Round Robin • WorkshopBank
Space: A room where participants can sit in a circle or around a table Enough table space for writing if using the written variant A flip chart or whiteboard visible to all (for the verbal variant, to capture ideas) Wall space for posting and clustering ideas afterwards
How to run it
- Write your brainstorming question or problem statement on a flip chart and place it where everyone can see it. Make the question specific. "How might we reduce customer wait times by 50%?" works better than "How can we improve customer service?"
- Arrange chairs in a circle or around a table. If using a table, make sure it is round or oval so everyone can see each other. Avoid rectangular tables where people at the ends feel disconnected.
- Decide whether you will use the verbal or written variant before the session starts. Choose verbal when you want speed and energy. Choose written when you want more thoughtful, building-on-each-other contributions or when hierarchy is a concern.
- Decide the direction of rotation (clockwise is standard) and the number of rounds you plan to run.
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Prompts to use +
Write your brainstorming question or problem statement on a flip chart and place it where everyone can see it. Make the question specific. "How might we reduce customer wait times by 50%?" works better than "How can we improve customer service?"
Arrange chairs in a circle or around a table. If using a table, make sure it is round or oval so everyone can see each other. Avoid rectangular tables where people at the ends feel disconnected.
Decide whether you will use the verbal or written variant before the session starts. Choose verbal when you want speed and energy. Choose written when you want more thoughtful, building-on-each-other contributions or when hierarchy is a concern.
Decide the direction of rotation (clockwise is standard) and the number of rounds you plan to run.
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: Round Robin • WorkshopBank. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Write your brainstorming question or problem statement on a flip chart and place it where everyone can see it. Make the question specific. "How might we reduce customer wait times by 50%?" works better than "How can we improve customer service?"; Arrange chairs in a circle or around a table. If using a table, make sure it is round or oval so everyone can see each other. Avoid rectangular tables where people at the ends feel disconnected.; Decide whether you will use the verbal or written variant before the session starts. Choose verbal when you want speed and energy. Choose written when you want more thoughtful, building-on-each-other contributions or when hierarchy is a concern.; Decide the direction of rotation (clockwise is standard) and the number of rounds you plan to run.. 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 WorkshopBank; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including WorkshopBank.)
- 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.