# Draw What I Mean — Debrief

> Six questions, three failure modes of the debrief itself, one rule: all three drawings stay on the table, in order, until the last question is done.
> Use with `draw-what-i-mean-guide.md`. The bridge line at minute 12 is the compressed version; this sheet is the full one.

## How to run this debrief

- Lay the three pairs out in order — card beside drawing, one row per round. The argument of this whole tool is a picture, and it only works if the row is visible.
- Ask **to the drawer first**. The receiving end has the information about what was missing; the describer has already forgiven their own words.
- Resist the compliment. "You described it well" closes the finding. Point at the paper: "where did the circle end up?"

## Read the three comparisons

1. **Round 1 — ordinary words.** The drift is usually size, then position, then a missing element. Nobody did anything wrong; the vocabulary was simply private.
2. **Round 2 — the shared word card.** Same describer, same effort, only the words changed. This jump is the single most useful piece of evidence in the folder.
3. **Round 3 — questions allowed.** Watch *who* asked and what they asked about. The questions that were not asked are as informative as the ones that were.

## The six debrief questions

**1. The biggest gap.**
"Which round closed the biggest gap — better words, the shared card, or the chance to ask?"
→ Targets: which repair is worth investing in. Push for one answer; "all three" means the pair enjoyed the game and missed the experiment.

**2. The word card in your real work.**
"What is your word card at work — the list of names your team already shares? What is missing from it?"
→ Targets: glossary awareness. Expect either nothing written down, or a document nobody opens. Both are the finding.

**3. The swallowed question.**
"Drawer: which question did you want to ask in round 1 and not ask? What stopped you?"
→ Targets: the cost of silence at the receiving end — not wanting to look slow, not wanting to interrupt, running out of time.

**4. Same person, different result.**
"Describer: you tried exactly as hard in round 1 as in round 2. What does that do to the advice 'just explain it better'?"
→ Targets: the strongest single indicator here. Effort was constant; only the shared vocabulary changed. If the pair cannot see that, run the two cards side by side again.

**5. The drift signature.**
"Where did your drawings drift most — size, position, count, or a missing element? Where does your work drift the same way?"
→ Targets: the team's specific failure signature. Counts and missing elements are the classic silent losses: nobody notices the fourth shape was never drawn.

**6. The one-word fix.**
"Name one word your team should define before the next build — one noun currently doing two jobs."
→ Targets: commitment in singular form. One agreed definition ships; a glossary project does not.

## Failure modes of the debrief

| Failure mode | Why it happens | The rescue |
|---|---|---|
| It becomes an art critique | The drawings are on the table and people are funny about them | Every question must name a word, not a line: "which noun was missing here?" |
| The pair agrees the shared card did it | Round 2 felt easier, and easy feels like the answer | Ask round 3's question next: which single question recovered the most? |
| The lesson stops at the paper | The room had fun; Monday looks identical | Close on question 6 and write the word on the wall poster's blank line. |