The Perfection Game is a way to give constructive feedback whenever you want to improve something. It was developed by Jim & Michele McCarthy as part of their "Core Protocols"

The steps are as follows:

  1. Someone presents their work (their session proposal) and asks for feedback
  2. You give the work a score out of 10, based on how much value you can add. E.g. I will give a 9/10 if I can add little value, a 5/10 if I can double the value of the work and 1/10 if I can make the work worth 10 times more than current.
  3. Explain what you liked about it. What justifies the score. What should be kept?
  4. Explain what you would do to make the work perfect. What concrete actions should be taken to increase the score?
When you give feedback

  • Think deeply when you explain how to make a work perfect. It's tempting to make negative remarks, yet make them look positive
  • Explain your reasoning. E.g. "I would do X because of Y"
  • Don't skimp on the "What I liked section" so that the good parts are kept and reinforced
  • Make sure that your score reflects the contribution you think you can make
  • Follow up and give updated feedback when the work has been changed. Iteration leads to perfection.
When you receive feedback

  • Thank the person giving the feedback
  • Ask questions to clarify the input
  • Don't argue with the person giving feedback
  • You are responsible for the quality of the work, you decide if you apply the feedback you received