Niko-Niko / Energy Barometer
Evaluate your team's mood at a glance with emojis.
The Niko-Niko is a simple visual tool that allows for daily assessment of the mood and energy of team members. By using emojis or colours, it provides a quick overview of everyone's morale. This helps to detect drops in energy and fosters a climate of trust and continuous improvement.
Walkthrough
- 1
Introduction
5 minThe facilitator introduces the concept of Niko-Niko and its purpose: "We will measure our daily mood using emojis to better understand our team dynamics." They explain that this regular practice helps identify trends and promotes collective well-being.
Tip — Use a light and engaging tone to encourage participation without pressure.
- 2
Creating the Board
10 minDistribute sheets of paper or use a whiteboard to create a Niko-Niko board. Each team member has a dedicated line where they can stick or draw an emoji representing their mood for the day. Explain that each column represents a day of the week.
Tip — Prepare emoji stickers to make the activity more playful and visual.
- 3
Explanation of Symbols
5 minPresent the different emojis or colours available and their meanings. For example, a smiling face for a good day, a neutral face for an average day, and a sad face for a difficult day. Ensure that everyone understands the colour code or symbols used.
Tip — Allow participants to create their own symbols to express nuances of emotions.
- 4
Daily Ritual
5 min per dayEach day, allocate a moment for each team member to choose and place their emoji on the board. Encourage consistency to gather meaningful data over time. "Let's take a moment to reflect on our day and choose the emoji that best represents it."
Tip — Set a regular time, such as the beginning or end of the day, to integrate this ritual into the team's routine.
- 5
Weekly Analysis
15 minAt the end of the week, take time to review the Niko-Niko board together. Discuss the observed trends: "What are the dominant moods this week? Are there any notable changes?" This allows for identifying factors influencing collective energy.
Tip — Encourage open and kind expression of feelings to strengthen trust within the team.
- 6
Action Plan
10 minBased on the observations, discuss possible actions to improve the team's well-being. "What can we do to enhance our collective mood?" Collaborate on concrete ideas and commit to implementing them.
Tip — Prioritise simple and immediate actions to maintain engagement and see quick improvements.
Variants
- Use colours instead of emojis for a more abstract approach.
- Integrate a sharing moment where participants explain their emoji choice.
- Adapt the Niko-Niko for remote meetings using a collaborative online board.
Debrief guide
- What have we learned about our team dynamics this week?
- Were there any surprises in the observed trends?
- How can we better support team members who are struggling?
- What factors contributed to a good collective mood?
- What small changes can we implement to improve our well-being?
- How can we maintain this practice in the long term?
- What other methods could we explore to improve our communication?