8.2 Activity: Appreciations
Use this to close an iteration, release, or project retrospective.
Purpose
To allow team members to notice and appreciate each other. End the retrospective on a positive note.
Time Needed
Five to thirty minutes, depending on the size of the group.
Description
Team members appreciate other team members for helping them, contributing, to the team, solving a problem, etc. Offering an appreciation is optional ( The Satir Model: Family Therapy and Beyond [Sat91]).
Steps
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Introduce the activity by saying, “As we end, let’s take this opportunity to notice and appreciate how others have contributed during this session and during the iteration/release/project.”
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Demonstrate the form with a team member. Even though it’s a demonstration, choose a person that you can speak to sincerely.
Say the name and then say, “I appreciate you for__________.” Fill in the blank with something about the person or something he or she did. You can briefly describe the impact on you.
Here’s an example: “Jody, I appreciate you for helping me learn the X feature. You really helped me get up to speed.”
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Sit down. Wait. Someone will offer an appreciation. When the appreciations slow down, wait. Allow silence. Some people need time to work up to this.
Close when a minute or so has passed with no one speaking up.
Materials and Preparation
None. You may want to write the form on a flip chart or white board.
Example
One time when we explained this activity in a ...
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