Takeaway
Try starting your next team meeting with an icebreaker activity. Rituals like this can jumpstart connections with colleagues and build healthier care teams.
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence | August 14, 2025 | 2 min read
By Grace Jeffries, BS, medical student, Brooklynn Weber, BS, medical student & Rahul Anand, MD, MBA, MSCI, Quinnipiac University
What if a 60-second ritual could foster connection, psychological safety and a growth mindset in your medical team? In the task-focused environment of healthcare, building authentic connection, trust, and adaptability in teams can be a challenge. As interdisciplinary teams collaborate to provide patients with safe, high-quality care, a sense of shared purpose, connection, and community can be the difference between an average team and a great one.
A simple, yet powerful tool is the “Rose, bud, and thorn,” a reflective exercise rooted in relationship-centered leadership. It entails each team member sharing three things at the start of the meeting:
1. Rose
Something positive or currently flowering: a recent success, moment of joy, win that deserves being celebrated.
2. Bud
A new beginning: new opportunity, area of growth, or something you’re looking forward to.
3. Thorn
A challenge, worry or pain-point that’s pinching you and you feel safe sharing.
How to use this with your team:
1. Set the stage.
As the leader, explain the three words, ensure confidentiality, and model vulnerability by going first.
2. Go around the circle.
Each person shares a rose, a bud, and a thorn (30–60 seconds).
3. Tend the garden.
As everyone speaks, listeners fully listen.
4. Harvest roses.
Acknowledge and celebrate.
5. Water buds.
Ask, “What support would move this forward?”
6. Acknowledge thorns.
Most times just being there to offer verbal support is helpful. For example providing encouragement and/or resources.
7. Replant weekly.
In our leadership courses and teams, we begin every session this way. Over time individual stories transform into a caring community.
Facilitator tips:
1. f you have a large team, use breakout trios.
2. You can use this exercise at shift huddles or one-to-one check-ins.
3. Sprinkle the language during the week (“Looks like that project turned into a rose!”) to reinforce the mindset.
Why it matters:
This exercise can:
1. Foster communication and sense of safety.
It encourages team members to reflect and share, creating a safe space that strengthens teamwork and supports better patient outcomes. Empowered teams communicate more effectively, speak up earlier, and reduce errors, all leading to safer care.
2. Mitigate burnout.
Rose, bud, thorn gives space to voice concerns (thorns), recognize growth (buds), and feel heard—promoting trust and a growth mindset.
3. Builds a shared culture.
Regular reflection helps teams align values, strengthen purpose, and work toward common goals.
Try it and see what blooms!
Learn more:
1. “Learning to Lead Podcast.” The Rose, bud, and thorn exercise was recently explored in the “Learning to Lead Podcast” at Quinnipiac University.
2: “Roses with Renee.” Check out a short video description on LinkedIn, X or Instagram (@rose_and_renee)
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.