In short

A retrospective evaluation of a project, workflow or sprint.

Why

Paper Plane gives you an aerial view on your team's projects and workflows. By focusing on both the good and the improvement-ready elements of work, you help each other improve in each other's overall role.

Duration

20 – 60 minutes (depends on the size of the team)

What do you need?

  • Markers
  • Post-Its
  • A large piece of paper
  • A folded or a drawn paper plane

How do you do it?

Put the folded paper plane on the table in the middle of the large sheet of paper. If you use a drawing of a paper plane, make sure there is plenty of room around it.

Write the words THRUST, LIFT, DRAG and GRAVITY by each side or end of the plane as illustrated here. Each word represents a key question:

  • THRUST: What made you feel good and satisfied during the project and what accelerated your work?
  • DRAG: What held you back and slowed down the process?
  • GRAVITY: Which elements did you consider a given and neither made you accelerate nor change your view upon the project?
  • LIFT: Which elements did you consider fun and good during the project? What gave you the extra energy to carry on?

Now give the team some time. Let each team member answer the key questions on a post-it (one post-it per team member per key question) and put it on the corresponding side of the plane.   Go over all the Post-Its and discuss the team's input.

 

The paper plane is a convergent play technique.