ROTI: Star Ratings
Return on Time Invested (ROTI) with star ratings provides a quick, visual way for teams to evaluate both meeting effectiveness and facilitator performance. This dual-purpose feedback template helps development teams continuously improve their collaboration sessions by gathering specific, actionable feedback.
What Is ROTI: Star Ratings?
ROTI is a standardized feedback mechanism that measures whether participants felt their time was well spent. This star ratings template enhances the traditional ROTI exercise by:
- Using a familiar 5-star rating system that makes feedback intuitive
- Separately evaluating both meeting content and facilitator effectiveness
- Providing space for qualitative comments to explain ratings
The template uses a visual metaphor of star ratings (similar to product reviews) to quantify satisfaction levels, making feedback collection quick and engaging for busy development teams.
Benefits & When to Use
Use this template at the end of any collaborative session when you want to:
- Gather quick, quantifiable feedback on meeting effectiveness
- Assess facilitator performance to identify improvement opportunities
- Create a feedback loop for continual improvement of team processes
- Close retrospectives, planning sessions, or workshops on a reflective note
- Compare meeting effectiveness over time by tracking star ratings trends
This template is particularly valuable for remote or distributed development teams where traditional feedback mechanisms might be limited.
How to Run a ROTI: Star Ratings Session
Introduce the exercise (1 minute)
- Explain that ROTI measures whether the meeting was worth participants' time
- Clarify that honest feedback helps improve future sessions
Explain the rating scales (1 minute)
- For meeting ratings: 1 = little value, 5 = awesome meeting
- For facilitator ratings: 1 = could do better, 5 = top-drawer facilitation
- Point out the descriptions next to each star level
Collect anonymous feedback (2-3 minutes)
- Ask participants to place a token on their chosen star rating for both categories
- Encourage everyone to provide at least one written comment in the feedback area
Review the results (2-3 minutes)
- Briefly acknowledge the distribution of ratings
- Thank participants for their honesty
- Share how you'll use the feedback to improve future sessions
Optional: Discuss patterns (3-5 minutes)
- If appropriate, discuss any notable patterns or discrepancies in the ratings
- Ask for verbal elaboration on written comments as needed
- Focus on actionable improvements rather than justifying low scores
Total time: 5-10 minutes
Tips for a Successful Session
- Run this exercise in the last 5-10 minutes of your meeting
- Ensure anonymity by having everyone submit ratings simultaneously
- Consider collecting ratings before discussing them to avoid peer influence
- Track ratings over time to identify trends in meeting effectiveness
- Share improvements you've made based on previous feedback to demonstrate its value
- For distributed teams, use the timer feature to keep the exercise brief
- Don't take low ratings personally—view them as opportunities for growth
- Consider adding specific aspects to rate for longer or more complex meetings
- Follow up on actionable feedback in your next meeting to close the loop
By consistently using this template, you'll create a culture of continuous improvement in your team's collaboration processes while ensuring your meetings deliver genuine value.
