by Roger Greenaway

 

Using ropes for debriefing? Are you serious?

Yes! Ropes are a versatile reviewing/debriefing aid. Most methods described in this article can really help to engage people more deeply and productively in the reviewing process. No gimmickry or frivolity or Indian rope tricks! Naturally there will be some surprise and intrigue at first (surely a plus for learning!). And people soon appreciate the practical utility of these methods. Seriously.

 

Why use ropes?

In many methods a rope is simply a way of creating diagrams and graphs that a facilitator or participant might otherwise sketch on paper. For example, Storyline (more details below) is an aid for an individual to reflect on the ups and downs of their experience and share it with others. The flexibility of the rope helps the storyteller make adjustments (no messy crossings out). And the storyteller can walk along the rope (showing their ups and downs) as they tell their story – thus bringing the story more to life both for speakers and audience.

In other methods a rope can be used to help people reflect on their opinions about a recent shared experience. Instead of simply asking people where they stand on an issue, or what is their position, or their point-of-view, you first lay out the rope as a spectrum or as some other simple diagram and people physically stand in their chosen position at the start of the process. Instant involvement from everyone! For example, see Horseshoe (below).

A rope has a beginning and end. It can be used to help trace a journey towards a significant future goal (at the far end). In real life, people rarely (if ever) begin at the very beginning – so it is possible to use the rope as a reflective tool to help people reflect on what they already have (or have done) that will help them on their journey. Back to the Future (below) describes one way of doing this.

Ropes have many other uses and benefits (as you will discover below), but the primary one is that they can readily enlarge the space in which reflection and sharing takes place. Instead of pointing at drawings on paper, rope drawings create a stage on which people can move, think, talk and explore. So next time you find yourself drawing diagrams or models during a debrief, perhaps you will choose to ‘GO LARGE’ and give out some ropes!

 

Storyline	for enabling the sharing of experience-rich stories
Horseshoe	for comparing and discussing different views, values or assessments
Octopus Pie	for considering how time was spent or how priorities were balanced
Back to the Future	for reflecting on strengths and resources (before planning and doing)

 

1. Storyline

• Storyline is a chart made by participants showing their ‘ups and downs’ (or ‘highs and lows’) over any period of time.
• The chart can represent a ‘journey’ through a course of study, a work project or while learning a skill.
• Storyline can chart anything that fluctuates, such as emotion, involvement, motivation, effort, difficulty, understanding, relevance, confidence.
• A chart makes it easier for speakers to communicate. It also makes it easier for others to see the big picture, follow the story and ask good questions.

 

Why would I use Storyline?

• To provide thinking and preparation time before people tell their ‘story’.
• To help people focus on a particular theme while telling of their story (e.g. involvement, motivation, effort, difficulty, understanding, relevance, confidence, performance …)
• To help participants notice similarities and differences in each other’s stories, and to stimulate interest, empathy and support between participants.
• To provide insights into what motivates or demotivates each participant.
• To bring out stories of resilience – if asked “What helped you recover from the dips?”

 

What do I need for setting up Storyline?

• Provide participants with 5 metre ropes for charting their story on the floor or ground.
• For paired work (with ropes) you need one rope between two and plenty of space. If ropes or space are limited, participants can tell their stories one at a time to the whole group.
• You will need a good supply of suitable questions if you want to go beyond storytelling and encourage the analysis and discussion of the stories.

 

Exploring a Storyline

Questions for stimulating further reflection.

1. Can you name five emotions that you were feeling at different points in your story?
2. What caused your high points? How did you (or others) contribute to these high points?
3. What did you or others do to help you bounce back from your low points?
4. How did your feelings influence what you said or did?
5. How do you think your feelings influenced what others said or did?
6. How did the feelings of others influence what you said or did?
7. In a similar situation in future, how would you like your Storyline to be different?

