ROTI: Phones - Rate Meetings with a Tech-Inspired Twist

The ROTI (Return on Time Invested) Phones template offers a refreshing and engaging way to gather meeting feedback using phone technology as a metaphor. Instead of traditional number ratings, team members select from various phone types that represent their experience—from broken flip phones to cutting-edge smartphones—making your retrospective closing more interactive and memorable.

What Is ROTI: Phones?

ROTI: Phones is a creative check-out activity that transforms the standard 1-5 rating scale into a visual metaphor using different generations of phones. This template helps teams quickly assess the value participants received from a meeting or workshop by asking "If this meeting was a phone, which would it be?" Each phone represents a different quality level:

  • Broken/Flip Phone (1/5): A meeting that failed to deliver value
  • Basic Feature Phone (2/5): Functional but barely met expectations
  • Standard Smartphone (3/5): Solid and reliable meeting
  • Premium Smartphone (4/5): High-quality meeting with significant value
  • Latest Flagship Phone (5/5): Exceptional meeting that exceeded expectations

Benefits & When to Use

  • Increases response rates by making feedback collection more engaging than standard numerical ratings
  • Reduces feedback fatigue through visual elements that spark interest even in teams who regularly conduct retrospectives
  • Provides clear comparative data while adding an element of fun
  • Works perfectly for remote teams who can quickly click on their chosen phone
  • Ideal for closing any type of meeting, sprint review, or retrospective

Use this template when:

  • You want honest feedback about meeting effectiveness
  • Your team seems disengaged with traditional feedback methods
  • You're looking for a quick (1-2 minute) closing activity
  • You need to track meeting quality over time

How to Run a ROTI: Phones Session

  1. Set the stage (30 seconds)

    • Share the template during the final minutes of your meeting
    • Explain that you'd like feedback on the session's value

  2. Explain the rating system (1 minute)

    • Tell participants: "If this meeting was a phone, which would it be?"
    • Briefly describe what each phone represents on the 1-5 scale
    • Clarify that they're rating the meeting's value, not how much they enjoyed it

  3. Collect feedback (1-2 minutes)

    • Ask team members to add a sticky note with their name (or anonymously) next to their chosen phone
    • Optionally, invite brief comments explaining their choice

  4. Review and acknowledge (1 minute)

    • Thank participants for their honest feedback
    • Briefly note any patterns you observe without getting defensive
    • Mention that you'll use this feedback to improve future meetings

Tips for a Successful Session

  • Keep the activity brief—it should take no more than 3-4 minutes total
  • Consider using the timer feature in Metro Retro to maintain pace
  • For ongoing meetings, track ROTI scores over time to identify trends
  • If scores are consistently low, follow up with a more detailed feedback session
  • Don't take low ratings personally—view them as opportunities to improve
  • For distributed teams, give a moment of silence while people make their selections to avoid groupthink
  • Try using this template consistently at the end of recurring meetings to benchmark improvements

This light-hearted yet informative feedback mechanism transforms the sometimes awkward "how was this meeting?" question into an engaging visual activity that yields valuable insights for facilitators.

Use this template