Sailboat
Wind, anchors, rocks, an island. Same problems, different angle, for teams that feel stuck.
Wind, anchors, rocks and an island. The island goes up first so everything after it has somewhere to point, and the rocks get their own pass at the end, once the team has stopped talking about last sprint.
Reach for it when
- Catch the trouble you can see coming, not only the trouble you're already in
- Give a team something new to look at after months of the same three columns
- Agree on where you're heading before arguing about what's in the way
Pick something else when
- The team would rather say 'blocker' than 'anchor' and finds the metaphor twee
- It's a quick check-in and explaining four nautical categories eats the time
- People keep debating the metaphor instead of the problem
What you'll work through
This format runs in passes, not on one board. Each part has the room's full attention before the next one opens.
Agree on the Island
Look back at Wind and Anchors
Look ahead for Rocks
Close with the outcome
How the session runs
The facilitator moves the room from one part to the next, so nobody has to remember what comes after what.
Agree on the Island
Everything else is measured against where the team is trying to get to, so the destination goes up first and stays on the board.
Look back at Wind and Anchors
A full retrospective pass over the sprint just gone: what pushed you toward the island, what held you back, then read out, group, vote and work through the top of the list.
Look ahead for Rocks
A second, forward-looking pass once the room has stopped talking about last sprint. Name the trouble you can see coming and decide what to do about each one.
Close with the outcome
Recap the anchors being cut and the rocks being steered around, and check every action has a name on it.
Prompts that open it up
The facilitator can drop any of these into the room when it goes quiet.
Run Sailboat with your team
Share a six-digit session code. Everyone joins from their own screen, and nobody needs an account to take part.