Stop, start, continue is a structured feedback exercise in which participants identify behaviors or practices the team should stop doing, behaviors it should start doing, and behaviors it should keep doing.
It is most commonly used in team retrospectives, post-project reviews, and manager feedback sessions. Its value is in the concreteness of each category: every item is a named behavior with a clear direction of change.
Key takeaways
- The stop items are where the most execution drag lives. Start there.
- Continue items are as important as the others: they tell the team what is actually working and should not be changed.
- The output is only useful if each item has an owner and a date. A list of observations is not a plan.
- The format works best when everyone contributes before the group discusses, to avoid anchoring on the first voice.
Why it matters
Most retrospectives produce a list of sentiments. Something felt slow. Communication could be better. Ownership was unclear. The stop, start, continue format forces specificity by requiring a verb. “Stop having three status meetings per week and replace with one written update” is something you can actually do. “Communication could be better” is not.
For managers, the format is also a mechanism for receiving structured input about their own behavior. A team asked “what should I stop, start, and continue doing as your manager?” will produce more useful answers than “how am I doing?” The structure removes the awkwardness and gives the team a vocabulary for honest input.
How it works in practice
How to run a stop, start, continue session that produces real change
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Do silent individual writing first
Before any discussion, give participants five to seven minutes to write their own items in each category. This prevents anchoring on whoever speaks first and produces a wider range of input.
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Group and theme the items
After collection, cluster similar items together. If five people write a version of “stop sending last-minute changes before demos,” that is a high-signal item that should be addressed regardless of everything else on the list.
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Prioritize ruthlessly
A session that produces 30 items is a document, not a plan. Pick the top two or three from each category that have the most impact on execution. Let the others be noted but not actioned this cycle.
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Assign an owner to every item you are acting on
For each selected item, name who is responsible for implementing or tracking the change. An item without an owner is a wish. “Merav will send the written update by Monday of each week” is a commitment.
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Review the list at the next retrospective
Open the next session by reviewing what was agreed last time. Which stop items actually stopped? Which start items were tried? This closes the loop and builds confidence that the exercise produces real outcomes.
Common mistakes
Skipping the individual writing phase
When the discussion starts immediately, the first speaker sets the frame. Quiet team members do not contribute. The manager may accidentally dominate. Silent writing first levels the field.
Treating all items as equal
Not all stop, start, continue items have the same impact on execution. A manager who tries to act on everything acts on nothing. Ruthless prioritization of two to three items per category is more effective than a balanced list of twelve.
Using it only for the team, not for the manager
The format is particularly powerful when aimed at the manager. A team that can tell their manager what to stop, start, and continue doing has a healthy feedback channel. Most managers never open that channel.
Holding it without follow-up
A retrospective with no follow-up is venting with structure. The items need owners, dates, and a review point at the next session. Without those, the exercise teaches the team that reflection does not produce change.
What it sounds like
Merav is running a quarterly retrospective with her team. Daniel has just raised a stop item.
“Daniel: I want to put in the stop column: scope changes that come in after Thursday without any conversation about what gets dropped. It breaks the sprint every time.”
“Merav: That is the third time we have seen a version of that item. Let me put it at the top of the stop list and we will figure out a rule today.”
“Guy: The rule I would suggest: anything that comes in after Thursday gets logged, and we decide together on Friday whether it enters this sprint or the next. Who wants to own that?”
Questions managers actually ask
How often should we run a stop, start, continue session?
Quarterly is the standard cadence for most teams. Post-project retrospectives are a good additional trigger. More frequently than monthly, the items start to repeat and the exercise loses urgency.
What is the difference between this and a regular retrospective?
Most retrospectives ask what went well and what did not. Stop, start, continue is more action-oriented. Each item requires a behavior direction: stop, start, or keep. This makes it easier to convert the output into a plan.
Should managers participate or just facilitate?
Both. A manager who participates, including adding their own stop and start items, signals that the exercise applies to everyone. Facilitation-only can feel like the manager is extracting feedback without being subject to it.
How do I handle a stop, start, continue item that I disagree with?
Acknowledge it, understand where it is coming from, and be honest if you are not going to act on it. “I hear that, and here is why I am going to keep that practice for now” is better than ignoring the item or giving false agreement.
What do I do with items that are about individuals rather than team practices?
Route those to a 1:1 or a direct conversation rather than airing them in the group. Stop, start, continue works best on practices and systems, not on interpersonal grievances.
Can I use this format for manager feedback?
Yes, and it is one of the best uses of the format. Ask your team: “What should I stop doing as your manager, what should I start doing, and what should I keep doing?” The structure makes it much easier to answer honestly than an open question.
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