Collaboration

What, So What, Now What?

Use this structured debrief to help teams make sense of shared experiences. It guides teams from observations to implications, leading to clear actions.

Duration

45 mins

Group Size

3-50

Category

Collaboration

Difficulty

Easy

Participants will:

Process shared experiences.

Identify key patterns.

Generate actionable next steps.

Participants will leave with:

A shared understanding.

Identified themes.

Concrete action items.

This structure helps teams process experiences effectively:

WHAT: Grounds the group in shared reality.

SO WHAT: Reveals different meanings.

NOW WHAT: Generates concrete actions.

Facilitator tips:

Don't rush the WHAT. People jump to interpretations too quickly.

Allow different interpretations in SO WHAT. There's no single "right" answer.

Make NOW WHAT concrete. Assign owners. Avoid vague statements.

When to use:

After project milestones (especially failures).

Following learning events.

During retrospectives.

After pilots or experiments.

When a team needs to process an experience.

Small Group Size: 4-6 people works best.

Variation - Speed Version: For a faster, 20-minute version:

5 min WHAT (pairs then all).

5 min SO WHAT (pairs then all).

10 min NOW WHAT (individuals then all).

Expect this:

WHAT will feel easy.

SO WHAT will reveal differences.

NOW WHAT will create energy.

Success: The team shares understanding and commits to actions. The "So What" phase can be difficult if the team avoids tough conversations. Acknowledge the difficulty and encourage different perspectives. Sometimes you have to let the discomfort sit.

WHAT? (15 minutes total): What happened? What did you observe?

Individual (3 min): Silent reflection.
What happened?
What did I observe?
What stood out?
Small Groups (7 min): Share observations.
What did we see?
What surprised us?
Stick to the facts.
Whole Group (5 min): Collect observations.
Capture on a flipchart.
No interpretation yet.
Just record "what happened."

SO WHAT? (15 minutes total): Why does it matter? What are the patterns?

Individual (3 min): Reflect on meaning.
Why does this matter?
What patterns do I see?
What are the implications?
Small Groups (7 min): Interpret together.
What does this mean?
Why is it important?
What surprised us?
Whole Group (5 min): Share interpretations.
Multiple meanings are welcome.
Identify themes and patterns.

NOW WHAT? (15 minutes total): What actions make sense?

Individual (3 min): Consider actions.
What should we do?
What will I do?
What needs to change?
Small Groups (7 min): Plan together.
What actions make sense?
What should we try?
Who will do what?
Whole Group (5 min): Commit to next steps.
Share key action ideas.
Make commitments.

Set follow-up.

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For Facilitators

Review participant profiles and expectations
Prepare all materials and supplies
Test technology and room setup

For Participants

Complete pre-session survey
Review background materials
Prepare examples or case studies

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Flip chart or whiteboard

Markers

Timer

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Facilitator Guide (PDF)
Participant Workbook Template
Presentation Slides
Printable Materials

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