Thirty-five for Debriefing
This activity helps participants reflect on a past experience and extract key lessons. It encourages structured sharing that focuses on meaningful takeaways from previous sessions.
How to run it
- 1
Brief the participants on the process.
- 2
Ask participants to recall a past experience and write a lesson learned on an index card, ensuring it is clear and concise.
- 3
Set a time limit for writing, then have participants reflect on and appreciate their own lessons.
- 4
Instruct participants to exchange their cards while keeping the content hidden, continuing until you signal them to stop.
- 5
Have participants pair up with someone nearby.
- 6
Each pair compares the lessons on their cards and allocates seven points between them based on merit.
- 7
Collect the cards for the next round of sharing.
Tips
Encourage participants to think deeply about their lessons before writing them down.
Remind them that brief, clear statements are often the most powerful.
Be attentive to the energy in the room and adjust the pace as needed.
Variations
You can adapt the scoring system to allow for team discussions or group evaluations if the group is large.
Where it fits
Frequently asked questions
When should I use Thirty-five for Debriefing?â–¾
Use Thirty-five for Debriefing when you want to: team reflection; project debrief; training feedback; lesson sharing; learning assessment.
How long does Thirty-five for Debriefing take?â–¾
Thirty-five for Debriefing typically takes 15–30 minutes.
How many participants does Thirty-five for Debriefing work for?â–¾
Thirty-five for Debriefing works best for groups of 10 or more.
What materials do I need for Thirty-five for Debriefing?â–¾
Thirty-five for Debriefing requires no special materials — just participants and a space.
How difficult is Thirty-five for Debriefing to facilitate?â–¾
Thirty-five for Debriefing is rated intermediate — some facilitation experience is helpful.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from SessionLab. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.