Purpose

The Circles and Soup Retrospective helps teams distinguish between what they can directly control (inner circle), what they can influence (outer circle), and what they can only respond to (the soup). By sorting issues into these three zones, teams avoid wasting energy on things outside their control and focus improvement efforts where they have real leverage.

At a glance

• Group size: 3–12 people
• Duration: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Facilitation style: Structured
• Setting: Both / Remote-friendly

How to run

1. Draw three concentric zones: inner circle (team controls), outer circle (team influences), soup (team can only respond to).
2. Silent brainstorming: participants write issues, observations, and improvements on sticky notes (5 minutes).
3. Each person places notes in the appropriate zone and explains briefly (8 minutes).
4. Discuss items in the inner circle first — these are the highest-leverage improvements (7 minutes).
5. For influence and soup items, agree on strategies (who to talk to, how to adapt) and pick 1–2 actions (5 minutes).

Materials needed

• Whiteboard with three concentric circles drawn
• Sticky notes
• Markers
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Putting everything in the soup to avoid responsibility — challenge gently: is this really outside your influence?
• Ignoring the soup entirely — acknowledge it so people feel heard, then focus energy on control and influence.
• Not differentiating between control and influence — control means the team can act unilaterally; influence requires collaboration.

Inclusion & accessibility

• This framework empowers team members who feel helpless about systemic issues by validating the soup.
• Use clear labels and examples for each zone.
• Allow discussion about zone placement — reasonable people may disagree.

Variations

• Circles of Control: simplify to two zones (control vs. no control).
• Action by Zone: create a specific action plan for each zone type.
• Stakeholder Circles: map which stakeholders can help with influence-zone items.

When NOT to use this

• When the team needs an emotional or creative exercise rather than an analytical one.
• When most issues are clearly within the team's control and the framework adds unnecessary complexity.

Source & further reading

• Diana Larsen, inspired by Stephen Covey's Circle of Concern/Influence.
• Retromat (retromat.org).