ESVP – Explorer, Buyer, Holidaymaker, Prisoner

ESVP is an opening activity for retrospectives described by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen in Agile Retrospectives. Each participant anonymously indicates their mindset regarding the session: Explorer, Buyer, Holidaymaker, or Prisoner. The group then visualises the distribution in the form of a histogram and draws concrete implications for the session. The activity serves to name the level of engagement without exposing individuals, allowing for adjustments in facilitation from the outset.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Set the framework and intention

   2 min

   The facilitator presents the exercise as an opening thermometer, not as an evaluation of individuals. They say: "Before we begin, I invite you to anonymously indicate your mindset for this session. The goal is to see the collective energy and adapt our way of working." Participants listen without debating at this stage. The facilitator emphasises that all responses are legitimate, including disengagement.

   Tip — Explicitly announce that no one will try to guess who said what: this makes an honest response possible, especially for the Prisoner category.

2. 2

   Explain the 4 ESVP postures

   3 min

   The facilitator displays or states the four possible choices. "Explorer: eager to discover new ideas. Buyer: looking at what is available, happy to leave with a useful idea. Holidaymaker: not very interested in the session but glad to be away from daily work. Prisoner: feels obliged to be here." They ask everyone to choose the posture that best corresponds to their current mindset. They clarify that there is no need to justify their choice.

   Tip — Read the definitions slowly and without irony, using the same tone for all four categories, so as not to make one response socially more acceptable than another.

3. 3

   Vote anonymously

   2 min

   Each participant receives a piece of paper or uses an equivalent anonymous online method. The facilitator says: "Just note E, A, H, or P, or the full word if you prefer. Fold your paper before handing it in. Do not sign or add comments." Participants choose individually, without discussion. Anonymity protects sincere expression and prevents the more reserved from aligning with the group.

   Tip — In person, distribute identical papers and ask for them to be folded before collection; differences in format or visible writing can undermine anonymity.

4. 4

   Collect and build the histogram

   3 min

   The facilitator collects all the papers, mixes them, and then counts the responses in front of the group. They draw four columns titled Explorer, Buyer, Holidaymaker, and Prisoner, then add a mark or a post-it for each response in the corresponding column. They simply announce the observed results, without psychological commentary. Participants look at the collective snapshot of the available engagement for the session.

   Tip — Count aloud but remain neutral: avoid reactions like "phew" or "ouch", which can turn the result into a judgement.

5. 5

   Preserve anonymity

   1 min

   Once the histogram is created, the facilitator destroys the papers. They say: "We keep the collective result, not the individual traces." In person, they tear the papers in front of the group; remotely, they delete individual responses if the tool allows or avoid keeping a nominative view. This gesture materialises the anonymity contract and strengthens trust for the future.

   Tip — Carry out the destruction immediately after counting, not at the end of the workshop: the group sees that anonymity is not just a promise.

6. 6

   Elicit implications for the session

   4 min

   The facilitator asks: "Looking at this histogram, what does it imply for our session? What do we need to make this time useful?" Participants suggest possible adjustments: pace, level of detail, topics to address, participation rules, or vigilance on energy. The facilitator notes useful proposals and reformulates them into simple commitments. The goal is to transform the diagnosis into shared responsibility.

   Tip — If the group comments on the individuals presumed behind the votes, immediately redirect to the collective: "We are not looking for who, we are looking for what to do with this information."

7. 7

   Close the opening and launch the session

   1 to 2 min

   The facilitator synthesises in one or two sentences what has been decided based on the result. They might say: "We have seen that the energy is diverse; therefore, we will aim for concrete outcomes and regularly check that it remains useful." Participants know that their mindset has been taken into account without being exposed. The facilitator then transitions to the main retrospective or training activity.

   Tip — Keep the histogram visible during the session if it helps, but do not use it as a label for the group; it describes a starting point, not an identity.

Variants

• At the beginning of the training, use ESVP to open the group before the content: then ask what the result implies for the pace, examples, and expected level of participation.
• Remotely, have participants vote via an anonymous tool, then share only the distribution in the form of four columns. Delete or mask any individual traces before discussing the implications.
• For a small group, the facilitator can build the histogram with marks on a board rather than with post-its, provided they collect and mix the papers before counting.
• If the result shows a strong presence of Prisoners or Holidaymakers, dedicate the discussion of implications to making the session more useful and lighter, rather than asking for justifications.