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Peaks and Valleys retrospective

A look back over a longer stretch, such as a project, a quarter or a year. The team names its peaks, the high points, its valleys, the low points, and its plateaus, the steady stretches in between.

3 columns · 45 to 60 minutes · Free, no sign-up

Your team joins with the link.

When to run a Peaks and Valleys retro

  • At the end of a project, a quarter or a long release cycle.
  • When a single sprint is too short to show the pattern.
  • Before planning the next big piece of work, to learn from the last one.

The three columns

Each column asks the team one question. Read the questions out before anyone writes, so everyone answers the same ones.

Peaks and Valleys retrospective template: Peaks, Valleys and Plateaus columns with example cards
The Peaks and Valleys retrospective template, with two example cards in each column.

  1. Peaks (High points)

    When were we at our best?

    For example

    Launch week, when everything came together

    Anonymous

  2. Valleys (Low points)

    When did things go wrong or feel hard?

    For example

    The month we lost two people

    Anonymous

  3. Plateaus (Steady state)

    When were things steady, neither high nor low?

    For example

    Bug fixing through the summer

    Anonymous

How to run a Peaks and Valleys retrospective

About 45 to 60 minutes for a team of five to eight, in one shared room.

  1. Open the room

    Press Start a retro with Peaks and Valleys: the room opens with the three columns ready, and teammates join from its link with just a name.

  2. Warm up

    Every retro opens with a warm-up question. Answers stay hidden until someone reveals them, then everyone reads them at once.

  3. Write in private

    Recap the period month by month first, so everyone remembers the same events, then give everyone ten minutes on the shared timer. Nobody sees anyone else's cards until the reveal.

  4. Reveal and group

    Anyone can reveal the board, after a three-second countdown. Drag cards that say the same thing onto each other to group them.

  5. Talk it through

    Ask what made each peak possible and what led into each valley. The answers to both are what the team should repeat and avoid.

  6. Agree on action points

    Add each decision as an action point from the board's sidebar. The summary lists them, and a retro run under a team keeps them on the team's page.

Formats like Peaks and Valleys

All 11 templates →

  • 4 Ls

    Reflect on what you liked, learned, lacked and longed for.

    Liked · Learned · Lacked · Longed For

  • Sailboat

    See what pushes the team forward, what holds it back and the risks ahead.

    Wind · Anchor · Rocks · Island

  • Mad Sad Glad

    Give feelings a place: what frustrated, disappointed and pleased the team.

    Mad · Sad · Glad

Questions about Peaks and Valleys retros

What is a Peaks and Valleys retrospective?

A retro that maps the highs and lows of a longer period. Peaks are the high points, valleys the low points and plateaus the steady stretches, so the team sees the shape of the whole project, not only its last week.

What are plateaus for?

Not every week is a high or a low. Plateaus catch the steady stretches, which often hold the routines worth keeping.

How long does a Peaks and Valleys retro take?

About 45 to 60 minutes, with a short recap of the period at the start so everyone writes about the same events.

Can we change the columns?

Yes. Rename a column or add one, up to five, in the launcher before you start or in the room's settings during the retro. A card stays with the column name it was written under, so rename a column before the team writes in it.

Do participants need an account?

No. Teammates open the room link and type their name. They can sign in with Google or GitHub at any time and keep everything they wrote.

Ready for a Peaks and Valleys retro?

Your team joins with a link, and nobody needs to sign up.

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