The Mad Sad Glad Retrospective
Mad Sad Glad is one of the most popular retrospective formats. It is built around emotion, which makes it a quick way to find out how the team really felt about the sprint.
What is Mad Sad Glad?
It is a retrospective with three columns: Mad, Sad, and Glad. Everyone writes cards about moments from the sprint that fit each feeling. Because it asks about emotion rather than process, it tends to surface the human side of how work went, the frustrations and the wins that a status report would never capture.
What each column means
Mad
Things that were frustrating or got in the way. Blockers, repeated annoyances, wasted time.
Sad
Things that were disappointing. Missed goals, things that did not go as hoped, lost momentum.
Glad
Things that went well and made people happy. Wins, good teamwork, progress worth celebrating.
When to use it
Reach for Mad Sad Glad when how the team feels matters as much as what they delivered. It works well after a stressful sprint, when morale seems low, or when you suspect there is unspoken tension. It is also friendly and easy for new teams, since everyone can answer how they felt without needing process jargon. If you want pure action items instead, Start Stop Continue is a better fit.
How to run it
- Set up the three columns and remind everyone this is about the sprint, not personal complaints.
- Write privately. Give everyone a few minutes to add cards to Mad, Sad, and Glad before anyone sees them.
- Reveal and group. Show the cards together and cluster similar themes.
- Discuss the biggest themes and dig into why they happened.
- Agree on one or two actions so the feelings turn into change.
Tips
- →Do not let it become only a venting session. Always close with at least one action.
- →Keep it anonymous while writing so people are honest about the Mad and Sad cards.
- →Spend real time on Glad too. Recognising what went well is just as useful as fixing what did not.
New to facilitating? See how to run a sprint retrospective.
Run a Mad Sad Glad retro
Start a free session, pick the Mad Sad Glad template, and find out how your team really felt. No account needed.