Back
Appreciation Activity

Compliment Circle

Share kind words and appreciation with your team

No compliments yet. Start spreading kindness!

Each person gives a genuine compliment to someone else in the group. It works well as a closer for retrospectives and at the end of a project.

It is a warmer activity than most and needs a group with some existing trust. Run with strangers or a team in conflict, it produces awkwardness rather than connection.

How to run it

  1. Explain that compliments should be specific and about something the person did.
  2. Go round, each person complimenting someone else.
  3. Track who has received one so nobody is left out.
  4. Close without extended discussion.

Making it land

  • Ask for specifics. Naming a particular contribution is far more meaningful than saying someone is great to work with.
  • Ensure everyone receives one. Being the only person not complimented is worse than not running the activity at all.
  • Focus on effort and behaviour rather than personality, which keeps it about things people chose to do.
  • Keep it short. Extended praise becomes uncomfortable for the recipient.
  • Do not run it with a group in active conflict. Forced positivity between people with real disagreements reads as false.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make sure nobody is left out?
Track who has received a compliment as you go, or assign it in a circle so each person compliments the one next to them. Being missed is the main risk of this activity.
What makes a compliment land?
Specificity. Naming a particular thing someone did and why it helped carries far more weight than a general statement about them being good to work with.
When should I avoid this activity?
With brand-new groups who have nothing specific to praise, and with teams in active conflict, where forced positivity tends to read as insincere.