Facilitation Tools: Exit Surveys

An exit survey is a good way of keeping your meetings productive and on course. This facilitation tool allows participants the opportunity to express their feelings and concerns - giving you the ability to address them.

An exit survey usually has between two and four questions, written on a single sheet of paper. Typical questions are:

• Have you achieved what you needed to?
• Were all ideas treated fairly and equally?

The survey can be completed just before a break (lunch, for example) allowing you to address concerns when the meeting resumes. 

There are two ways of completing exit surveys, each with its own characteristics:

Single Sheet - Public Responses

Write the questions on a large sheet of paper (e.g. flip chart) and place it near the exit. You can allocate stickers to participants, or ask them to write their answers free style.

This method requires little additional work from the facilitator. It's easy to see the responses and share them with the group. 

The public visibility of the answers may inhibit people answering honestly. Participants may be influenced by the answers of their colleagues.

Multiple Sheets - Private Responses

Give each participant the questions on a sheet of paper, with each answering privately.

This method requires input from the facilitator, as they need to tally the scores and find a way of providing feedback to the group.

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