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Exercises/Reflection and Learning/Three G Debrief
Team Reflection ยท Reflection and Learning

Three G Debrief

Participants talk in small groups of two to four, sharing responses to three prompts: what is Good, what is Goofy, and what Goal they are pursuing. Each person chooses how much detail to share or passes on any prompt.

10 minutesTIME
4 to 24 peopleGROUP SIZE
In person, Remote, HybridSETTING
2 materialsMATERIALS
Planning pillar: Learning Transfer UWT groups this reflection and learning activity under Learning Transfer in its Gathering Effectiveness planning framework.

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Exchange personal perspectives and immediate goals among peers through structured conversation prompts.

Use it when: Use at the midpoint or end of a workshop to ground personal reflection, transition between tasks, or build rapport among teammates.

Skip it when: Skip when a session requires strictly depersonalized technical focus or when participants lack the psychological safety to share light personal facts.

Group arrangement: Small groups of 2 to 4 participants

Timing: Source suggests 2 to 5 minutes of talking; UWT sets 10 minutes to allow clear framing, equal speaking turns, and a brief whole-room debrief.

Materials and tools

Before participants arrive

  1. Display the three prompts on a shared screen, whiteboard, or printed card: Good, Goofy, Goal.

Say this to open

We will do a quick three-part reflection called the Three G Debrief. You will talk in groups of three. You will respond to three questions: What is good in your life or work right now? What is goofy or quirky about you? What goal are you aiming to achieve? You decide how deep to go, and you can pass on any question you prefer to keep private.

How to run it

  1. Form groups and frame prompts 2 minutes

    Direct participants into groups of three (pairs or fours if numbers require). Point to the displayed prompts: Good, Goofy, Goal. Give a neutral example for each prompt so expectations are clear.

  2. Individual reflection 1 minutes

    Give participants 60 seconds of silent thinking time. They may jot down thoughts on scratch paper or simply decide what they want to say.

  3. Small group sharing 5 minutes

    Start group conversations. Each person takes roughly 90 seconds to answer the prompts they choose to share. Peers listen without interrupting or giving advice. Signal when half the time has passed so groups manage their turns.

  4. Whole-room debrief 2 minutes

    Reconvene the full group. Ask one or two debrief questions. Invite 2 or 3 volunteers to respond to the room.

Debrief questions

Finished output: Shared spoken reflections across small groups, with optional personal notes kept by participants.

Remote

Create breakout rooms of 3 people. Paste the three prompts into the chat before opening rooms. Set a broadcast announcement at 2.5 minutes to remind groups to switch speakers. Allow people to post responses in chat if mic use is difficult.

Hybrid

Form onsite pods of 3 and separate remote breakout rooms of 3. Display the prompts on the central room screen and in the video chat. Run the whole-room debrief by calling on one remote participant and one in-person participant.

Access and participation choices

If the session gets stuck

One participant monopolizes the small group conversation.
Set a strict turn rule: each person shares one prompt at a time going clockwise, or use a 90-second per-person time check.
A participant is uncomfortable sharing personal or goofy facts.
Remind the group that goofy can be as simple as an odd desk habit, or they may choose to share two goals instead.

Terms used here

Three G Debrief Prompts

1. Good: What is good in your life or work right now?2. Goofy: What is something goofy, quirky, or lighthearted about you?3. Goal: What is a specific goal you are aiming to achieve?
Live facilitator

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Reference revision: 84a31429a6b53024457d8e55aafdf1f164e89d8b02fc25bf21cb18ceb4f45db8

# Three G Debrief

Participants talk in small groups of two to four, sharing responses to three prompts: what is Good, what is Goofy, and what Goal they are pursuing. Each person chooses how much detail to share or passes on any prompt.

**Time:** 10 minutes. Source suggests 2 to 5 minutes of talking; UWT sets 10 minutes to allow clear framing, equal speaking turns, and a brief whole-room debrief.
**People:** 4 to 24. Small groups of 2 to 4 participants

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Exchange personal perspectives and immediate goals among peers through structured conversation prompts.
**Use it when:** Use at the midpoint or end of a workshop to ground personal reflection, transition between tasks, or build rapport among teammates.
**Skip it when:** Skip when a session requires strictly depersonalized technical focus or when participants lack the psychological safety to share light personal facts.

