A tool for surfacing the unspoken fears and anxieties within a team to build trust and openness.
The "Stinky Fish" is a metaphor for "that thing that you carry around but don’t like to talk about; but the longer you hide it, the stinkier it gets." It represents our fears, anxieties, and uncertainties related to a project or our work. By putting them on the table, we can deal with them before they become a bigger problem.
Explain the "Stinky Fish" metaphor to the team. Emphasize that this is a safe space to share.
Give everyone a piece of paper and ask them to draw a fish. Inside the fish, they should write down their "stinky" thoughts silently and individually.
Have team members share their fish with one or two other people. This is often less intimidating than sharing with the whole group at once.
Ask each small group to share common themes or surprising insights they discovered. Discuss how the team can address these "stinky fish" together.