 

More about Storyline

• Storyline provides the big picture and a balanced overview before going into the detail.
• When walking the line, body language tends to (naturally) enhance communication.
• Participants can add objects, words or pictures to their Storyline to help them tell the story.
• Storylines are useful for bringing out individual differences during a group activity as well as for helping individuals talk about an experience outside the group (e.g. an incident at school or at work)

 

2. Horseshoe

• Horseshoe is a scaling exercise. Participants show their position on an issue by where they place themselves on a curved spectrum.
• Horseshoe helps people to clarify their views when talking with someone close to their own position (a ‘friendly neighbour’).
• Horseshoe accelerates the start of a discussion by making everyone’s point of view visible.

 

Why would I use Horseshoe?

• for everyone to quickly discover the range and shades of opinion on an issue.
• to encourage everyone to clarify their thoughts before they speak to the group.
• to improve the range and quality of contributions in group discussion.
• to create a platform for group discussion in which participants naturally show an interest in each other’s chosen positions.
• to bring rarely heard voices into group discussion. These voices are often the more reflective ones – producing greater learning for all.

 

What do I need for setting up Horseshoe?

A rope is useful for marking out the horseshoe shape. Make the rope about 25% longer than would be needed for the group to stand side by side on it.
Alternatively use well-spaced chairs to mark out the horseshoe shape. The space behind a circle or horseshoe of chairs can work well if there is room enough for people to move freely.

 

How to facilitate Horseshoe

1. Ask a question that can be answered on a scale: “On a scale of 0 – 10, how much can you influence climate change? 0 = nothing I do will make a difference. 10 = I can make a difference.“
2. Everyone stands in position on a curved spectrum. To prevent people following each other rather than thinking for themselves, you can first ask everyone to write down a number and the reason for choosing it.
3. Ask neighbours to discuss (in 2s or 3s) why they have chosen their position.
4. Ask if anyone wants to move in either direction as a result of their discussion and let them do so.
5. Bring attention to the overall pattern of distribution and invite comments.
6. Ask everyone to notice where individuals are standing and ask, “Any surprises? Any comments? Any questions?”
7. Encourage participants to move as and when their views change and invite them to explain why they are moving. Also ask stationary participants why they are not moving.
8. Facilitate discussion for as long as it is productive.

 

If discussion pays too much attention to the people at each end

Ensure that attention is also paid to other views such as by asking for a view from the middle. Emphasise that the main purpose is to try to understand the views of others and to see and hear what others have to say – perhaps especially listening to those who have a balanced view?

 

If people are getting tired or restless while standing

A ‘dynamic’ beginning can become static and tiring if conversation is sustained in one position, so try asking a series of related questions that can be answered on a new spectrum. Be prepared: have a list of questions from which to choose. Also be ready to improvise new questions as related issues emerge.

 

3. Octopus Pie

• Octopus Pie is useful for considering how time was spent or how priorities were balanced

 

What do I need for setting up Octopus Pie?

To create an adjustable pie chart with four ‘slices’, tie four short ropes together at one end to make a four-legged ‘octopus’. Spread out the ropes in the form of a cross with the knot in the middle. You now have a pie chart with four pieces of pie (each separated by a rope). Place a label (or symbol) in each sector/slice. The group task is to adjust the ropes (like the hands of a clock) until they are satisfied that the relative sizes of each sector represents how time was spent.

 

How to apply this method to Action Centred Leadership (ACL)

Octopus Pie can be applied any models in which it is important for participants to increase their awareness of the balance between the different elements of the model. For example, Jon Adair’s Action Centred Leadership model is about the balance that leaders pay to three elements: the task, the team and the individual. In this case, you need just three ropes tied together. The group can give feedback to their leader by arranging the ropes to represent the balance of attention they saw the leader giving to each of these three elements. The leader draws a pie chart before this process begins. This is later compared to the group version – for further review.

