Good Bad Ugly Retrospective: A Western-Themed Team Review

The Good Bad Ugly retrospective brings a touch of Western movie flair to your team review. Inspired by the classic Sergio Leone film, this format uses three memorable categories to capture what’s working, what’s not, and what’s truly problematic. The fun theme makes retrospectives more engaging while the structure drives meaningful discussion.

If your team enjoys themed activities or needs to break out of retrospective fatigue, the Good Bad Ugly format adds entertainment value without sacrificing effectiveness.

What Is the Good Bad Ugly Retrospective?

The Good Bad Ugly retrospective uses three escalating categories:

Category	Symbol	Meaning
The Good 🤠	Cowboy hero	Things that went well
The Bad 🎭	Outlaw	Things that didn’t work
The Ugly 💀	Dangerous situation	Serious issues needing attention

The key distinction from similar formats is the severity gradient: Bad items are problems, but Ugly items are critical issues that could derail the team if not addressed.

Why the Good Bad Ugly Format Works

Clear Severity Levels

Most retrospective formats treat all problems equally. This format distinguishes:

Bad: Issues causing friction or inefficiency
Ugly: Critical problems risking project success

This prioritization helps teams focus on what truly matters.

Memorable Theme

The Western theme:

Makes the format memorable
Adds fun to the discussion
Encourages participation
Creates shared vocabulary

Simple Structure

Only three categories:

Easy to explain
Quick to set up
Intuitive for anyone
Works for any team size

The Three Categories Explained

The Good 🤠 — What Went Well

The Good category captures positive aspects of the sprint.

What belongs here:

Successful deliveries
Effective practices
Team wins
Things to celebrate
Processes that worked

Examples:

“Good: Daily standups were focused and valuable”
“Good: We shipped the feature on time”
“Good: Pair programming caught bugs early”
“Good: Product owner’s clear priorities”
“Good: Team stepped up during crunch”

Prompts:

What made this sprint successful?
What should we definitely keep doing?
What would you recommend to other teams?

The Bad 🎭 — What Didn’t Work

The Bad category captures problems and inefficiencies.

What belongs here:

Things that slowed us down
Processes that caused friction
Minor issues to address
Experiments that failed
Frustrations

Examples:

“Bad: Code reviews took too long”
“Bad: Unclear acceptance criteria on some stories”
“Bad: Too many meetings fragmented focus”
“Bad: Test environment was unstable”
“Bad: Communication gaps between teams”

Prompts:

What caused friction this sprint?
What made work harder than it should be?
What would you change?

The Ugly 💀 — Serious Issues

The Ugly category captures critical problems needing urgent attention.

What belongs here:

Issues threatening project success
Systemic problems
Major blockers
Things that could get worse
Critical risks

Examples:

“Ugly: Key team member burning out”
“Ugly: Production system nearly went down twice”
“Ugly: We’re shipping features users don’t want”
“Ugly: Technical debt making changes dangerous”
“Ugly: Complete misalignment on project goals”

Criteria for “Ugly”:

Could seriously impact delivery
Getting worse if not addressed
Affects team sustainability
Represents significant risk

Prompts:

What keeps you up at night about this project?
What could derail us if ignored?
What’s the elephant in the room?

When to Use Good Bad Ugly

Situation	Why Good Bad Ugly Works
Teams needing priority clarity	Ugly vs. Bad distinction helps focus
Retrospective fatigue	Fun theme re-engages team
Need to surface serious issues	Ugly category invites hard truths
Mixed experience teams	Simple enough for everyone
Quick retrospectives	Three categories are fast
Teams who enjoy themes	Western flair adds engagement

When to Choose Other Formats

Need more nuance: Use 4Ls or WWW
Action-focused: Use Keep Drop Try
Visual learners: Use Sailboat or Hot Air Balloon
Comprehensive review: Use 360 Degree

How to Run a Good Bad Ugly Retrospective

Before the Meeting

Preparation:

Schedule 30-45 minutes
Prepare board with three columns
Optional: Add Western imagery for fun
Review previous retrospective action items
Cue up the Ennio Morricone soundtrack (optional but fun!)

Step-by-Step Facilitation

Step 1: Set the Stage (3 minutes)

Introduce the format with flair:

“Today we’re having a showdown with our sprint! Like the classic Western, we’ll identify:

🤠 The Good — Our wins, the heroes of this sprint

🎭 The Bad — Problems and outlaws we encountered

💀 The Ugly — Serious dangers lurking in the desert

Remember: Bad is problems, Ugly is critical—things that could really hurt us.”

Clarify the Ugly: “Reserve Ugly for things that are serious threats, not just annoyances.”

Step 2: Silent Brainstorming (7 minutes)

Have team members add items to each column:

One idea per sticky note
Consider severity when placing items
It’s okay if some columns have more items

Facilitator tip: Prompt specifically for Ugly items: “What’s the most dangerous thing we’re facing?”

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Go through each column:

Recommended order:

The Good — Start with wins
The Bad — Address problems
The Ugly — Face serious issues

For each item:

Brief explanation from author
Quick discussion
Verify placement (is this really Ugly, or just Bad?)

Reclassification is okay:

“This seems like it could become Ugly if we don’t address it”
“Actually, this feels more Bad than Ugly to me”

Step 4: Prioritize (5 minutes)

Focus on:

All Ugly items — These need action plans
Top 2-3 Bad items — Most impactful to address
Acknowledge Good items—celebrate wins!

