The Importance of Feedback

Here is a great activity to test your feedback skills:

 The feedback figure

This feedback game is used to demonstrate the value of checking whether you heard correctly.

This training game is played in pairs. It is played in two rounds. The seating for this training game are pairs of chairs are placed around the room giving the participants the room to spread out. The chairs have their back to each other. So when participants are seated they will have their backs to each other.

In the pairs one of the participants is assigned the letter name A and the other is assigned the letter name B.

All the 'A's in this training game are given the following figure on a paper. 

The 'B's in this training game are given an empty sheet of paper and a pen or a pencil. This is the first round. The 'A's are expected to communicate to 'B' the figure in their hands so that the 'B's are able to draw an exact replica on the sheet given to them.

In this round of the feedback game a constraint is introduced. The 'B's are told not to speak while playing this round of the training game. They have just to listen and draw according to the instructions by 'A'.

After everybody has finished playing the round the 'B's share their version of the figure with the 'A's. Very rarely does anybody get the figure right. There's quite a bit of laughter at the copies of the figure that the 'B's have made.

In the next round of this feedback game the 'A's are given a second figure.This time the 'B's are given the opportunity to speak and check with the 'A's about any instructions that they did not understand. After, they have finished, the 'B' show their figures. In this step of the listening game they discover that except for a couple of mistakes all the reproductions are similar to the above figure

Feedback games: Debrief of this training game - 'feedback figures game'. Using the questions:

'How do you feel?' and 'What are you learning?'

have the group reflect on how their 'listening' was better when they sought feedback from the speakers. Drive home the fact that to work effectively in groups feedback is essential.