The call for a "Sailboat" alternative

The sailboat exercise is great. It can be used as a full-on exercise or as an ice-breaker. I've written about this in the past.

But now I'd like to introduce another way to use it. However, this is not just another way to use it. It's a whole other way of using it.

Allow me to explain:

The sailboat exercise asks people to share the good things that are pulling the organization forward and the challenges that are weighing the organization down. In my experience, I've found it hard to get people to share things that are negative -- especially when their bosses are in the same room. Having people write on sticky notes anonymously helps. But to ease everyone's nerves and really get them sharing openly...

Well, here's an alternative, and I'd love to hear how fellow facilitators are using it.

Instead of asking:

"What's pulling us forward and what's weighing us down?"

Ask:

"What do you currently like and what do you wish would be different?"

This is inspired by the book Creative Confidence by the Kelley brothers.

22 comments