## Materials and tools

- Visual display or index card showing the 3 G prompts
- Optional scratch paper and pen per participant

## Before participants arrive

1. Display the three prompts on a shared screen, whiteboard, or printed card: Good, Goofy, Goal.

## Say this to open

We will do a quick three-part reflection called the Three G Debrief. You will talk in groups of three. You will respond to three questions: What is good in your life or work right now? What is goofy or quirky about you? What goal are you aiming to achieve? You decide how deep to go, and you can pass on any question you prefer to keep private.

## How to run it

### 1. Form groups and frame prompts (2 minutes)

Direct participants into groups of three (pairs or fours if numbers require). Point to the displayed prompts: Good, Goofy, Goal. Give a neutral example for each prompt so expectations are clear.

### 2. Individual reflection (1 minutes)

Give participants 60 seconds of silent thinking time. They may jot down thoughts on scratch paper or simply decide what they want to say.

### 3. Small group sharing (5 minutes)

Start group conversations. Each person takes roughly 90 seconds to answer the prompts they choose to share. Peers listen without interrupting or giving advice. Signal when half the time has passed so groups manage their turns.

### 4. Whole-room debrief (2 minutes)

Reconvene the full group. Ask one or two debrief questions. Invite 2 or 3 volunteers to respond to the room.


## Debrief questions

- Which of the three prompts was easiest to answer, and why?
- How did hearing your peers' goals shift your perspective on working together?
- What common theme emerged across your group's conversation?

**Finished output:** Shared spoken reflections across small groups, with optional personal notes kept by participants.

## Remote

Create breakout rooms of 3 people. Paste the three prompts into the chat before opening rooms. Set a broadcast announcement at 2.5 minutes to remind groups to switch speakers. Allow people to post responses in chat if mic use is difficult.

## Hybrid

Form onsite pods of 3 and separate remote breakout rooms of 3. Display the prompts on the central room screen and in the video chat. Run the whole-room debrief by calling on one remote participant and one in-person participant.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may answer only one or two of the three prompts without explanation.
- Participants may substitute a work-focused event for personal life under the Good and Goofy prompts.
- Written sharing in chat or on index cards is fully accepted instead of speaking aloud.

## If the session gets stuck

**One participant monopolizes the small group conversation.**

Set a strict turn rule: each person shares one prompt at a time going clockwise, or use a 90-second per-person time check.

**A participant is uncomfortable sharing personal or goofy facts.**

Remind the group that goofy can be as simple as an odd desk habit, or they may choose to share two goals instead.


## Terms used here

- Three Gs: A mnemonic prompt set standing for Good (a positive event or state), Goofy (a lighthearted quirk or habit), and Goal (an active objective).

## Participant material: Three G Debrief Prompts

1. Good: What is good in your life or work right now?
2. Goofy: What is something goofy, quirky, or lighthearted about you?
3. Goal: What is a specific goal you are aiming to achieve?

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo records, where it is attributed to Mark Collard.

Retained the three core prompts (Good, Goofy, Goal) and small group sizing (2 to 4 people) from Mark Collard's Playmeo design. UWT expanded the activity from a 2-5 minute prompt into a 10-minute structured sequence including 1 minute of silent reflection, explicit time boundaries for speaking turns, neutral examples, and access options to prevent forced personal disclosure.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/debriefing-activities/three-g-debrief/)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/debriefing-activities/three-g-debrief)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/structured-reflection-activity-for-sharing-three-g-debrief/

Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo records, where it is attributed to Mark Collard.

Retained the three core prompts (Good, Goofy, Goal) and small group sizing (2 to 4 people) from Mark Collard's Playmeo design. UWT expanded the activity from a 2-5 minute prompt into a 10-minute structured sequence including 1 minute of silent reflection, explicit time boundaries for speaking turns, neutral examples, and access options to prevent forced personal disclosure.

See our editorial policy for AI use, sourcing and corrections.

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