Land on a concrete outcome & check-out

You might gather to learn something new, to take a decision, to solve a problem together, to align on an action plan, to explore possibilities, to come up with new ideas, to connect and build trust and for many other reasons.

After a session, participants need a sense of closure to feel that the experience was complete and valuable. An intentional ending transitions them from the session environment back to their daily lives with a sense of accomplishment and readiness.

This goal will inform the way you will close the session as well. The closing activity should be straightforward and not introduce new complex concepts. It’s a time for reflection and synthesis, not for new information. You can get creative by using movement, symbolic objects, or visual representations on whiteboards of what the experience was like.

Here are some of the most popular ones:

👉 Reinforce learning:

Close with a group discussion or individual reflection around the main takeaways of the session

Try out: “Monster Takeways or AHA Moments”

👉 Reinforce transfer and application

Close with a personal commitment to a clear, small action to be taken after the sessions. Or encourage reflection around practical ways in which participants will apply what they learned in their context.

Try out: “What? So What? Now What?”

👉 Reinforce action

Close with a concrete action plan, with clear next steps, deadlines, and responsibilities.

Try out: “Start-Stop-Continue”

👉 Reinforce feedback

Invite participants to provide feedback on the session , the concepts, or process used. Especially useful for prototypes, or new workshops.

Try out: “Rose, Thorn, Bud”

👉 Reinforce reflection and deep thinking

Close with a reflection moment, either individual, or in small groups.

Try out: “I used to think _____, and now I think ____”

👉 Reinforce appreciation and connection:

Close with a gratitude or appreciation sharing moment for each other’s contribution.

Try out: “Appreciation Shower”

A thoughtful design of the ending of your workshop with the same care as the beginning and middle, will ensure a holistic and satisfying learning experience.

🧰 For your toolbox:

💭 A collection of Butter templates for closing and check-outs

💭 Checkout the Co-Reflect Toolkit from CCSDI to evaluate co-creation sessions