Three G Debrief

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

• 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).