Stop, Start, Continue Template for Coaching & 360 Feedback
The Stop, Start, Continue template turns vague performance impressions into three concrete behavioral habits: what a person should stop doing, start doing, and keep doing. In Evaluation Guru, you can launch the built-in 3-question Stop, Start, Continue template in under 2 minutes and let respondents answer in writing or record a 3-minute browser video without creating an account.
- Setup time
- Under 2 minutes
- Response mode
- Written or 3-min video
- Anonymity rule
- Min 3 responses
- Respondent login
- Never required
When to use this template
When to use the Stop, Start, Continue template
Use Stop, Start, Continue whenever you want fast, high-completion feedback focused on day-to-day observable habits rather than formal annual ratings.
Mid-engagement coaching check-ins
After 60 to 90 days of executive coaching, ask 5–8 stakeholders whether the leader’s new communication and delegation habits are showing up in meetings.
First-90-day onboarding reads for fractional leaders
Fractional executives and new directors can gather a quick pulse from peers and direct reports before small friction points harden into habits.
Post-project consulting debriefs
Instead of a 30-question survey nobody finishes, send three prompts that take respondents under five minutes to complete.
Recommended campaign setup
- Who the feedback is about
- Executive coaching client, manager, fractional leader, or project lead
- Who to invite
- Peers, direct reports, project collaborators, or client sponsors
- Rater count & anonymity
- 5 to 10 respondents (minimum 3 completed responses required for anonymous reports)
- Recommended cadence
- Quarterly check-ins or at the midpoint of a coaching engagement
Sample Questions (10 included)
10 Stop, Start, Continue questions to guide respondents
Evaluation Guru’s built-in Stop, Start, Continue template presents the three core prompts below. The sample questions here are prompts to guide your respondents—coaches can add context or include two or three of these specific prompts in the campaign description and personal note so raters know what angles to address in writing or on video.
- 1Stop · Decision speed
“What is one habit in meetings or decision-making this person should STOP doing because it slows the team down?”
Why it works: Narrows "stop doing" to a specific setting (meetings and decisions) so raters name a behavior instead of a personality trait.
- 2Stop · Delegation
“Where should this person STOP stepping into execution details that belong to their direct reports?”
Why it works: Surfaces micromanagement gently by framing it around role boundaries and team ownership.
- 3Stop · Communication under stress
“What communication habit should this person STOP using when priorities shift under deadline pressure?”
Why it works: Helps leaders see how their urgency lands on stakeholders when timelines tighten.
- 4Start · Alignment
“What is one practice this person should START doing at the beginning of a project to align expectations earlier?”
Why it works: Gives the subject an immediately repeatable action for their very next kickoff.
- 5Start · Stakeholder management
“How could this person START giving clearer context when pushing back on scope or timelines?”
Why it works: Replaces "communicate more" with a specific moment where context is missing.
- 6Start · Inclusive leadership
“What should this person START doing to draw out quieter voices in cross-functional discussions?”
Why it works: Prompts peers to suggest concrete facilitation habits the subject can practice.
- 7Start · Cadence
“What feedback or check-in rhythm should this person START holding with their team or client counterparts?”
Why it works: Identifies missing operating rhythms that are easy to put on the calendar.
- 8Continue · Trust & credibility
“What strength should this person CONTINUE leaning on because it builds trust across the organization?”
Why it works: Protects what is already working so the leader does not over-correct during coaching.
- 9Continue · Momentum
“Which specific leadership behavior has this person shown recently that they should CONTINUE doing more often?”
Why it works: Reinforces recent growth and proves to the coaching client that stakeholders notice their effort.
- 10Continue · Partnership
“What does this person CONTINUE doing in tough situations that makes them effective to partner with?”
Why it works: Highlights resilience and collaboration habits worth preserving under pressure.
Practical Facilitation Guide
Tips for running a high-candor Stop, Start, Continue round
How you frame the invitation, protect respondent anonymity, and follow up before the deadline matters just as much as the questions you ask.
When Anonymous Feedback is enabled, Evaluation Guru enforces a minimum of 3 completed responses before unlocking the report, hides individual completion statuses, and shuffles written answers.
1. Invite at least 5 raters so anonymous results pass the minimum-3 threshold
When you enable Anonymous Feedback in Evaluation Guru, the report suppresses all responses until at least 3 respondents have completed the form. Invite 5 to 8 people so one or two busy schedules never leave your report locked.
2. Remind raters how video interacts with anonymity
Written responses on an anonymous campaign strip respondent names and emails and shuffle answer order. If you also enable video responses, Evaluation Guru warns respondents that a camera recording naturally shows their face and voice—so anyone who wants to stay unidentifiable can simply choose Written Response.
3. Use the personal note to anchor the timeframe
Add a 2-sentence personal note in the campaign setup asking raters to focus on the last 60–90 days. Recent examples produce far sharper Stop and Start suggestions than year-old memories.
4. Set a 7- to 10-day deadline and send one mid-window reminder
Short windows create healthy urgency. Because Stop, Start, Continue only has 3 questions, a single one-click reminder 3 days before the deadline usually brings completion rates above 80%.
2-Minute Setup
How to run a Stop, Start, Continue round in Evaluation Guru
You can go from signup to sent invitations in under 2 minutes.
- 1
Select the subject and choose Stop, Start, Continue
Name the person the feedback is about (a coaching client or yourself) and select the built-in Stop, Start, Continue template.
- 2
Set your deadline, anonymity, and video toggles
Pick a response deadline, toggle whether responses are anonymous (enforced with a minimum of 3 completed responses), and choose whether respondents can record a 3-minute browser video.
- 3
Send unique per-person invitation links
Enter respondent email addresses to send one-click invitations automatically, or copy each person’s unique invitation link directly. Respondents never need to create an account.
- 4
Send one-click reminders and share the report link
Nudge pending respondents with one-click email reminders before the deadline, then curate and share the side-by-side Stop, Start, Continue report link with your client.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why do coaches put "Stop" and "Start" before "Continue"?
When respondents answer "Stop" and "Start" first, they focus their energy on specific developmental habits while they are fresh, then end on "Continue" so the overall response finishes with genuine reinforcement.
How do I guide respondents with specific prompts in Evaluation Guru?
The sample questions on this page are prompts to help guide your respondents. When setting up your campaign, you can add context or include specific framing prompts in the campaign description and personal note.
How does the minimum-3 anonymity rule work?
On anonymous campaigns, Evaluation Guru hides individual completion statuses and suppresses the entire report until at least 3 respondents have submitted their answers. Once 3 or more responses are in, written quotes are shuffled so submission order cannot reveal who wrote what.
Can respondents talk through Stop, Start, and Continue on video?
Yes. When you enable video on a campaign, respondents see the three Stop, Start, Continue prompts right below their browser camera preview and can record up to 3 minutes.
Internal Template Library
Related feedback templates
Team Retrospective Questions (Stop, Start, Continue Format)
Running async team retrospective questions before a live retro meeting prevents groupthink—so the loudest voice in the first five minutes doesn’t set the entire agenda.
Video Feedback for Coaches: Asynchronous 360 & Stakeholder Reviews
Written survey bullets flatten out warmth, hesitation, and vocal emphasis—the very signals an executive coach needs to hear when gathering stakeholder feedback for a client.
Peer Feedback Questions for Colleagues & Project Partners
Peer feedback questions uncover how someone collaborates, communicates tradeoffs, and follows through when no hierarchy is forcing compliance.
Ready to send this feedback round?
Set up Stop, Start, Continue in under 2 minutes. Invite respondents with one-click links, collect written or 3-minute video answers, and share a clean report.