 

How to apply this method without a model: Determine It Yourselves (DIY)

This can be the most powerful use of Octopus Pie. You set this up in advance – either at the end of an earlier team review, or just before briefing the next training exercise. Ask, “Thinking back over your recent learning, what do you think should be your 3 – 5 priorities for this next exercise?” So instead of using an off-the-shelf model for Octopus Pie, you can feed in the priorities that the group have created for themselves.

 

Octopus Pie: some practical tips

• For a more thorough version that encourages inclusion (and thinking for oneself), ask everyone to sketch their own pie chart first.
• To make it easy to adjust the ropes hold the knot in place by driving a peg through it (if outdoors on soft ground) or by tying it to a chair or heavy weight.
• Make a sketch (or photo) of the final chart, so that you can compare results if repeating this method following a later activity.
• Consider adding an extra rope if it turns out that there were other significant ways in which time was spent.
• This method is best used early in a review because a greater awareness of how time was spent often triggers issues worth further exploration. But it may be useful wherever there is a juggling/balancing act between three or more priorities.
• Challenge any assumption that each “piece of pie” deserves equal time and attention. The optimal balance between elements can vary from one situation to another and this itself can be a productive issue to explore.
• If you ever reach the official number of legs for an octopus, you have probably let things get too complicated and cumbersome. If participants really do need to pay attention to more than 5 priorities (and they have acquired a taste for Octopus Pie) then you (or they) can always create pies each with a different theme.

 

4. Back to the Future

• is a short journey in which the ‘coach’ asks the ‘traveller’ to reflect on assets that will help them achieve their goal
• has the traveller turn their back to the future in order to focus on helpful factors in the past and present.
• is a ‘just-in-time’ review process that precedes planning
• uses the question format: “What … do you already have that will help you on this journey?”

 

What do I need for setting up Back to the Future?

You need space, one rope (of about 5 metres) per pair, and you need to demonstrate this:

• The ‘traveller’ writes or finds a word, symbol or picture that represents their goal and explains it to their ‘coach’. The traveller lays this item at the far end of their rope.
• The journey now begins at the near end of the rope.
• The ‘traveller’ faces away from their goal and towards their ‘coach’.
• The ‘coach’ asks the ‘traveller’ what they already have that will help them on their journey. See below for sample questions.
• Whenever the ‘traveller’ states a helpful factor they take a step (backwards) towards their goal. Large steps indicate very helpful factors; small steps indicate slightly helpful factors. Let the traveller decide the size of each step.

 

Useful questions to ask the traveller

• ‘What knowledge and experience do you have that will help you on this journey?’
• ‘What skills and strengths do you have that will help you on this journey?’
• ‘What values and motivations do you have that will help you on this journey?’
• ‘What do you know about your strengths as a goal achiever that are going to help you achieve this particular goal?’
• ‘What resources and support do you have that will help you on this journey?’
• What existing contacts, networks or relationships do you have that will help you on this journey?’
• ‘What have you (or others) already done to help you achieve this goal?’
• ‘Has this conversation helped you to think through what strengths and resources you need to include in your plan?’

Problems? The ‘coach’ can apply the same questioning process to any problem that the ‘traveller’ happens to mention: “What … do you already have that will help you overcome this obstacle?” The traveller can temporarily replace the original goal with a word or symbol representing the challenge (of overcoming the obstacle/problem)

 

Why Back to the Future works

Asking people about assets they already have helps them find short-cuts, time-savers and forgotten resources.
The exercise involves recalling relevant experiences and drawing confidence, energy and learning from them.
Back to the Future helps people approach their goal more wisely and confidently – and with a greater chance of success.
The use of space and movement makes the conversation more focused and builds automatic achievement and feedback into the process.

 

What kind of rope?

Old climbing ropes, washing lines or brightly coloured nylon line make excellent reviewing aids. For some of the methods described in this article you can draw lines with pen and paper. But in most situations where you have enough space (indoors or outdoors) you and your learners will soon discover that ropes were made for reviewing! Go large!