Continuous Improvement Activity For Team Growth - Ducks In A Row
Continuous Improvement Activity For Team Growth - Ducks In A Row is an applied improv exercise for reflection and learning: it helps participants reflect on experience and turn observations into learning.
How to run it
- In advance, source 4 (or more) rubber ducks & optional craft materials.
- As part of a values-based or behavioural norms discussion, introduce the rubber ducks to your group.
- Invite the group to suggest ways to decorate each duck based on the 4 (or more) agreed values or characteristics they would like to aspire (and commit) to.
- For example, your group may decorate one duck as a firefighter to represent the ‘Be Safe’ value.
- When ready, assemble all ducks in a single row facing in one direction.
- Referencing the analogy of “lining all of your ducks in a row,” discuss each of their values or characteristics in regard to your group’s current performance.
- That is to say, when a group is performing well, all of their ducks are lined up in a straight line (row.)
- Invite your group to discuss which one or more of the ducks may be flying high or low or out of line relative to all of the ducks.
- Ducks in a Row Continuous improvement activity to align values & team behaviours.
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Prompts to use +
Invite the group to suggest ways to decorate each duck based on the 4 (or more) agreed values or characteristics they would like to aspire (and commit) to.
Referencing the analogy of “lining all of your ducks in a row,” discuss each of their values or characteristics in regard to your group’s current performance.
Invite your group to discuss which one or more of the ducks may be flying high or low or out of line relative to all of the ducks.
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Continuous Improvement Activity For Team Growth - Ducks In A Row. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Invite the group to suggest ways to decorate each duck based on the 4 (or more) agreed values or characteristics they would like to aspire (and commit) to.; Referencing the analogy of “lining all of your ducks in a row,” discuss each of their values or characteristics in regard to your group’s current performance.; Invite your group to discuss which one or more of the ducks may be flying high or low or out of line relative to all of the ducks.; . Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Playmeo; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Playmeo.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.