# Superlatives

Participants review a list of lighthearted, positive awards and vote on which teammate best fits each description. The group tallies choices to celebrate everyday traits and skills.

**Time:** 15 minutes. 15 minutes, matching the source documentation.
**People:** 5 to 24. Whole group with individual voting or nominations

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Acknowledge individual strengths and working habits across a team using brief, lighthearted peer nominations.
**Use it when:** Use during team retrospectives, milestone celebrations, or recurring team meetings where members know each other well enough to recognize habits.
**Skip it when:** Skip with newly formed groups or strangers who lack shared history to make informed, kind choices.

## Materials and tools

- A displayed list of 4 to 6 positive superlative prompts
- Scratch paper and pens for in-person voting, or a digital live polling tool for remote and hybrid teams
- A timer

## Before participants arrive

1. Select 4 to 6 categories from the participant materials or create team-specific items.
2. Load categories into a digital polling tool or write them clearly on a visible board.
3. Ensure every participant's preferred name is visible on a roster or screen.

## Say this to open

We are going to hand out a few positive, work-friendly superlatives today. For each award, think about who best fits the description and cast your vote. Keep your choices kind and constructive. You may vote for a teammate or yourself, or you may pass on any round.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce rules and categories (3 minutes)

Explain the voting method: private ballot via poll tool or paper slip. State the guardrail rule: each person can win a maximum of one award today. If someone who already won receives top votes in a later round, the award passes to the runner-up.

### 2. Vote on categories (6 minutes)

Present the categories one at a time. Give 45 to 60 seconds per item for participants to submit a name. For example, present 'Best person to have on a trivia team' and collect responses.

### 3. Announce awards and brief stories (4 minutes)

Reveal the recipient for each award. Invite one voter per category to share a 15-second concrete example of why they cast that vote. Recipient acceptance is brief.

### 4. Debrief appreciation patterns (2 minutes)

Ask the group one debrief question to close. Invite two or three volunteers to answer for the room.


## Debrief questions

- What positive qualities showed up today that we rarely talk about during regular work?
- How can we make informal peer recognition a regular habit without needing an organized poll?

**Finished output:** A shared list of awarded superlatives with short peer commendations.

## Remote

Present each category using an online polling tool or direct chat messages sent to the facilitator. Display final tallies on screen before inviting spoken comments.

## Hybrid

In-person and remote participants both use the same digital polling link or message the facilitator directly to keep voting anonymous and simultaneous across locations.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may submit a blank vote or opt out of receiving an award by notifying the facilitator privately before the session.
- Provide written category text on screen and read each aloud for visual and auditory access.

## If the session gets stuck

**One or two highly visible team members receive nearly all the votes.**

Enforce the one-award-per-person cap and award the runner-up, or prompt the group to name someone whose contributions happen behind the scenes.

**A superlative prompt feels sarcastic or exclusionary to a participant.**

Stick strictly to neutral, work-safe categories from the provided list, avoiding commentary on appearance, punctuality, or personal habits.


## Terms used here

- Superlative: An award or label describing someone as having a high degree of a specific trait, such as 'most organized' or 'best troubleshooter'.

## Participant material: Sample Superlative Categories

1. Most likely to have a secret useful talent
2. Best person to have on a trivia team
3. Calmest navigator during an unexpected deadline crunch
4. Most thorough documenter or note-taker
5. Quickest to offer help when someone gets stuck
6. Best curated meeting background or desk setup

## Sources and adaptation

Observed on Icebreaker-Games.org under the title Superlatives. Original authorship is unstated.

Retained the core mechanic of positive 'most likely to' team awards and voting options from the Icebreaker-Games.org source. Added specific category prompts, a one-award ceiling to prevent popularity contests, explicit turn times for 15 minutes, and a structured debrief.

[Icebreaker-Games.org](https://icebreaker-games.org/superlatives)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/superlatives-fun-team-awards-morale-booster/