Start, Stop, Continue is a quick, structured way to review how something is going and agree what to change. The group shares what it should start doing, what it should stop doing and what’s working well enough to keep. It’s simple enough to run in fifteen minutes, and it ends with practical actions rather than a general moan.
Use it at the end of a project or training course, as a regular team retrospective, or halfway through a long programme while there’s still time to change course. It works well for evaluating a session you’ve just facilitated too, as long as you’re ready to hear the answers.
Method
Set up three spaces labelled Start, Stop and Continue. Participants add their ideas to each one, then the group reviews them together and agrees a small number of actions.
Step 1: Set the focus
Be clear about what you’re reviewing and over what period, for example ‘our monthly team meetings since January’ or ‘today’s workshop’. Remind everyone that the aim is to improve how things work, not to criticise individuals.
Step 2: Set up three columns
Label three flip chart sheets, or three columns on a whiteboard: Start (things we should begin doing or try out), Stop (things that aren’t helping or are getting in the way) and Continue (things that are working and we should keep doing).
Step 3: Write individually
Give everyone five minutes to write their ideas on sticky notes, one idea per note. Writing in silence first helps people be honest and stops the first person to speak from setting the agenda.
Step 4: Share and group
Invite people to stick their notes in the right column, reading them out as they go if the group is small. Cluster similar notes together and give each cluster a short label.
Step 5: Agree actions
Talk through the clusters and agree two or three actions the group will actually take. If there are lots to choose from, use Dot Voting to prioritise. Note who’s responsible for each action and when you’ll check back on progress.
Outcome
A clear, balanced picture of what’s working and what isn’t, and a short list of agreed changes. The Continue column matters as much as the other two: it recognises what’s going well and stops good habits being lost when things change.
Tips for Facilitators
- Start with Continue if things are tense: if a project has been difficult, beginning with what’s working makes it easier to talk about what isn’t.
- Keep it specific: ‘communicate better’ isn’t something you can act on. Ask ‘What would that look like?’ until it is.
- Offer anonymity when it’s needed: if hierarchy or tension might stop people being honest, collect notes face down or use an online board that hides names.
- Close the loop: next time, start by reviewing the actions from last time. If nothing ever changes, people soon stop contributing.
- Fewer actions, done well: it’s better to deliver two changes than to list ten and forget them.
Variations
- More of, Less of: add two extra columns for things that aren’t all-or-nothing, such as ‘more time for questions’ or ‘fewer status updates’.
- Personal action plan: at the end of a training course, ask each person to write their own start, stop and continue for their work, and to share one with a partner.
- Quick check-in: for a fast mid-session pulse check, ask for just one sticky note per person in whichever column matters most to them.
Accessibility and Online Sessions
Write the column headings large, in a dark colour on a light background, and read notes out as they go up so everyone can follow, including anyone with a visual impairment. Put the sheets at a height that seated participants and wheelchair users can reach, or collect notes and stick them up yourself. Offer to write for anyone who finds writing difficult, and let people share ideas out loud if they’d rather.
Online, set up three columns on a shared whiteboard, slide or document. Give a clear time limit for writing, then talk through each column together. If you need anonymous feedback, use a tool that doesn’t show who added each note, or collect ideas in an anonymous form before the session.
