How advancing and retreating phases works
Every Unpack retrospective follows a structured sequence of phases. The facilitator controls when the retro moves from one phase to the next using the phase controls in the facilitator toolbar. Participants cannot advance or retreat phases on their own.
The default phase flow is:
- Draft — The retro is being configured. Only the facilitator can see it. Participants are not yet active. Use this time to choose a template, set timers, and configure icebreakers.
- Check-in — Participants join and share their mood via emoji indicators. Icebreaker questions are displayed if configured.
- Reflect — Participants write cards in each column. Cards are anonymous by default. This is typically the longest individual-work phase.
- Group — The facilitator (and optionally AI) groups related cards into clusters for discussion. Participants can see groupings in real time.
- Vote — Participants distribute their votes across card groups to prioritize which topics the team should discuss.
- Discuss — The team discusses the highest-voted topics in order. The facilitator guides conversation and captures key insights.
- Commit — The team creates action items based on the discussion outcomes. Each item gets an owner and a due date.
- Closed — The retro is finalized and becomes a read-only record that the team can revisit at any time.
Advancing to the next phase
To advance, click the Next Phase button in the facilitator toolbar. A confirmation dialog appears showing the phase you are moving to and any implications. For example, participants will no longer be able to add or edit cards after leaving the reflect phase.
The advance action is broadcast to all participants in real time via Turbo Streams. Everyone's board updates simultaneously to reflect the new phase and its corresponding capabilities.
Retreating to a previous phase
If you advance too early or the team needs to revisit a previous phase, you can retreat by clicking the Previous Phase button. Retreating restores the capabilities of the earlier phase, allowing participants to resume their work.
Retreating from the vote phase back to group will clear all votes that have been cast. Retreating from discuss back to vote will reset discussion progress. Unpack warns you about these implications before confirming the transition. Use retreat sparingly to avoid frustrating participants who have already completed their work.
Phase readiness signals from participants
Each phase includes a readiness mechanism that helps you decide when to advance. As participants complete their work for the current phase, they click the Ready button. The facilitator toolbar displays a real-time count of ready participants.
Readiness by phase
- Check-in phase — Participants mark ready after submitting their mood check-in and engaging with the icebreaker.
- Reflect phase — Participants mark ready when they have finished writing all of their cards across all columns.
- Group phase — Readiness is primarily the facilitator's call, since grouping is a facilitator-driven activity. Participants can signal that they have reviewed the groupings.
- Vote phase — Participants mark ready when they have distributed all of their available votes.
- Discuss phase — Readiness is less formal here. The facilitator decides when to move on based on the conversation flow and topic coverage.
- Commit phase — Participants mark ready when they have reviewed the proposed action items and agree with the assignments.
The readiness count is shown as a fraction (for example, "5 of 7 ready") alongside a progress indicator. When all participants are ready, the indicator turns green as a clear visual cue that the team is prepared to move forward.
You do not need to wait for 100% readiness to advance. A good rule of thumb is to advance when 80% or more of participants are ready, provided you give a brief verbal or chat warning before doing so.
Timer management during transitions
Each phase can have an associated timer that counts down from a configured duration. The timer is visible to all participants and helps set expectations for how long each phase will last. Timers are a facilitation aid, not an enforcement mechanism.
Configuring phase timers
You can set default timer durations when creating the retrospective, or adjust them on the fly during the session. To change a timer mid-session:
- Click the timer display in the facilitator toolbar.
- Use the + and - buttons to adjust the duration in one-minute increments, or type a specific duration.
- Click Start to begin the countdown, or Reset to return to the configured duration.
- Use Pause if the team needs a break or if an important tangential conversation warrants uninterrupted time.
What happens when the timer expires
When a phase timer reaches zero, Unpack displays a notification to all participants indicating that time is up. A subtle visual change in the timer display (turning amber) reinforces that the allocated time has passed.
However, the phase does not advance automatically. The facilitator retains full control over when to move to the next phase. This is by design. A timer expiration is a signal, not a hard cutoff. Sometimes the team needs a few extra minutes to finish their thoughts, and forcing an automatic transition would interrupt productive work.
If you find that timers consistently expire before participants are ready, consider increasing your default durations. Unpack tracks timer usage across retros on the Pro and Enterprise plans, so you can see patterns and optimize over time.
When to advance vs when to give more time
Knowing when to advance is one of the most important facilitator skills. Moving too quickly leaves valuable feedback on the table. Moving too slowly loses energy and engagement. Here are guidelines for each phase.
Check-in phase
Advance when all or nearly all participants have submitted their mood check-in and the icebreaker conversation has had a natural pause. This phase should be brief — 3 to 5 minutes is typical. If the team is chatty and engaged, let it run a minute longer rather than cutting off positive energy.
Reflect phase
This is the phase where you should be most patient. Give participants enough time to think deeply and write thoughtful cards. Watch the readiness indicator, but also pay attention to the rate at which new cards are appearing. If cards are still being added steadily, the team is not done yet. A lull in card creation usually signals that most people are wrapping up.
Group phase
Advance when you are satisfied that related cards have been clustered into meaningful groups. If you are using AI-assisted grouping, review the suggestions and make manual adjustments before moving on. Consider briefly reading the group titles aloud so participants understand the themes before voting.
Vote phase
This phase is usually quick. Most participants finish voting within 2 to 3 minutes. Advance when the readiness indicator shows that nearly everyone has cast their votes. There is little benefit in waiting once most votes are in.
Discuss phase
The discussion phase requires the most judgment. Advance to the commit phase when the team has covered the top-voted topics and the conversation is winding down naturally. It is better to have a focused, meaningful discussion on 3-4 topics than a shallow pass over 8. Watch for signs of fatigue or repetition as signals to wrap up.
Commit phase
Advance to close the retro when action items have been created, assigned, and the team has reviewed them. Make sure every action item has a single owner and a realistic due date before closing. Reading each item aloud and getting verbal confirmation is a good practice before finalizing.
When in doubt, ask the team: "Does anyone need more time before we move on?" A quick verbal check is often the simplest and most effective approach to timing transitions.