Debriefing in training means guiding participants from an activity to a workplace action through three questions: What? (what happened), So what? (what it means and why it matters) and Now what? (what you will do differently). Plan the questions before the session, let emotions settle first, ask before you tell, and allow roughly half the activity's time for the debrief.
What is debriefing in training, and why does it matter?
Debriefing in training is the facilitated conversation after an activity that converts experience into learning. A role play, simulation or case study gives people something to reflect on; the debrief is where they work out what it means and how it applies to their job.
This follows directly from Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. The activity covers only the first stage. The debrief covers the other three. Skip it and participants remember the game but not the lesson, which is why senior audiences sometimes dismiss activities as "time-pass".
It also respects adult learning principles: adults learn from their own experience and want to see the relevance to their work. A good debrief lets them name that relevance themselves rather than being told it. The glossary entry on debriefs gives a one-line definition you can share with co-facilitators.
How the What–So What–Now What model works
The model works by moving participants through three questions in a fixed order: facts first, meaning second, action third. The sequence matters, because jumping straight to "What did you learn?" skips the shared picture of what actually happened and produces vague answers.
The framework is usually traced to Terry Borton's work on reflection in the 1970s and was later popularised by Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper in reflective practice. Trainers like it because it is easy to remember mid-session and fits almost any activity.
| Stage | Purpose | Kolb stage it supports | Share of debrief time | Sign it is working |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What? | Build a shared, factual account of the experience; release emotion | Reflective observation | About 25% | People describe specific moments, not opinions |
| So what? | Interpret patterns, causes and the principle behind the activity | Abstract conceptualisation | About 40–50% | Participants connect the activity to real work situations |
| Now what? | Translate insight into specific, personal action | Active experimentation | About 25–35% | Commitments are concrete, time-bound and owned |
Before the first stage, many experienced facilitators add a short "release" step: one quick round of "In one word, how was that?" People who are still frustrated or excited after a competitive activity cannot analyse it until they have said so.
How to run a debrief step by step
A good debrief is planned as carefully as the activity itself. Use this six-step sequence for any experiential activity.
- Prepare before the session. Write the learning objective the activity serves and draft two or three questions for each stage. Decide whether you will debrief in pairs, tables or the full group.
- Release emotion. Ask a quick feelings question so people can let go of competition, embarrassment or excitement.
- What? Collect observable facts. Ask observers as well as players. Write key moments on a flipchart so the group shares one account.
- So what? Ask why things happened and what principle sits underneath. Link the activity to work: "Where have you seen this in your team?"
- Now what? Ask each person to write one specific action they will take, with a when and a with whom. Take a few aloud.
- Close and connect. Summarise the key learning in one or two sentences, add any point the group missed, and link it to the next segment of the session.
40 debrief questions you can use
The fastest way to improve your debriefs is to keep a bank of questions for each stage. Choose two or three per stage; do not try to ask all of them.
What? Questions that gather the facts
- In one word, how are you feeling after that activity?
- What happened, step by step?
- What did you notice first?
- What was your goal, and how did you go about it?
- What did you see others do that stood out?
- Observers: what did you see and hear that the players may have missed?
- When did things start to go well, or go wrong?
- What decisions did your team make, and who made them?
- What surprised you?
- What was the hardest moment for you?
So what? Questions that draw out meaning
- Why do you think that happened?
- What helped your group succeed, and what got in the way?
- What patterns did you notice across the teams?
- How is this similar to what happens at work?
- Where have you seen this situation in your own team or with customers?
- What assumptions did you make that turned out to be wrong?
- What would a senior person in your organisation have done differently?
- What principle or rule does this activity illustrate?
- How does this connect to the model we discussed this morning?
- What does this tell you about your own habits or style?
Now what? Questions that turn insight into action
- What is one thing you will do differently starting this week?
- Which real situation coming up in the next month will you try this in?
- What will you say or do in the first two minutes of that situation?
- Who can support you, and how will you ask them?
- What could stop you from applying this, and how will you handle it?
- How will you know it has worked?
- What will you stop doing?
- If you could replay the activity, what would you change?
- What advice would you give a new joiner facing this situation?
- What will you share with your team after this program?
Questions for specific activity types
- Role play, to the player: What would you keep exactly as it was?
- Role play, to the player: If you had one more minute, what would you add?
- Role play, to the "customer" or "employee": At what moment did you feel heard, and when did you stop listening?
- Simulation or game: Which rule or constraint shaped your behaviour most?
- Simulation or game: What did winning or losing depend on, really?
- Case study: What information did you wish you had, and how would you get it at work?
- Case study: Which option would you recommend to your own manager, and why?
- Team challenge: How did you decide who would lead, and was it the right choice?
