The Likes, Wishes, Wonders retrospective encourages creative thinking and forward-looking reflection. This format helps teams express what they appreciate, what they hope for, and what they're curious about.
This template is ideal for teams that want to balance appreciation with aspiration. It's particularly effective for innovation-focused teams, product teams, or any group that wants to explore possibilities and opportunities.
Three Perspectives
The format captures three types of feedback:
- Likes: What team members appreciate, enjoy, or value
- Wishes: What team members hope for, desire, or want to see
- Wonders: What team members are curious about, questions they have, or possibilities to explore
The "Wonders" column is unique—it encourages teams to explore questions and possibilities, not just problems and solutions. This can lead to innovative thinking and new opportunities.
How to facilitate
Facilitation Tips
- Encourage creativity: This format works best when teams think expansively
- Explore wonders: Don't rush through the Wonders column—it's where innovation happens
- Connect wishes to actions: Help team convert wishes into concrete goals
- Validate likes: Ensure the Likes column gets proper attention
- Prioritize: Use voting to identify the most impactful wishes and wonders
Making It Actionable
- Convert wishes into SMART goals
- Turn wonders into research questions or experiments
- Document likes as team values or practices to preserve
- Create action items from prioritized wishes
When to use this template
Perfect For
- Product teams: Exploring new features and possibilities
- Innovation sessions: When teams want to think creatively
- Quarterly planning: Setting aspirations and exploring opportunities
- Team visioning: Articulating what the team wants to become
Example Outcomes
Teams often discover:
- Hidden aspirations that weren't being discussed
- Questions worth exploring through experiments
- Values and practices worth preserving
- Innovation opportunities in the Wonders column
