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RetroIntermediate

Circles and Soup

Circles and Soup is a reflective method used to help teams identify factors they can control, influence, or must adapt to. It's particularly effective for overcoming unproductive blame and creating actionable plans in retrospectives.

Duration
1h
Group size
5–8 people
Materials
sticky notes, poster or whiteboard, markers

How to run it

  1. 1

    Prepare a poster or whiteboard with three concentric circles drawn on it.

  2. 2

    Label the inner circle 'Team Controls', the middle circle 'Team Influences', and the outer circle 'The Soup'.

  3. 3

    Distribute sticky notes to participants and explain the significance of each circle.

  4. 4

    Ask participants to write down ideas and place them in the appropriate circle.

  5. 5

    Facilitate a group discussion to explore how these ideas can improve the project.

Tips

  • Focus initial discussions on 'Team Controls' to identify immediate actions.

  • Maintain a neutral tone to prevent the activity from becoming emotional.

  • Encourage a positive atmosphere to foster open sharing.

Variations

The method can be adapted for virtual environments using online collaboration tools, allowing remote teams to engage in similar activities.

Where it fits

Improving team retrospectivesDeveloping actionable plansIdentifying project constraints

Frequently asked questions

When should I use Circles and Soup?â–¾

Use Circles and Soup when you want to: Improving team retrospectives; Developing actionable plans; Identifying project constraints.

How long does Circles and Soup take?â–¾

Circles and Soup typically takes 60 minutes.

How many participants does Circles and Soup work for?â–¾

Circles and Soup works best for groups of 5–8 participants.

What materials do I need for Circles and Soup?â–¾

To run Circles and Soup you will need: sticky notes, poster or whiteboard, markers.

How difficult is Circles and Soup to facilitate?â–¾

Circles and Soup is rated intermediate — some facilitation experience is helpful.

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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Gamestorming.

Circles and Soup — Facilitation Method | Workshop Weaver