Understanding Retro Phases

Overview

Every retrospective in Unpack follows a structured sequence of eight phases. Each phase serves a distinct purpose in the retro workflow, guiding your team from initial setup through reflection, prioritization, and finally commitment to action. The facilitator controls when the team moves between phases.

The eight phases, in order, are: Draft, Check-in, Reflect, Group, Vote, Discuss, Commit, and Closed.

Phase Details

1. Draft

The draft phase is where the facilitator prepares the retrospective before sharing it with the team. During this phase, the board is only visible to the creator.

• Select a retrospective template to define the board's columns.
• Configure retro settings such as vote limits and anonymity preferences.
• Set optional phase timers for pacing the session.
• Review the board layout before launching.

2. Check-in

The check-in phase is a brief warm-up where participants share how they are feeling. This serves two purposes: it gets everyone mentally present and engaged, and it gives the facilitator a quick read on team energy and morale.

• Each participant selects a mood or energy level using a simple scale.
• Optionally, participants can add a short comment explaining their mood.
• Check-in responses are visible to the facilitator and can be shared with the group.
• The facilitator can see at a glance how the team is feeling before diving into reflection.

3. Reflect

This is the core brainstorming phase where participants write cards in each column. It is typically the longest phase and where the most important content is generated.

• Participants add cards to any column defined by the template.
• Cards are anonymous by default. Other participants cannot see who wrote each card.
• Cards appear in real time for all participants as they are created.
• Participants can edit or delete their own cards during this phase.
• AI card coaching is available to help participants write clearer, more actionable feedback.

The reflect phase works best when participants are given enough quiet time to think and write independently before any discussion begins. A timer of 5 to 10 minutes is typical.

4. Group

During the group phase, similar cards are organized into themes. Grouping consolidates related feedback so the team can discuss topics rather than individual cards.

• The facilitator (or any participant, depending on settings) can drag cards into groups.
• AI-suggested groupings can be generated to accelerate the process.
• Groups can be given custom names that describe the theme.
• Cards can be ungrouped and moved between groups as needed.

Effective grouping reduces the number of items to vote on and discuss, making the remaining phases more focused and efficient.

5. Vote

The vote phase lets every participant indicate which topics matter most to them. Votes determine the order in which topics are discussed, ensuring the team spends time on what the group collectively considers most important.

• Each participant receives a fixed number of votes (configurable by the facilitator).
• Votes can be distributed across multiple cards or groups, or concentrated on a single item.
• Vote counts update in real time as participants cast their votes.
• Voting is typically anonymous, though the facilitator can see aggregate counts.

6. Discuss

The discuss phase is where the team talks through the highest-voted topics. Cards and groups are presented in descending order of votes, so the most important items are discussed first.

• The facilitator advances through topics one at a time.
• Each topic can be marked as "discussed" to track progress.
• An AI discussion guide can suggest talking points and questions for each topic.
• A timer helps keep individual topic discussions on track.
• Action items can be created directly from the discussion.

7. Commit

The commit phase is where the team finalizes the action items that came out of the discussion. This is the bridge between reflection and real change.

• Review all action items created during the discussion phase.
• Assign an owner to each action item so there is clear accountability.
• Set due dates or target sprints for completion.
• Use AI to refine action items into SMART format (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
• Optionally sync action items to Jira or Linear for tracking in your existing workflow.

8. Closed

Once the facilitator closes the retro, it becomes a read-only record. The closed phase preserves everything that happened during the session for future reference.

• A summary of the retro is generated, including key themes and action items.
• All cards, groups, votes, and action items are preserved.
• Action items remain trackable and carry over to the next retro if not completed.
• The retro can be revisited at any time by team members for reference.

Phase Readiness

Phase readiness is a feature that helps the facilitator know when the team is ready to move on. During certain phases, participants can signal that they have finished their work for that phase.

• During Reflect, participants can indicate they have finished writing cards.
• During Vote, participants can signal they have cast all their votes.
• During Check-in, readiness is automatic once a participant submits their check-in.

The facilitator sees a readiness indicator showing how many participants have signaled they are done (e.g., "4 of 6 ready"). This removes the guesswork from deciding when to advance to the next phase.

Phase Transitions

Only the facilitator (or an organization admin) can advance or retreat between phases. Phase transitions are communicated to all participants in real time.

Advancing

The facilitator clicks the Next Phase button in the facilitator toolbar to advance. A confirmation dialog appears, showing the current phase and the phase the retro will move to. All participants see the transition immediately.

Retreating

If the team needs more time in a previous phase, the facilitator can move the retro backward. This is useful when, for example, new topics surface during discussion that warrant additional reflection or grouping.

Skipping phases

Facilitators can skip phases that are not relevant to their session. For example, if the team prefers not to group cards, the facilitator can advance directly from reflect to vote. The skipped phase's data (if any) is preserved but the team does not spend time on it.