As facilitative leaders, our mission transcends merely guiding group dynamics; it's about fostering an environment where every team member's voice resonates and contributes to collective growth. Today, I'm excited to share a pivotal tool in this journey: the humble yet mighty exit ticket. In this reflection, I illustrate how I applied facilitative leadership techniques in my role as a facilitator while working with a team, also referred to as participants, in various sessions.
Why Exit Tickets?
Exit tickets empower participants by giving them a voice in the learning process. By soliciting their feedback, facilitators demonstrate that they value participants’ input and are committed to creating a collaborative environment that is customized to meet their needs. Exit tickets offer participants a voice enabling them to reflect on their learning journey, voice concerns, and share aspirations.
The Process Unpacked:
1️⃣ Create the Context
In the last ten to fifteen minutes of a session, participants were introduced to the significance of the exit ticket. I, the facilitator, shared the purpose for using it, gave a summary of what was included in the exit ticket, and stated how I would be using their feedback.
2️⃣ Time for Reflection Using Four Key Questions and Protected Time
Although I may add additional questions to exit tickets depending on the session, there are four key questions that I always include in every exit ticket. I also add context and share the purpose within the exit ticket using the following statements:
Please complete this exit ticket so I can use the information to better understand you as a learner, collaborator, innovator, etc. I am committed to meeting your needs and creating a culture that supports you and the comprehensive team.
The four key questions that follow include:
What went well?
What needs improvement?
What questions do you have for me?
What ideas do you have that could make the next session a wonderful experience for you?
At the end of the session, I honored protected time by allowing the participants to complete the exit ticket while the day’s experiences were still fresh. The total time for them to complete it was between three to seven minutes.
3️⃣ Analyze Insights
Like a detective searching for clues, I took time after the session to analyze the feedback so that I could find ways to amplify what went well for participants and improve anything that could better meet their needs. In addition, I used the responses to the questions to gain insight on what resonated, what might be a misconception, and/or was something I was not aware of and may need to do further digging to find an answer.
4️⃣ Apply Feedback
Whether it was tweaking minor details or making grand changes, every adjustment was a testament to the power of collective insight. It also helped me to act with synergy with the participants because the refined experiences in the next session would not have been possible without their voices.
5️⃣ Transparency Redefined
Transparency isn't just a buzzword; it's a cornerstone of the exit ticket not being just a tool but an invaluable part of the process in creating trust. In the next session, I took time at the beginning of the session to display the feedback. As you can imagine, the names and other identifying information were removed. While the feedback was visible, I shared what would be different in the current session due to the feedback, answered questions, and cleared up any misconceptions.
6️⃣Gratitude in Action
Prior to moving into the next part of the current session, I took a couple minutes to emphasize the importance of the participants’ feedback. We paused to acknowledge the invaluable role played by participant feedback in how it helped us to work toward a more collaborative experience and collective impact. Lastly, I extended my sincerest gratitude to the participants.
Reflection and Synergy in Action
Exit tickets aren't just feedback forms; they're bridges connecting facilitative leaders (or facilitator) and teams (or participants) in a journey of mutual growth. Exit tickets are a tool that allow a facilitative leader to model how to be intentional and foster experiences rooted in collective inquiry, transparent practice, and reflective dialogue that help to cultivate a positive culture. Together, facilitative leaders and teams co-create experiences that transcend the ordinary, transforming each session into a canvas where every voice is valued and contributes toward a masterpiece.
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