Circular Interview
By debriefing an experience, participants gain a deeper personal awareness and understanding of any learnings that took place, which they can draw on in future experiences. This activity facilitates both personal and group reflection while involving some team building elements.
STEP 1: Have your group sit in a circle.
STEP 2: Instruct the first individual to ask the individual sitting opposite 2 OPEN questions:
- The initial query should cover anything pertaining to the objectives and expected results of the session
- The second query should be based on the partner’s answer to the first question, allowing both people to expand their understanding of the event
STEP 3: Once the first pair finishes, the participant sitting to the right of the questioner will be invited to ask another two questions to the person opposite.
STEP 4: Repeat until the circle is finished and everyone has either questioned, or answered, 2 questions.
Example questions for the Circular Interview:
Tips
Encourage participants to ask open questions. See our list of example questions below to get ideas!
Creating a Memorable Debrief. (N.D.).WorkSMART Blog. https://blog.trainerswarehouse.com/debrief-tools-for-processing-and-memory.
What Is Debriefing and How Is It Done? (N.D.). JUMP! https://experience.jumpfoundation.org/what-is-debriefing-and-why-should-we-debrief/.
The 4 Questions to Ask When You Debrief on a Project (N.D.). https://hbr.org/tip/2015/10/the-4-questions-to-ask-when-you-debrief-on-a-project