3 cats retro (Glad, Sad, Mad)

The 3 Cats Retrospective (Glad, Sad, Mad) is a classic and widely adopted retrospective format, known for its simplicity and emotional depth. The metaphor of three cats, each representing an emotion, makes the exercise more approachable and engaging.

Participants are invited to express themselves across three emotional dimensions:

• Glad 😺: What made you happy during this sprint? What moments, achievements, or interactions brought you joy or satisfaction?
• Sad 😿: What disappointed you or left you feeling unsatisfied? What could have gone better?
• Mad 🙀: What frustrated or annoyed you? What obstacles or situations created tension?

By using emotions as a framework, this format helps team members go beyond surface-level observations and connect with how they truly feel about the sprint. This emotional honesty leads to more meaningful conversations and deeper insights.

After sharing and voting, the team identifies concrete actions to amplify what makes them glad, address what makes them sad, and resolve what makes them mad.