The Genie in a Bottle Retrospective Template

Some supernatural help in your retrospective. You have found a magical lamp and freed the Genie inside. What will be your three wishes?
Genie in a bottle Retrospective Illustration for Neatro
Genie in a bottle Retrospective Template in Neatro

What is the Genie in a Bottle retrospective?

This retrospective's level of difficulty is easy
Difficulty Level
Easy

Sometimes, a little twist of magic feels more than welcome. If you're looking for a way to break the retrospective routine, the Genie in a Bottle activity is a perfect candidate for your next retrospective.

Start this exercise by telling your team members they have found a magical lamp and freed the Genie inside. Each member has three wishes: one for themselves, one for the team, and one about anything else at all.

Don’t forget to tell your team members they can’t have more wishes!

After all, a Genie is no magician, right? 🧞

The 3 elements of Genie in a Bottle

Retrospective Column You in Neatro
For You
A wish for yourself.
e.g., I wish I could find more time to study for my Scrum Master certification.
Retrospective Column Your team in Neatro
For the Team
A wish for the team.
e.g., I wish we could have a little "celebration time" at the end of each Sprint.
Retrospective Column Anything in Neatro
For the World
Maybe your craziest wish?
e.g., I wish Montreal Canadiens become NHL Stanley Cup Champions this year.

Why & when should you use the Genie in a Bottle retrospective template?

This retrospective format is suitable if your team shows signs of dissatisfaction. Bring a positive activity to help your teammates get through this episode.

But wait, there's more! The Genie in a Bottle activity is also great as a futurespective session (a.k.a think about what comes next). Then, any upcoming Sprint, project, or new year could be addressed through this fantastic retrospective template.

We usually recommend using the Genie in a Bottle technique as a Sprint retrospective activity, especially when conducted at the end of a trimester, semester, or year.

Moreover, this template could be useful for any personal introspection session. With the help of the Genie, try to find out 3 wishes that could help you and your team improve together.

Where can I find the Genie in a Bottle retrospective?

The Genie in a Bottle is a pretty popular retrospective technique that will help you bring a fresh perspective into your retrospective. We have built and enhanced this activity with the support of the Neatro community.

You can try the Genie in a Bottle model with your team for free by signing up for Neatro. No credit card is required. Note that participants do not need to create accounts to join an online retrospective in Neatro.

Discover Neatro's retrospective templates