The WOW board, a stimulating post mortem

Boostalab assists organizations in developing the soft skills of their teams. Developing soft skills is not easy. But one step at a time, you get there and when you put it all together, it makes a magnificent WOW board, which creates surprise and wonder and makes you want to continue. What is a WOW board?

It is an exercise that we do with the learners to give feedback on the development of their soft skills. It is a way to close the loop of learning as a team and to name together what they have learned and what they are leaving with. Why do we call this the “WOW board“? Because it is often the reaction that it triggers when they see all the great things they have done!

How to create a board that makes WOW?

If you are in person, you will use a whiteboard with colored post-its preferably to make the process even more joyful. In virtual, you will use whiteboard solutions or use those available in video conferencing platforms.

To create this WOW board, participants are then asked to use post-it notes on a virtual whiteboard, and to name what they have learned and achieved.

You can help them with their reflections, asking them questions to propel the conversation:

• What did you learn in Project X, or Training Y?
• What will you do differently in the future?
• What do you come out of it with?

The use of the post-it notes makes the whole thing more dynamic and spontaneous, you kind of escape from the formal meeting, so you have more chances to capture key elements to bring out.

It is also an opportunity for people to share what they have learned and to discuss the topic they have been working on. We can see, for example, from the WOW boards of people who have worked on the theme of constructive feedback, that many of them have adjusted their posture towards this subject:

• they have realized the benefits of constructive feedback and have stopped having a negative preconception about feedback
• they also observed that it took courage for all of them to offer and receive feedback
• working on this skill together and coming to common conclusions encourage them to use constructive feedback more frequently

A board that provokes stimulating exchanges

Regardless of the chosen theme (be it change management, recognition, delegation, stress management or time and priority management), learners all agree that knowing that they are all in this together is a great help in their learning journey. They also feel better equipped, particularly thanks to their access to Teamtonic’s micro-contents, but also thanks to the quality of the exchanges they have had with each other.

Here are some examples taken from different WOW boards:

• I’ve learned that asking for recognition isn’t cheesy! It’s brave and genuine.
• I have learned to be aware of what makes me stressed and why!
• I have learned to identify what bothers me in a situation.
• I learned that we need to take the time to learn and interact with our peers to share and learn from each other.
• I’ve learned that not everyone on my team is ready to take up any tasks immediately. Sometimes, they need some preparation time.
• I have learned that it is easier for me to offer gratitude when I am doing well. When I’m not, I can’t see so clearly.
• I learned that recognition is a skill to be practiced over and over again.

During this exercise, people tend to open up a bit more and show vulnerability. These moments are always very engaging and wonderful moments to witness. Indeed, when someone expresses discomfort or challenge with a topic, it also allows others who may have had similar experiences to feel less alone and gives permission for others to express themselves as well. And there is nothing more empowering to move forward than to feel that you have the support of a whole group!

If you like the idea of using the WOW board technique and decide to take action in your organization, let us know! We would be delighted to hear about the results of this enriching practice in your organization.

At Boostalab, we believe that it is important to look back and celebrate success as a team at the end of a learning experience. This encourages future learning, but more importantly, it provides a special moment that has a WOW effect on our participants.