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Plan my session

Plan a concrete work block with agenda, roles, preparation, and a copyable result artifact.

Method session30-60 minWorkshopEmotion Board

Session: Mad Sad Glad

The plan translates the method into a concrete facilitated work block. Your inputs flow directly into the session brief and work artifact.

Derived automatically

Method session with 3-10. The plan uses the existing method logic and the runsheet.

Runsheet
Participation logic
Team round, shared work and alignment

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome logic
Finish artifact

The session works directly toward Emotion Board. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

  1. 1

    0-5 min

    5 min

    Name the period, repeat the safety norm. Rule: each person adds 2-4 stickies per area, honestly, without filtering. Hint: This opening matters. If someone starts too quickly, it signals to the team that emotions are not really welcome.

    FacilitatorEmotion Board
  2. 2

    5-20 min

    15 min

    Silent work: add stickies to Mad (angry), Sad (disappointed/sad), or Glad (energized/grateful). Use concrete incidents, not general feelings. Hint: Offer anonymity in online retros. In in-person retros, keep discipline without a prior explanation stuck to the wall. Be concrete: date or incident, not just "mood."

    FacilitatorThemes
  3. 3

    20-35 min

    15 min

    Present in turn, cluster. In Mad/Sad points, the facilitator asks "what is behind this," not "why." Say Glad points out loud. Hint: "Why" provokes defensiveness. "What is behind it" opens the room. Give Glad points room, otherwise the mood shifts into the wrong direction.

    FacilitatorAction Items
  4. 4

    35-50 min

    15 min

    Prioritize clusters (2 dots per person). Add one concrete action or insight per top cluster. Keep at max 3-4 actions. Hint: Not every cluster requires an action; some need recognition. Glad clusters often need "consciously continue" rather than "improve."

    FacilitatorEmotion Board
  5. 5

    50-60 min

    10 min

    Add actions with owner and date. Review previous actions briefly. Closing round: one word per person for the current mood. Hint: The closing round is mandatory. Anyone opening a retro should also close it. A one-word check closes the emotional space.

    OwnerThemes
  6. 6

    Publish artifact

    10 min

    Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients.

    OwnerEmotion Board
Usable artifact

Session Brief

For invitations, boards, tickets, PR descriptions, or workshop notes.

session-brief.md

Session Brief: Mad Sad Glad

Goal

Artifact: Emotion Board

Working Question

Which emotional signals from the last period indicate learning or change needs, and which actions follow from them?

Context

Clear timeframe; inform the team that the format is emotional and depends on psychological safety; known crises or changes that affected the team; prior actions.

Setup

  • Format: Method session
  • Duration: 30-60 min
  • Mode: Workshop
  • Participants: One facilitator with experience in emotional retrospectives; 3-10 team members; optional external coach in tense situations; one scribe.
  • Owner: One facilitator with experience in emotional retrospectives
  • Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
  • Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Emotion Board. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro board with three areas (Mad, Sad, Glad); sticky notes in three colors (red, blue, yellow recommended); timer; shared note space for actions; optional anonymous mode in online tool.

Preparation

Set up three areas on the wall. State the norm: contributions are valid and emotions are not evaluated. Online: allow anonymous participation if the team wants it. Put the timer on the first phase.

Agenda

  1. 0-5 min (5 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Name the period, repeat the safety norm. Rule: each person adds 2-4 stickies per area, honestly, without filtering. Hint: This opening matters. If someone starts too quickly, it signals to the team that emotions are not really welcome. Output: Emotion Board

  2. 5-20 min (15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Silent work: add stickies to Mad (angry), Sad (disappointed/sad), or Glad (energized/grateful). Use concrete incidents, not general feelings. Hint: Offer anonymity in online retros. In in-person retros, keep discipline without a prior explanation stuck to the wall. Be concrete: date or incident, not just "mood." Output: Themes

  3. 20-35 min (15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Present in turn, cluster. In Mad/Sad points, the facilitator asks "what is behind this," not "why." Say Glad points out loud. Hint: "Why" provokes defensiveness. "What is behind it" opens the room. Give Glad points room, otherwise the mood shifts into the wrong direction. Output: Action Items

  4. 35-50 min (15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Prioritize clusters (2 dots per person). Add one concrete action or insight per top cluster. Keep at max 3-4 actions. Hint: Not every cluster requires an action; some need recognition. Glad clusters often need "consciously continue" rather than "improve." Output: Emotion Board

  5. 50-60 min (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Add actions with owner and date. Review previous actions briefly. Closing round: one word per person for the current mood. Hint: The closing round is mandatory. Anyone opening a retro should also close it. A one-word check closes the emotional space. Output: Themes

  6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Emotion Board

Closeout

  • Update result artifact: Emotion Board
  • Define location, version, and review recipients.
  • Define owner, next step, and review date.
Usable artifact

Work artifact

Pre-filled starting point based on the matching template.

work-artifact.md

Emotion Board: Mad Sad Glad

Working Question

Which emotional signals from the last period indicate learning or change needs, and which actions follow from them?

Context

Clear timeframe; inform the team that the format is emotional and depends on psychological safety; known crises or changes that affected the team; prior actions.

Participants

  • Owner: One facilitator with experience in emotional retrospectives
  • Participants: One facilitator with experience in emotional retrospectives; 3-10 team members; optional external coach in tense situations; one scribe.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro board with three areas (Mad, Sad, Glad); sticky notes in three colors (red, blue, yellow recommended); timer; shared note space for actions; optional anonymous mode in online tool.

Template

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.

Completion Check

  • Emotion Board is complete enough for review:
  • Location:
  • Version / status:
  • Review by:
  • Next step:

Next Step

  • Review result
  • Mark open questions
  • Schedule review or decision
Template base

Mad Sad Glad Working Template

View templateCompact working template for Mad Sad Glad with emotions, patterns, and action items.
canvas

mad-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.

Ready to use when
  • Working question, owner, and target artifact are visible.
  • The result fits Emotion Board.
  • One retro entry per series. Share sensitive content thoughtfully, possibly only internally; transfer actions into a shared tracking system. Keep patterns visible across multiple retros.
  • Open questions are noted as follow-ups.
  • The next review or decision point is scheduled.
ProfileRunsheet