a visible workspace. Plan about 30 to 60 minutes with 3 to 10 people and use the format in a facilitated workshop. Keep facilitation lightweight; short timeboxes, visible intermediate results, and a parking lot for open questions are helpful.
Output artifacts
Emotion BoardThemesAction Items
Artifact templates
Mad Sad Glad Working TemplateCompact working template for Mad Sad Glad with emotions, patterns, and action items.canvas
Mad Sad Glad Working TemplateCompact working template for Mad Sad Glad with emotions, patterns, and action items.
canvasmad-sad-glad-working-template.md
Compact working template for Mad Sad Glad with emotions, patterns, and action items.
Mad Sad Glad Working Template
Goal
Surface emotional signals, friction, and positive moments in a retrospective.
Context
What time frame does this review cover, and what should the group examine?
Input
- Time frame:
- Group:
- Notes, signals, or examples:
Working area
- Mad:
- Sad:
- Glad:
- Patterns:
- Questions:
Output artifacts
- Emotion board:
- Theme list:
- Action items:
Open questions
- ...
Decision / next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
4Ls Retrospective
Statt Mad Sad Glad, wenn ihr Retrospektiven mit Erinnern, Lernen und Verbessern eng zusammenhalten wollt.
Similar methods
All methodsAgile
4Ls Retrospective
Turns backlog, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by setting the timeframe, collecting liked and learned items, and selecting actions.
Statt Mad Sad Glad, wenn ihr Retrospektiven mit Erinnern, Lernen und Verbessern eng zusammenhalten wollt.
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Scrum
Product Backlog, Sprint Goal, Increment, and retrospective loops create a repeatable cadence for complex product work.