Passing Notecards

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Collect answers and leads to open team questions rapidly without vocal interruptions or broadcast messaging.

Use it when: Use when onboarding a group, mapping hidden knowledge across a department, or demonstrating how open information sharing compares to siloed communication.

Skip it when: Skip when the open questions require deep private reflection, involve sensitive personal details, or when participants lack common context.

Group arrangement: Whole group seated in a circle or around connected tables so cards can pass freely across the group.

Timing: Relationship Makers Handbook suggests 5 to 15 minutes; structured here at 15 minutes to allow brief setup, card circulation, and debrief.

Materials and tools

• Large index cards (5x8 inch recommended), roughly 1 to 2 cards per person
• 1 pen or fine marker per participant
• 1 timer

Before participants arrive

1. Write 1 concrete organizational or team question at the top of each index card (for example, 'Who knows how to request a testing environment?' or 'Who has the heaviest pet?').
2. Arrange seating so participants can hand cards to adjacent peers or reach across the table without standing.

Say this to open

We are going to answer real group questions through silent passing. I will distribute several cards with a question written at the top. When you receive a card, read it. If you have an answer, a partial lead, or know who to talk to, write it down concisely on the card. If you do not have an answer, simply pass it along to your neighbor or toward someone you think might know. The entire round runs in complete silence.

How to run it

1. Set instructions and deal cards 2 minutes

   Speak the opening script. Deal 1 card to every participant, or place a central stack if running with fewer cards than people. Remind everyone that silence starts as soon as cards begin moving.

2. Circulate cards silently 7 minutes

   Start the timer. Participants read their card, write answers, notes, or peer names, and hand the card to another participant. Anyone who cannot answer passes the card immediately. Participants may target a card to a specific person across the circle if they suspect that person holds the answer. Stop when cards have circulated through the whole group or when the timer rings.

3. Review card results 3 minutes

   Ask participants to stop passing. Invite 3 to 4 volunteers holding cards to read the question aloud and summarize the answers collected on their card.

4. Debrief crowdsourcing speed 3 minutes

   Lead a whole-room debrief on information flow. Hear from 2 or 3 participants using the debrief questions.

Debrief questions

• How quickly did cards find the right person or accumulate useful leads?
• What happened when a card reached someone who did not know the answer?
• How does this silent, visible method compare to sending an email broadcast to a whole team?

Finished output: A set of index cards filled with crowdsourced answers, leads, and validated peer contacts for open questions.

Remote

Use a shared digital whiteboard (such as Miro or Mural) or a shared document with cards arranged in a grid. Each digital card has one question at the top. Participants move down the grid in silence, typing brief notes or tagging colleagues (@name) under the questions for 7 minutes before verbal review.

Hybrid

All participants, in-person and remote, post and read from a shared digital card board using personal laptops. Remote participants type onto digital cards while in-person participants do the same, keeping everyone visible and equally able to contribute simultaneously in silence.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may pass any card immediately without writing anything.
• Provide large index cards with thick pens for participants with motor or visual impairments, or allow typing into a shared document.
• Participation in reading answers aloud during the review step is voluntary.

If the session gets stuck

Participants start talking or whispering to explain questions.

Gently tap the table and hold up a hand to remind the room to stay entirely silent; instruct them to write their questions or clarifications directly on the card.

A card gets stuck with one person who takes too long thinking.

Remind the room that partial leads, names of other people, or an immediate pass are all completely acceptable.

Terms used here

• Crowdsourcing: Obtaining needed information or input by soliciting contributions from a large group of people.