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WRAP Retrospective

WRAP gathers four kinds of input that together give a rounded view of the sprint. The team shares its wishes, voices appreciations, names the risks it sees and surfaces the things that still puzzle it. Mixing gratitude with concern keeps the conversation both supportive and honest.
😇 What are your wishes?
🤗 What do you appreciate?
😨 What risks do you see?
😵 What things are puzzling you?
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What is the WRAP retrospective?

The WRAP retrospective is a well-rounded closing format that balances forward-looking wishes, positive recognition, honest risk-spotting, and open questions. The name comes from its four columns — Wishes, Appreciations, Risks, and Puzzles — and the format is a natural fit for wrapping up a sprint, a release, or a project phase. By combining gratitude with candor, WRAP keeps morale high while still surfacing the issues that need attention. The format uses four columns:

  • Wishes — what the team wants to see happen next.
  • Appreciations — recognition for people and good work.
  • Risks — concerns and potential problems ahead.
  • Puzzles — open questions and things the team doesn't yet understand.

Wishes

The Wishes column captures hopes and desired changes for the period ahead — improvements the team would like to see, things they wish they had, or ways of working they want to try. Wishes turn the retro toward the future and feed naturally into action items.

Appreciations

The Appreciations column is dedicated to recognition: thanking teammates, celebrating good work, and naming the moments that made the difference. Explicit appreciation strengthens relationships and reminds the team that progress is a collective effort.

Risks

The Risks column names concerns and potential problems on the horizon: fragile areas, dependencies, or decisions that could backfire. Surfacing risks early gives the team time to plan mitigations rather than react in a crisis.

Puzzles

The Puzzles column holds open questions and unknowns — things the team is unsure about or doesn't yet understand. Capturing puzzles legitimizes uncertainty and creates a clear list of topics to investigate before they become risks.

Benefits of the WRAP retrospective

  • Balances appreciation with honest concern.
  • Keeps morale high while surfacing real issues.
  • Captures open questions instead of forcing premature answers.
  • Turns wishes directly into action items.
  • Fits sprint, release, and project closings.
  • Strengthens team relationships through recognition.

How to run a WRAP retrospective

  1. Create a board in QRetro from the WRAP template and invite your team.
  2. Explain each column and the time period the retro covers.
  3. Give everyone 5–7 minutes to add cards across all four columns.
  4. Start with Appreciations to set a positive tone, then read the others aloud.
  5. Discuss risks and puzzles, and vote on which wishes to act on.
  6. Assign owners to the top items and save the board for follow-up.
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