- Virtual activity: Type one word in chat for the main lesson, then wait for my signal to press Enter.
- Any activity, to close: If you had to explain today's lesson to a colleague in one sentence, what would you say?
Worked example: debriefing a feedback role play
This illustrative example shows the model applied to a common corporate activity.
Scenario: In a one-day program for first-time managers at a manufacturing company in Pune, trios run a ten-minute role play: a manager gives corrective feedback to a team member who has missed two deadlines. One person plays the manager, one the team member and one observes with a checklist.
The trainer allows 15 minutes for the debrief. Release: "In one word, how did that feel as the manager?" Answers include "awkward" and "rushed". What? Observers report that most managers opened with small talk for several minutes and only raised the missed deadlines near the end. So what? The trainer asks why; the group concludes they were trying to soften the message, which made the real issue feel bigger and left little time for agreeing next steps. Someone links it to a real review conversation that went badly. Now what? Each participant writes the opening line they will use in their next feedback conversation and names the team member and the week.
The trainer then adds the one point the group missed, the value of asking for the employee's view before proposing a fix, and links it to the next module on coaching conversations.
Common debriefing mistakes to avoid
- Treating the debrief as optional. When the activity overruns, trainers cut the debrief. Cut the activity instead; the debrief is where the learning sits.
- Telling instead of asking. If you announce the lesson, participants nod and forget. Ask first and add only what the group misses.
- Starting with "What did you learn?" Without a shared picture of what happened, answers are generic. Begin with facts.
- Letting one voice dominate. Use pairs or tables before the plenary, and invite quieter people by name. Our guide to handling difficult participants covers dominators and silent participants.
- Judging the role player. Discuss behaviours and the character, not the person, and always start with what worked.
- Stopping at So what? Insight without a commitment rarely changes behaviour back at work, which is what Kirkpatrick Level 3 measures.
- Skipping the debrief for icebreakers. Even a five-minute icebreaker needs one question that links it to the session objective.
Debrief checklist
Use this quick checklist when you review your session plan.
- Learning objective for the activity written down
- Two or three questions drafted for each of What, So What and Now What
- Debrief time planned at roughly half to the full length of the activity
- Format decided: pairs, tables or full group, and how you will capture answers
- Observer roles and checklists ready for role plays
- A one-sentence summary of the key learning prepared in case the group misses it
- A personal action commitment built into the close
Practising debriefs in the Bodhih Certified TTT
Debriefing is a skill you build by doing it and getting feedback, not by reading question lists. In the Bodhih Certified Train The Trainer (TTT) Program, Day 2 (Instructional Design Mastery) covers experiential activity design, including planning the debrief questions that make activities stick, and Day 3 (Advanced Facilitation) covers questioning techniques. You practise on your own training content, and the Trainer's Toolkit includes debrief templates alongside 100+ activities. If facilitation is your main focus, Bodhih also runs a dedicated facilitation skills training.
Frequently asked questions
What is debriefing in training?
Debriefing in training is the structured, facilitated discussion that follows an activity such as a role play, simulation, game or case study. Participants describe what happened, interpret what it means and decide how they will apply it at work. Without a debrief, an activity is just an experience; the debrief is where the experience is turned into transferable learning.
What is the What, So What, Now What model?
It is a three-question reflection framework, usually traced to Terry Borton's work in the 1970s and later popularised by Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper for reflective practice. What? gathers facts about the experience, So what? draws out meaning and principles, and Now what? turns those into specific actions. Trainers use it because it is easy to remember and works for almost any activity.
How long should a debrief be?
A useful rule of thumb is to plan the debrief at roughly half to the full length of the activity itself. A 20-minute role play typically needs 10 to 20 minutes of debrief. Short energisers may need only two or three questions, while a half-day simulation can need 45 minutes or more, often split into table and plenary rounds.
What is the difference between a debrief and feedback?
Feedback is information given to a person about their performance, usually by an observer or the trainer. A debrief is a group reflection process in which participants themselves draw out lessons. Good debriefs often include feedback, but the trainer asks before telling, so learners discover insights first and the trainer fills only the gaps that remain.
How do you debrief a role play without embarrassing participants?
Start with the person who played the role: ask how it felt and what they would keep. Then ask observers what worked before what could be improved, and focus comments on behaviours, not personality. Speak about the character rather than the person, and close with the whole group's learning so no individual is left as the example of what went wrong.
How do you debrief in virtual training?
Use the platform to let everyone answer at once: a chat waterfall for What, a poll or annotated slide for So What, and a typed personal commitment for Now What. Small breakout rooms of three work well for the middle stage. Call on people by name gently, keep a visible timer and summarise the chat aloud so quieter participants feel heard.