Your Team Can Power Through With These 6 Feedback Exercises
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We already know why effective feedback is key in creating successful teams.
Ever heard of the saying “practice makes permanent”? Help your team work on being able to provide consistent, effective feedback through practice.
Try a couple of the feedback exercises below with your team to start developing this crucial habit. The exercises range from easy, quick 10-minute activities to ones requiring a longer time commitment and more movement. Find the one that’s best for your team!
Current Strongest Impression
Great for: Newer teams or teams in early stages of practicing feedback
Time commitment: Minimum 10 minutes
Materials:
Post its or index cards
Pens
Instructions
Step 1. In a group, give every team member a stack of index cards. Have everyone complete the following two sentences for each team member.
“To _teammate’s name____:
My strongest impression of you up to this point is…
Something I am curious about is... Signed, __your name____ ”
Step 2. Distribute the index cards to whoever it’s addressed to. Each person reads their card aloud and shares their thoughts.
Start, Stop, Continue
Great for: Teams in early stages of providing real feedback
Time commitment: Minimum 15 minutes
Materials:
Post its or index cards
Pens
Instructions
Step 1. In a group, give every team member a stack of index cards. Have everyone complete the following two sentences for each team member.
“To _teammate’s name_: Something I would like you to START doing is... Something I would like you to STOP doing is... Something I would like you to CONTINUE doing is... Signed __your name___.”
Step 2. Distribute the index cards to whoever it’s addressed to. Each person reads their card aloud and shares their thoughts.
Team Findings
Great for: Longer established teams needing practice providing real feedback
Time commitment: Minimum 15 minutes
Materials:
Index cards
Pens
Instructions
Step 1. In a group, give every team member a stack of index cards. Everyone has two minutes to write down feedback (both strengths and areas of improvement) for each team member.
Step 2. Distribute the index cards to whoever it’s addressed to. Everyone spends 5 minutes looking over the feedback they received. Look for potential patterns, what needs clarification, and how it makes you feel.
Step 3. Each person shares their findings using this framework:
1. A trend I noticed in the feedback I received is…
2. This feedback is similar (dissimilar) to other feedback I have received in the past…
3. One piece of feedback I’d like to inquire more about is…
Like, Like, Like
Great for: Teammates to practice providing real feedback to each other
Time commitment: Minimum 20 minutes
Materials:
None
Instructions
Step 1. The team creates two lines facing each other. One line will be A, one will be B.
Step 2. First, each person in line A tells the person in front of them in line B what they like about Person B’s behavior using this sentence structure, “I like that...___some sort of behavior___.” For example, “I like that you have such a great sense of humor.”
Step 3. Person A then tells Person B what they would like to see more of in his/her behavior: “I would like you to…___action/behavior you would like to see more of___.”
For example, I would like you to show up on time more to meetings. Sometimes you can be a bit late and I think people will appreciate it when they can rely on you.”
Step 4. Person B responds with what he/she thinks will happen if they were to do more of what Person A suggested: “If I...___did the action/behavior Person A would like to see more of___, then I would be like...___outcome from the action/behavior___.”
For example, “If I would show up on time more often, then I would be like someone can trust and they will pay more attention to what I have to say.”
Step 5. Reverse the roles.
Step 6. Every person in row A moves to their right by one person. Repeat steps 1-6 until every person has provided feedback with each other.
Find the Ball
Great for: Learning the value of providing and receiving feedback.
Time commitment: Minimum 30 minutes
Materials:
One ball
Instructions
Step 1. Ask for 4 volunteers to leave the room. Let them know they will be asked to come back into the room one by one. Write each person’s name on a separate sheet of paper.
Step 2. Provide the remaining team, a.k.a “coaches” with these instructions:
The 4 who left the room will be asked to come back into the room one at a time, complete their mission, then leave the room again. The goal is for them to find the ball within the room, which the remaining team will hide. Each ball seeker will be provided different levels of feedback by the coaches:
Volunteer #1 = Silent Feedback
Coaches are required to be silent and motionless.
Volunteer #2 = Negative Feedback
Coaches are to provide only negative feedback. Think of comments a person might receive from another individual who is not satisfied with the person’s level of work. For example, “you can do better than that” or “you’re taking too long”. The feedback should not offer any clues or direction to where the ball is.
Volunteer #3 = Positive Feedback
Coaches are to provide only positive, generic feedback. For example, “great job”, “we believe in you”, or “fantastic work”. The feedback should not offer any clues or direction to where the ball is.
Volunteer #4 = Specific Feedback
Coaches are to provide specific clues and are able to respond to yes/no questions.
Step 3. Ask the coaches to decide which volunteer will receive each type of feedback. Be mindful about which volunteer is to receive negative feedback. Although this is an exercise, it still might be upsetting to certain individuals.
Step 4. Have a coach hide the ball somewhere in the room. Then invite volunteer #1 back to find the ball. Allow each volunteer 3 minutes to search while the coaches provide feedback based on the instructions provided in step 2. Have the volunteer leave the room after their time is up. Repeat this step for volunteers #2, #3, and #4.
Step 5. All volunteers and coaches will come back together for the volunteers to discuss the following questions:
How did you feel while looking for the ball?
What did you think/feel as a result of the feedback you received?
How did the feedback you received affect your performance?
What did the feedback you received prompt you to think/feel about
the other folk in the room who were giving it?
If this was the type of feedback that you received every day, how do
you think it would impact your desire and/or ability to keep yourself
and your teammates safe?
Toss Me Some Feedback
Great for: Learning the value of providing and receiving feedback.
Time commitment: Minimum 40 minutes
Materials:
Small balls or bean bags
Blindfolds
Buckets or empty boxes
Tape
Instructions
The teams will consist of one tosser, one retriever, one scorekeeper and one assistant. Teams earn points by having the tosser land the ball in the basket/bucket. The goal is to earn the most points. Here are the roles for each team:
Tosser: Blindfolded and stands behind the start line. They must attempt to throw as many balls in the bucket possible.
Retriever: Retrieves the balls and throws it back to the assistant.
Assistant: Gives the ball back to the tosser.
Scorekeeper: Adds up the successful tosses (score) for each round.
Step 1. Form teams of four. Each team gets one blindfold, one ball, and one bucket. Each team will place their box/bucket on the floor and use the tape to create a starting line at least 10 feet away.
Step 2. Have the teams decide each person’s role. The tosser stands behind the start line and puts on the blindfold.
Step 3. Play three rounds with 10 minutes each. The tosser remains the same person all three rounds. If possible, rotate roles and repeat all three rounds so each person experiences being the tosser.
Round 1 = No talking.
Play the first round without any talking. The tosser tries to throw the ball into the box/bucket without any feedback.
Round 2 = Limited Instruction
In the second round, the tosser can ask questions. However, the other teammates can only answer with yes or no.
Round 3 = Full Instruction
All the teammates are able to communicate freely in the last round. Teammates are allowed to provide specific feedback to help the tosser as much as possible.
Step 4. Round up the teams to discuss the following questions to the tosser:
How challenging was it to not receive any feedback? How did you overcome the lack of support from your team?
Did you notice any difference in performance and see any improvements between the rounds?
How did you feel being blindfolded? Did you always trust your team with the feedback?
Can anyone identify a time in the workplace/school/project etc when you have observed others make a mistake and simply watched, or you have offered to support and help them?
What type of feedback was the most effective? What would make it more effective?
Did you get frustrated at any point?
Did you as a team get better with every new person that took up the role of tosser?
What’s the difference between communication and effective communication
Looking back on the exercise, is there anything you will take away or you have learned?
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