Stars, Wishes, and Project Teams
Stars & Wishes is a popular tool for Tabletop Roleplaying Games (like Dungeons & Dragons). At the conclusion of a game session, the facilitator calls for stars and wishes. Each participant is expected to name at least one star and one wish. A star is someone who did something interesting, performed exceptionally, or stood out in some other way. A wish is something the participant hopes to see in future game sessions.
The purpose of this tool is promoting healthier group dynamics and gathering feedback. It also serves to debrief or unwind at the end of a session and encourages participants to pay attention to one another (and not just their own agenda).
When applied professionally, Stars & Wishes can be used at the conclusion of regular team meetings (instead of individual game sessions). The meeting’s facilitator asks each participant to provide one star for another participant. In this case, a star is anyone who meaningfully contributed to the meeting. Examples may include someone who shared something new they learned, or someone who provided quality feedback about someone else’s issue. Stars could even be rewarded for someone who told a joke, brought snacks, or provided a friendly presence!
Each participant is also asked to provide a wish. Here, a wish is feedback about the meeting, the meeting’s business, or something in the future that impacts the entire group. Wishes are intended to be gentle feedback, not a means to be passively aggressive or to call someone out. Examples of wishes could be, “I wish we had more time to discuss bigger issues” or “I would love if we could take turns taking minutes.” Wishes may spark brief conversations, or the meeting facilitator may ponder them outside the meeting for future implementation or consideration.