Feedback: Start, Stop, Continue

Regular, effective feedback is one of the most important ingredients in building constructive relationships and thriving teams. Openness creates trust and trust creates more openness. Feedback exercises aim to support groups to build trust and openness and for individuals to gain self-awareness and insight. Feedback exercises should always be conducted with thoughtfulness and high awareness of group dynamics. This is an exercise for groups or teams that have worked together for some time and are familiar with giving and receiving feedback. It uses the words “stop”, “start” and “continue” to guide the feedback messages.

Time frame
60-120min
Group size
2-40+
Facilitiation lvl
experienced
How experience one should have to lead this exercise
Comfort zone
stretch
How stressful or challenging this exercise can be for the group
Materials
Post-it notes, Pens / Markers

Step 1:
Work in a small team or organize a larger group into groups of around 4 to 6. Groups should have spent significant time working together and have a range of shared experiences to draw from when giving feedback.

Facilitator notes
With newer or less mature groups, use feedback exercises like Current Strongest Impression or I Appreciate… before using this one.
Step 2:
Give the instructions: “Write down the name of the person you are addressing. Complete the two sentences for that person. Use the principles for effective feedback. Sign it with your name.” Tell participants that they should reflect on each of the three prompts (Start, Stop, Continue), but they do not have to use all three if they cannot think of relevant feedback.

“To _____: 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 _____.”
Step 3:
In each smaller group, each participant completes the above sentences using one post-it for each participant in the group. Once all participants in a group are done writing, they deliver the feedback, one-by-one, verbally, handing the post-it note to its addressee afterward.

Staff picks

innovation

Apple-Drawing Ideation

The purpose of this simple exercise is to demonstrate three key principles useful for creativity and idea generation: quantity is a condition for quality; building on the ideas of others; the ideas we come up with are usually all the same. The format is simple, with small groups standing and drawing apples. At the end of the exercise the whole group reflects and draws out learnings and reflections.

action

IDOARRT Meeting Design

IDOARRT is a simple tool to support you to lead an effective meeting or group process by setting out clear purpose, structure and goals at the very beginning. It aims to enable all participants to understand every aspect of the meeting or process, which creates the security of a common ground to start from. The acronym stands for Intention, Desired Outcome, Agenda, Rules, Roles and Responsibilities and Time.

self-leadership

Stinky Fish

A short activity to run early in a program, focused on sharing fears, anxieties and uncertainties related to the program theme. The purpose is to create openness within a group. The stinky fish is a metaphor for "that thing that you carry around but don’t like to talk about; but the longer you hide it, the stinkier it gets." By putting stinky fish (fears and anxieties) on the table, participants begin relate to each other, become more comfortable sharing, and identify a clear area for development and learning.

team

Crocodile River

A team-building activity in which a group is challenged to physically support one another in an endeavor to move from one end of a space to another. It requires working together creatively and strategically in order to solve a practical, physical problem. It tends to emphasize group communication, cooperation, leadership and membership, patience and problem-solving.

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Action Plan Workshop: The Arrow

This workshop aims to help participants define, decide and achieve their goals. By supporting participants to envision where they want to be in a number of years on a holistic level, and defining the steps that will take them there, participants get a clearer picture of the action they need to take.

team

Appreciation Train

This exercise is useful for bringing groups together, to create interpersonal bonds, and to build trust. Participants stand opposite each other and have 30 seconds to give appreciative feedback to the other person. The group rotates until everyone has given feedback to everyone else. It is often used as part of wrap-up activities, to create an energized feeling to leave with.

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Feedback: Start, Stop, Continue

Step 1:

Facilitator notes

Step 2:

Step 3:

Staff picks

Apple-Drawing Ideation

IDOARRT Meeting Design

Stinky Fish

Crocodile River

Action Plan Workshop: The Arrow

Appreciation Train

I want to know more about using these tools and the Hyper Island methods.

Feedback: Start, Stop, Continue

Step 1:

Facilitator notes

Step 2:

Step 3:

Sources and Related

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Staff picks

Apple-Drawing Ideation

IDOARRT Meeting Design

Stinky Fish

Crocodile River

Action Plan Workshop: The Arrow

Appreciation Train

I want to know more about using these tools and the Hyper Island methods.