Roleplay Scenario
Scenario Overview
You're in a sprint retrospective, and things are getting tense. A team member shared some emotional feedback that sparked a heated discussion. The goal is to manage the emotions, make sure everyone feels heard, and steer the conversation toward useful solutions without letting it spiral out of control.
Roles & Setup
Role A – Facilitator (You)
You're leading the retro.
Your goal: Keep things calm, guide the talk, and make sure feedback is productive.
Role B – Emotional Team Member
You’ve brought up a personal and emotional concern.
Your goal: Share your feelings without derailing the conversation.
Role C – Defensive Team Member
You feel the feedback is aimed at you.
Your goal: Defend your point of view while staying open to discussion.
Role D – Neutral Observer (Optional)
You’re watching how things unfold.
Your goal: Offer balanced insights to help calm things down.
Suggested Openers
Facilitator:
- “Thanks for sharing. Let’s make sure everyone gets a chance to speak and feel respected.”
- “I appreciate the honesty. Let’s work through this and find a positive way forward.”
Emotional Team Member:
- “I’ve been really stressed because of [specific issue], and it’s impacting my focus.”
- “I need to talk about how tough it’s been dealing with [specific issue].”
Defensive Team Member:
- “I didn’t know it was affecting you. Can we talk more about it?”
- “That wasn’t my intention. How can we work on this together?”
Neutral Observer:
- “I can see both sides. Maybe we can find some common ground?”
- “It sounds like there might be a misunderstanding. Can we clarify?”
Sample Roleplay in Action
Facilitator:
“Thanks for joining today’s retro, everyone. These conversations can be tough, but they’re really important. Let’s make sure we all get a chance to speak. [Emotional Team Member], you had something to share?”
Emotional Team Member:
“I’ve been feeling stressed because there’s been a lack of clear communication. It’s overwhelming and affecting my work.”
Defensive Team Member:
“I didn’t realize it was impacting you like that. I thought we were on the same page. Can we talk about what’s unclear?”
Facilitator:
“Thanks for speaking up. Let’s dig into specific times when communication broke down. How can we improve it?”
Neutral Observer:
“It sounds like there’s some miscommunication. Can we pinpoint where things started to go off track?”
Emotional Team Member:
“Sometimes priorities changed, and I felt out of the loop.”
Defensive Team Member:
“I get it. I’ll make an effort to share updates more regularly. How about a weekly sync to keep us aligned?”
Facilitator:
“Great idea. Let’s write that down as an action item. Does anyone else have suggestions for improving communication?”
Neutral Observer:
“That sounds like a good plan. Any other thoughts on how we can work better as a team?”
Facilitator:
“Thanks for being open and honest, everyone. Let’s wrap up by agreeing on some actions to make our teamwork even better.”
Post-Scenario Tools
Curveball Mode (Optional)
Throw in one of these mid-roleplay to see how participants handle them:
- Emotional team member gets more upset and withdraws.
- Defensive team member insists they did nothing wrong.
- Another team member jumps in with unrelated feedback.
Reflection Checklist
As the Facilitator:
- Did you create a safe space for everyone to speak?
- Did you steer the conversation toward solutions?
- Did you ensure everyone left with clear action items?
As a Participant:
- Did you express your thoughts clearly?
- Did you listen to others?
- Did you help find a resolution?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Letting emotions take over the meeting.
- Ignoring or dismissing someone’s feedback.
- Not following up with actionable steps.
- Allowing the conversation to be one-sided.
Pro Tip
Emotional retros are chances for growth. Approach them with empathy and a focus on solutions to build stronger team dynamics and trust.