The shower of compliments, also called the warm shower, is about sitting down with your team. In turn, each person gets a warm shower of compliments from each of their colleagues.
You put one of your colleagues in the warm shower of compliments, and when they have received compliments from everyone, you shift to the next person. The compliments can be anything from a single sentence to a string of compliments. You simply highlight any personal trait, skill, or strength that you appreciate about them.
Why try the warm shower of compliments?
Receiving a compliment is fantastic, and giving one is just as nice. We have lots of things we appreciate and admire about our colleagues, friends, and family. But too rarely do we take the time to think about what we appreciate and share it. The warm shower of compliments is a rare opportunity to do exactly that.
This exercise will boost your team's sense of recognition for each other and increase awareness of each other's skills and strengths.
Tips for facilitating the compliment circle
Here is what Anders from the Zoios team thought when we tried this exercise ourselves.
"When I first heard about the exercise, I got nervous, thinking it would be awkward. What should I say to the others? And worse, what are they going to say about me? But actually, it turned out amazingly.
The sensation of delivering compliments to the others on the team was excellent. It made me think about what you admire and appreciate about them, both regarding their skills and on a personal level. Hearing the others complimenting each other was just as great. It made me think about some personality traits my colleagues possess that I had not thought about before.
Getting compliments myself was not awkward. It felt comfortable, and it was nice to get confirmed that others valued me for the things I hoped. So it was a great kickstart for self-reflection."
What should I be aware of as a facilitator?
This exercise can at first seem a bit terrifying for most people. So here are three tips to create a safe room where colleagues can get comfortable and relaxed with the warm shower of compliments.
Set clear expectations
As soon as you announce the warm shower of compliments, most colleagues will start to worry about what they should tell each other. Be very explicit about what you mean when you tell them they should deliver a compliment.
A compliment can be a short sentence or a long string of compliments. Both are fine. It varies a lot from person to person how much they have on their heart; some are concise, others use many words. Both are totally okay.
Tip: emphasize that this is not about being funny, but about delivering compliments that add real value to the person.
Set the example
Wisely choose who goes first. The person should either be yourself or someone in the team that you know has an easy time talking and handing out praise. This is important for giving the exercise a great start.
Find the right location
A large part of creating a safe room for this exercise is finding the right location. Don't take your team to the canteen or any other place with buzz and noise. Take them to a cozy meeting room or a quiet corner where you can sit in a circle, so everyone can see each other. The best is to find a place with soft furniture where the whole team can sit relaxed. It is also great to bring a cup of coffee, a soda, or a cold beer.
If you follow these three tips, everything should be just fine. Hopefully, the warm shower of compliments will help your team get closer to each other and improve the overall sense of belonging.