Steal this workshop tool!
- At the end of a session, ask everyone to write one take-home message on a sticky note: the main idea they want to keep with them from the workshop.
- Then ask them to stick it on the wall or a flipchart by the door on the way out.
Simple, right? But it does a lot.
A take-home message works on two fronts at once. When writing it, people look back on the session and reflect on what they learned. But it also allows them to look forward and consciously choose an insight that can be useful in the future.
Then there’s the wall itself. Watching it fill up with everyone’s thoughts can be quite rewarding in itself, for participants and facilitators alike. And for those who are not in a rush, it’s a good way to check out other people’s workshop highlights as well.
It also brings the workshop full circle. If you opened by asking what people hoped to get out of it, you start with expectations and end with what people are really leaving with. That gives the workshop a satisfying arc, which often leaves people with a stronger sense of having accomplished something.
And in case you’re wondering, it works online too! (We like to use Padlet for it, same idea on a shared wall.)
Small touches like this are what make a session land. Need a hand with your own workshops? Drop us a line: info@stickydot.eu
