The W.I.T. Model for Debriefing Team Initiatives
By Cher Holton, Ph.D., CSP, CMC

It has been said that participants never question their own data. That's what makes the debriefing phase of any team activity the most crucial to a facilitator's success. If the activity is just fun, participants will leave saying, "Sure it was fun, but what was the point?"

As a facilitator, you can never assume that participants will "get it." The debriefing phase is what separates the pros from the rookies, and the best of the best know how to draw the magical "a-ha's" from the participants themselves.

The W.I.T. Model is a simple, yet powerful way to facilitate the debriefing of a team activity ... and it is easy to remember because the word W.I.T. reminds you that you have to keep a sense of humor! Here's how it works:

W = WHAT (specific descriptions)
Encourage participants to begin processing what happened in the activity. For example, how did the team respond to the instructions? How did the team approach the activity? What roles emerged, and who filled them? What was the level of involvement and commitment to success among team members? How did we communicate with one another?
The goal during this phase of the debrief is to get people talking about the activity in a risk-free way, generating observations of what happened.

I = Impact (how the 'whats' affected the result)
During this phase, participants begin discussing how the actions and behaviors of team members impacted the overall result. For example, what behaviors helped us achieve success? Where were a-ha moments, and how were they incorporated into the work of the team? What communication issues created problems? How were disagreements and diverse opinions handled? What worked - and why? What got in the way - and how could we avoid it in the future?
The goal during this phase is to create a deeper discussion, helping team members to recognize the impact of their behaviors on each other and on the final result.

T = Transfer (how this is like what happens at work)
This is the most critical phase of the debrief, and the one most often overlooked by inexperienced facilitators. This is where the rubber meets the road! During this phase, participants discuss how what they have learned relates back to the 'real life' work situations. For example, where do you see similar behaviors in a work setting? Where do we see similar behaviors? What did we learn from this experience that could transfer back to our job setting, and help us work more effectively and productively?

With each phase of the W.I.T. Debrief Process, the level of intensity and risk increases. As a facilitator, your job is to let the participants 'lead the dance,' and be responsive to whatever input they provide. Your role is to craft the debrief session so participants leave recognizing they have been involved in a powerful experience that transforms the way they approach their work. By using the W.I.T. Model, you can achieve this while maintaining your wonderful sense of humor! And that's really when the best learning takes place, after all!

"OH, NO -- DO I HAVE TO?":
Three Alternatives to Role Plays
By Cher Holton, Ph.D., CSP, CMC

From the time I began to study the art of training, I was told that participants loved role plays, and it was imperative to use them in training sessions. As I got involved in conducting training, my participants told me a whole different story. Whenever role plays were mentioned, I heard a collective groan throughout the room, sprinkled with whispered phrases like: "Oh, no--do I have to?", or "Here we go again -- yawn!", or even "This is where I go out and make my phone calls."

I learned very quickly that, while the concept of role plays is excellent, the execution in the classroom is usually far from successful. There are three basic reasons why I stopped using role plays in my training sessions:

• Participants do not want to make fools of themselves in front of peers;


• It is extremely difficult to develop realistic, relevant role plays that everyone can relate to; and
• Unless participants are quite good in the art of acting, it's tough to achieve the level of difficulty that allows real practice of techniques.

With that experience, I began searching for alternatives that would achieve the same goals as role plays without the problems. Here are three excellent techniques to spice up your training sessions, apply the techniques, and get real commitment and involvement from your participants.

Switch and Solve Case Studies -

This activity has three parts. Begin by dividing the group into small work teams. Each team develops a specific case study around a problem they are experiencing on the job. (Of course, names and details are changed to protect the guilty.) I provide a worksheet to guide the group in writing the case study in enough detail to make it interesting and specific.

In part two, I take the case studies and switch them, so the work team solving each case is different from the team who prepared it.

Part three involves each work team presenting their case, and recommendations for solution, to the total group. Each team has the option of presenting as they wish. (A few teams actually choose role plays for their presentation.)

Me Against the World Role Play -

This technique takes advantage of the benefits of a role play, without the problems. As facilitator, I take on the role of the "tough guy" (i.e., the irate customer; the problem employee). The whole group takes the other role. I set the stage (or the group together can generate the situation) and throw out the first line. Anyone can jump in with the response -- to which I respond - and on and on. This gives me the opportunity of making the situation as difficult as I want, and lets me guide the process so the group uses the techniques appropriately. And no one is ever put "on the spot."

You can build on this technique by playing some "what-if's" along with it. For example, once the group responds to one of your comments, you can say "What if I had said this?..." or "What other way could you respond to that comment?"

Table Topics -

This is a great technique when there are several key topics being discussed in your training session. I develop tent cards with a key topic listed on each one (i.e., in a manager's course, you might include such topics as: Motivating Employees; Handling Poor Work Habits; Coaching; etc.) Participants select their preferred table. Once a table is full, participants must select a different table. (This is a great way to get folks back on time after a break!)

At the table, the group discusses their topic, and prepares to give a briefing to the entire class. You can guide the tables by providing a list of questions to consider, or a case study to discuss around the topic, etc. A spin-off on this idea is to use a "Meet the Pros" approach. Each table has a "Pro" on that topic (perhaps someone from the class, or representatives from the company, etc.). Participants have a chance to move among the tables and share their issues, concerns. I have found this particularly effective as a wrap-up for an in-house training series. It brings closure to everything, and gives company executives an opportunity to participate and demonstrate support of the program. It is excellent to do as the last event, followed by lunch, dinner or a social hour.

Debriefing:

The secret to success, no matter what technique you use, is the de-briefing. Unless participants see the value of what they just did, it will be considered a waste of time! So build in enough time to thoroughly discuss the activity, and relate it to the real world. You'll find your participants are excited, motivated to participate, and asking for more of YOU as their trainer! Happy Alternatives!