Step 5: Create Action Items (10 minutes)

Different urgency for different categories:

Category	Item	Action	Urgency
Good	Great pair programming	Document and continue	Maintain
Bad	Slow code reviews	24-hour SLA	This sprint
Ugly	Team member burnout	Workload rebalancing immediately	Urgent

Ugly items get priority treatment:

Assign owner
Define immediate next step
Set follow-up date
Consider escalation if needed

Step 6: Close (5 minutes)

Confirm Ugly items have owners and plans
Summarize Bad items to address
Celebrate the Good
Optional: “Any final showdown thoughts?”

Good Bad Ugly Template

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    GOOD BAD UGLY RETROSPECTIVE                        │
│                    🌵 The Sprint Showdown 🌵                          │
├────────────────────┬────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┤
│   🤠 THE GOOD      │   🎭 THE BAD       │      💀 THE UGLY           │
│                    │                    │                            │
│   What went well   │   Problems we      │      Critical issues       │
│                    │   encountered      │                            │
│                    │                    │                            │
│                    │                    │                            │
│                    │                    │                            │
│                    │                    │                            │
│                    │                    │                            │
│                    │                    │                            │
│                    │                    │                            │
└────────────────────┴────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘

Western-Themed Visual

For extra fun:

    🌅 THE GOOD BAD UGLY RETROSPECTIVE 🌅
    
         🤠                🎭               💀
        /||\              /||\             /||\
        / \               / \              / \
     ________          ________         ________
    |  GOOD  |        |  BAD   |       | UGLY   |
    | Heroes |        |Outlaws |       |Dangers |
    |________|        |________|       |________|
         
    🌵        🐎        🌵        🐎        🌵

Sample Items for Each Category

The Good Examples

Sprint goal achieved
No production incidents
New team member onboarded smoothly
Automated testing saved us twice
Great collaboration with design team
Clean code merged throughout sprint

The Bad Examples

Story points underestimated
Flaky tests causing false alarms
Too many context switches
Documentation fell behind
Standup meetings running long
Dependencies causing delays

The Ugly Examples

Production database almost corrupted
Key person is interviewing elsewhere
Shipping features without user validation
Security vulnerability discovered
Team morale at all-time low
Project direction unclear from leadership

For discussion prompts that pair well with this format, see our retrospective questions guide.

Tips for Facilitating Good Bad Ugly

Calibrate Bad vs. Ugly

Help team understand the distinction:

Bad: “This is annoying and we should fix it”
Ugly: “This could seriously hurt us if we don’t address it”

Ask: “On a scale of 1-10, how dangerous is this to our success?”

1-5: Probably Bad
6-10: Likely Ugly

Don’t Let Ugly Items Slide

The Ugly category exists for important reasons:

Take every Ugly item seriously
Assign owners before leaving the room
Consider escalating to leadership if needed
Follow up before next retrospective

Embrace the Theme

The Western theme adds fun:

Use cowboy terminology: “roundup,” “showdown,” “posse”
Optional: Wear cowboy hats (virtual or real)
Play Western music during brainstorming
Award “Sheriff of the Sprint” for top contributor

Balance Positivity

Don’t let the focus on Bad/Ugly overshadow Good:

Spend meaningful time on Good items
Celebrate wins genuinely
Note patterns in what’s working

Variations on Good Bad Ugly

Good Bad Ugly + Actions

Add a fourth column for immediate commitments:

Good	Bad	Ugly	Actions
Wins	Problems	Critical	Commitments

Severity Scoring

Add numerical severity to Bad and Ugly:

Bad items: Score 1-5
Ugly items: Score 6-10

Prioritize by score.

Good Bad Ugly + Trend

Track whether items are improving or worsening:

Category	Item	Trend
Good	Deployment process	⬆️ Improving
Bad	Code review time	➡️ Stable
Ugly	Team burnout	⬇️ Worsening

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Everything Becomes Ugly

Problem: Team marks everything as critical Fix: Enforce the distinction—Ugly should be reserved for truly serious issues

Mistake 2: Ignoring Ugly Items

Problem: Discussion but no action on critical issues Fix: Every Ugly item must have an owner and action plan

Mistake 3: Skipping The Good

Problem: Rushing to problems Fix: Start with and genuinely celebrate Good items

Mistake 4: Theme Overshadows Substance

Problem: Too much joking, not enough insight Fix: Balance fun with serious discussion, especially for Ugly items

When Ugly Items Need Escalation

Some Ugly items need more than team action:

Consider escalation when:

Issue is beyond team’s control
Requires leadership decision
Affects other teams
Involves organizational change
Represents significant risk to business

How to escalate:

Document the issue clearly
Explain why it’s Ugly (impact)
Propose potential solutions
Request specific support needed
Follow up after escalation

If your team likes Good Bad Ugly, also try:

Mad Sad Glad — Emotional focus
WWW — Worked Well, Kinda Worked, Didn’t Work
Start Stop Continue — Action-oriented simplicity
Rose Bud Thorn — Nature-themed alternative

See all options in our sprint retrospective formats guide.

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Summary

The Good Bad Ugly retrospective uses three escalating categories:

🤠 The Good — What went well
🎭 The Bad — Problems encountered
💀 The Ugly — Critical issues needing urgent attention

The key differentiator is the severity gradient: Bad items are problems, Ugly items are threats. This helps teams prioritize what truly matters.

Run it in 30-45 minutes with special attention to Ugly items—they must leave with owners and action plans.