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ESVP (Explorers, Shoppers, Vacationers, Prisoners)

An opening activity that gauges how people feel about being in the retrospective itself. Anonymously, everyone places themselves as an explorer eager for new ideas, a shopper open to one useful takeaway, a vacationer glad for a break or a prisoner who'd rather be elsewhere. The result helps the facilitator read the room and adjust the session to the team's real mood.
Explorers
Shoppers
Vacationers
Prisoners
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What is the ESVP retrospective?

ESVP is a short warm-up that reveals how engaged people are before the real retrospective begins. Each person privately picks the role that matches their attitude to the session. Seeing the mix helps the facilitator adjust and gives the whole team a quick, honest pulse check on engagement.

  • Explorers — eager to learn and dig in
  • Shoppers — open, looking for one useful takeaway
  • Vacationers — glad to be away from work, only half in
  • Prisoners — attending only because they have to

Explorers

Explorers come ready to investigate what happened and find improvements. They drive energy in the room. A high share of Explorers signals strong buy-in and a great base for a productive session.

Shoppers

Shoppers are positive but selective: they want at least one valuable insight to take home. They engage well once the discussion turns to things that clearly matter to them.

Vacationers

Vacationers are happy to step away from daily tasks but aren't fully invested in the retro itself. They participate lightly, and a gentle nudge can pull them into the conversation.

Prisoners

Prisoners feel forced to attend and may stay silent or resistant. A few Prisoners is normal; many of them is a signal to revisit why retros happen and how they create value.

Benefits of the ESVP retrospective

  • Takes the room's engagement temperature in minutes
  • Gives the facilitator early signals to adapt
  • Surfaces hidden resistance safely and anonymously
  • Opens the session on a light, human note
  • Sparks a conversation about the value of retros
  • Works as a warm-up before any other format

How to run an ESVP retrospective

  1. Create a board in QRetro from the ESVP template.
  2. Explain the four roles so everyone understands them.
  3. Ask people to add a card anonymously to one role.
  4. Review the distribution across the four columns together.
  5. Discuss what the mix says about engagement, without pressure.
  6. Move into your main retrospective format with that context in mind.
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