Providing Feedback During Team Games Activities

Games and activities provide a useful opportunity for both the trainer and the delegates to provide feedback on behaviour they have observed.  In this article Sarah Cook looks at best practices in giving feedback following a game or activity.

• Explain to delegates prior to the game or activity that they will be expected to provide feedback after the game, so they need to be observant during the activity.
• During the activity, sit to one side and observe the proceedings, make notes about the behaviours you see and hear in each individual and their impact on the task, the procedure, the climate of the group and other people.
• After the activity, provide participants with the answers to the game (if there are any) It allows people to better understand what should have happened.) 
• Often game participants can be so absorbed in the activity that they pay little attention to their behaviours.  Allow people some reflection time to consider the behaviours seen in the group.
• Provide a checklist or questions that you would like each individual in the group to answer about the behaviours they saw or did not see during the activity. 
• Always begin with motivational feedback, ask the group or individual to self-access what they did well.
• Ask the group what other motivational feedback they have, then give your own.  Use words like 'What I liked was'...because....'
• Follow with developmental feedback:  What could you have done differently?  Ask the group for their tips and suggestions for improvement.  Add your own formative feedback.
• Just like motivational feedback, ensure the group's and your own developmental feedback is based on observation, is objective, uses examples and is timely.

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Article by Sarah Cook of the Stairway Consultancy. Specialists in Leadership, Customer Services, Team Building and Personal Effectiveness.

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