What are the best practices for conducting a debriefing session with your team?

1 Define the purpose and goals

Before you start a debriefing session, you should clarify the purpose and goals of the session with your team. What are you trying to achieve with the debriefing? What are the expected outcomes and benefits? How will you measure the success of the session? By defining the purpose and goals, you can set the scope and direction of the session, and align your team's expectations and motivations.

2 Choose the right time and place

The timing and location of the debriefing session can affect the quality and impact of the session. You should choose a time and place that is convenient, comfortable, and conducive for your team. Ideally, the debriefing session should take place as soon as possible after the incident or situation, but not when the team is too exhausted, emotional, or distracted. The location should be private, quiet, and safe, where your team can feel free to express their thoughts and feelings without interruption or judgment.

3 Establish the ground rules and roles

To create a positive and productive debriefing session, you should establish some ground rules and roles for your team. The ground rules should include the principles of respect, confidentiality, honesty, and feedback. The roles should include the facilitator, who guides the session and ensures that the goals and rules are followed; the recorder, who takes notes and documents the key points and actions; and the participants, who share their experiences and perspectives. You should also encourage your team to use active listening, open-ended questions, and constructive criticism.

4 Follow a structured model

A structured model can help you organize and facilitate the debriefing session in a logical and comprehensive way. There are different models of debriefing that you can choose from, depending on your context and objectives. One common model is the Psychological First Aid (PFA) debriefing, which consists of four steps: prepare, look, listen, and link. In the prepare step, you introduce the session and review the purpose, goals, rules, and roles. In the look step, you observe and assess the situation and the reactions of your team. In the listen step, you invite and support your team to share their stories, feelings, and needs. In the link step, you summarize and reinforce the main points, identify and address any gaps or issues, and provide or refer to any resources or follow-up actions.

5 Evaluate and follow up

The debriefing session is not the end of the learning and coping process. You should evaluate and follow up with your team after the session, to ensure that the session was helpful, meaningful, and effective. You can use different methods of evaluation, such as surveys, feedback forms, or discussions, to collect and analyze the feedback and outcomes of the session. You can also use the evaluation results to improve your future debriefing sessions. Additionally, you should follow up with your team regularly, to monitor their progress, offer support, and address any concerns or challenges.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?