methodatlas
Session Builder

Plan my session

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

Method session30-60 minWorkshopStart Stop Continue Board

Session: Start Stop Continue

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 3-12. 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 Start Stop Continue Board. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

  1. 1

    0-5 min

    5 min

    Read pre-read, explain period and format. Rule: 1-3 stickies per column per person, concise, behavior-related. Hint: Behavior-related means: what do we do, not "better communication". "Limit Daily to 15 min" is behavior, "more clarity" is not.

    FacilitatorStart Stop Continue Board
  2. 2

    5-20 min

    15 min

    Silent work: each person writes 3-9 stickies across three columns. Then read out round-robin, cluster similar ones. Hint: Silent work prevents dominance. Discussing during collection influences others and loses depth.

    FacilitatorImprovement Actions
  3. 3

    20-35 min

    15 min

    Form clusters, dot-vote (2 dots per person). Discuss top 2-3 clusters per column: why and what would be smallest action. Hint: Voting focuses. Without voting, discussion fragments. If spread is hard, that is information; either double-vote or sponsor decides.

    FacilitatorStart Stop Continue Board
  4. 4

    35-50 min

    15 min

    Formulate actions: maximum 5 actions, each with owner, date and success criterion. Who owns, what becomes visible in 14 days. Hint: 5 is upper bound, not quota. Better 2 real actions than 7 halfhearted ones. Owner must be present or have agreed.

    FacilitatorImprovement Actions
  5. 5

    50-60 min

    10 min

    Review previous retro actions: done, stopped, running. Make commitment culture visible. Fix next retro date. Hint: Without status review of previous retro, actions are ritually agreed and forgotten. Visibility creates discipline.

    OwnerStart Stop Continue Board
  6. 6

    Publish artifact

    10 min

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

    OwnerStart Stop Continue Board
Usable artifact

Session Brief

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

session-brief.md

Session Brief: Start Stop Continue

Goal

Artifact: Start Stop Continue Board

Working Question

What should the team start, stop and deliberately continue to work noticeably better?

Context

Time period clear (for example last sprint, quarter, project); short status recap (metrics, milestones); psychological safety as norm; previous retro actions with status.

Setup

  • Format: Method session
  • Duration: 30-60 min
  • Mode: Workshop
  • Participants: One facilitator; 3-12 team members; one scribe for consolidation; optional external coach for mixed teams.
  • Owner: One facilitator
  • 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 Start Stop Continue Board. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro with three columns (Start, Stop, Continue); stickies per person; timer; pre-read (period, highlights, metrics); shared note document for actions.

Preparation

Three columns on wall. Pre-read 1-pager (10 lines, 2 min reading time). Rule: stickies silently and in parallel, no pre-discussion.

Agenda

  1. 0-5 min (5 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Read pre-read, explain period and format. Rule: 1-3 stickies per column per person, concise, behavior-related. Hint: Behavior-related means: what do we do, not "better communication". "Limit Daily to 15 min" is behavior, "more clarity" is not. Output: Start Stop Continue Board

  2. 5-20 min (15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Silent work: each person writes 3-9 stickies across three columns. Then read out round-robin, cluster similar ones. Hint: Silent work prevents dominance. Discussing during collection influences others and loses depth. Output: Improvement Actions

  3. 20-35 min (15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Form clusters, dot-vote (2 dots per person). Discuss top 2-3 clusters per column: why and what would be smallest action. Hint: Voting focuses. Without voting, discussion fragments. If spread is hard, that is information; either double-vote or sponsor decides. Output: Start Stop Continue Board

  4. 35-50 min (15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Formulate actions: maximum 5 actions, each with owner, date and success criterion. Who owns, what becomes visible in 14 days. Hint: 5 is upper bound, not quota. Better 2 real actions than 7 halfhearted ones. Owner must be present or have agreed. Output: Improvement Actions

  5. 50-60 min (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Review previous retro actions: done, stopped, running. Make commitment culture visible. Fix next retro date. Hint: Without status review of previous retro, actions are ritually agreed and forgotten. Visibility creates discipline. Output: Start Stop Continue Board

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

Closeout

  • Update result artifact: Start Stop Continue 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

Start Stop Continue Board: Start Stop Continue

Working Question

What should the team start, stop and deliberately continue to work noticeably better?

Context

Time period clear (for example last sprint, quarter, project); short status recap (metrics, milestones); psychological safety as norm; previous retro actions with status.

Participants

  • Owner: One facilitator
  • Participants: One facilitator; 3-12 team members; one scribe for consolidation; optional external coach for mixed teams.

Input

Whiteboard or Miro with three columns (Start, Stop, Continue); stickies per person; timer; pre-read (period, highlights, metrics); shared note document for actions.

Template

Start Stop Continue Canvas

Context

What is this method used for?

Core question

Which question should be answered at the end?

Input

Which data, observations, or materials are available?

Working area

  • Area 1:
  • Area 2:
  • Area 3:
  • Relationships / patterns:

Output artifacts

  • Start Stop Continue Board:
  • Improvement Actions:

Open questions

  • ...

Next step

Owner, date, success signal.

Completion Check

  • Start Stop Continue 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

Start Stop Continue Working Template

View templateCompact working template for Start Stop Continue with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
canvas

start-stop-continue-working-template.md

Compact working template for Start Stop Continue with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.

Start Stop Continue Canvas

Context

What is this method used for?

Core question

Which question should be answered at the end?

Input

Which data, observations, or materials are available?

Working area

  • Area 1:
  • Area 2:
  • Area 3:
  • Relationships / patterns:

Output artifacts

  • Start Stop Continue Board:
  • Improvement Actions:

Open questions

  • ...

Next step

Owner, date, success signal.

Ready to use when
  • Working question, owner, and target artifact are visible.
  • The result fits Start Stop Continue Board.
  • One entry per retro in series. Link previous retros, log action status transitions. Quarterly pattern analysis (which Stop topics recur).
  • Open questions are noted as follow-ups.
  • The next review or decision point is scheduled.
ProfileRunsheet