Tips for Encouraging Reflection in Adult Training Sessions

Reflections. When do you do them during your sessions? Do you wait until the very end? Sure, that is one way — it's not the only way. I love to do mini-reflections after activities. Or spread them throughout. Here's some ways to do that! I Like, I Wish ↳ Use a quick 3-5 minute I Like, I Wish — for this piece because it's so quick you can take off the "I Wonder" that is usually part of this activity. Use it directly after an activity, build it into your virtual board, or use it for an in-person workshop. Duck Pond ↳ Use something physical in an in-person workshop to see where people are throughout the sessions for a vibe check. ↳ Here's one I've used before: have people use their *duck* from their Lego activity where we built ducks as a warm-up, and place them in certain parts of a pong image you set up on a flat table (parts of the pond might say *relaxed* *Keeping my head above water* *feel like I'm sinking*, etc ↳ Have people move their ducks to the part of the pond that represents what they feel at any point in the workshop — you can also set designated times to send them to the pond. It can be anonymous, OR you can have people use a strip of sticky note under the duck with their name These are just a few reflection activities to get you started. I'd love to hear your thoughts and learn about the reflection activities you use. Share your ideas in the comments below! 💜 --- Found this useful? 🔄 Repost for your network. 🎉 Want to work with me to build custom reflection activities for your workshops?! Reach out!

After three years of doing the majority of my meeting & workshop #facilitation work virtually, I still find that there is nothing like the energy and connection of being together in person. Here are some participant takeaways from a recent #leadershipretreat that demonstrate how important it was for us to create the time and space to come together #inperson. The activity I used for closing out the meeting is called “Snowball," and it’s one of my favorite reflection methods. Everyone gets a blank piece of paper and thick black marker, and writes their one big take-away from the day on the paper, anonymously. We then crumple our papers up into a ball, or “snowball,” toss them up into the air, and then everyone grabs a snowball from the ground and reads it aloud. It’s one of my favorite activities for closing an in-person meeting that promotes self-reflection, group cohesion, and it's fun! It also allows me, the #facilitator, to informally assess the participants’ learning and experiences. What is your favorite way to close out a meeting or workshop? #workshopfacilitation #meetingdesign #humancentereddesign

Telling isn’t teaching. And stating facts doesn’t spark thinking. Anyone can say what’s important. But instructional designers help people wrestle with what’s important—and that starts with the right question. A well-placed question invites reflection, challenges assumptions, and creates space for learners to connect the dots for themselves. That’s where real learning happens. Here’s how to use provocative questions more intentionally: 🔹 Open with curiosity. Instead of saying, “It’s critical to build trust with clients,” try asking, “What’s the cost of losing a client’s trust?” 🔹 Embed reflection, not just recall. Go beyond “What is…” and ask “Why does this matter?” or “What would you do differently next time?” 🔹 Use questions to create tension. Ask something that doesn’t have one clear answer. Let learners sit with the discomfort—then guide them forward. 🔹 Design discussion prompts, not just quiz questions. The goal isn’t to test knowledge. It’s to activate thinking. 🔹 Challenge your own instinct to over-explain. Sometimes the best teaching move is to pause—and ask. 🙋♀️ The next time you’re about to make a statement, ask yourself: Could I turn this into a question that makes someone stop and think? ----------------------- 👋 Hi! I'm Elizabeth! ♻️ Share this post if you found it helpful. 👆 Follow me for more tips! 🤝Reach out if you're looking for an effective learning solution.

As leaders, it's critical that we do everything in our power to support and encourage our teams, as opposed to being rigid and unforgiving. Mistakes are important to creativity and innovation. Everyone is going to make mistakes. That's how we learn. Think of a time in which someone shared compassion and empathy with you when you made a mistake -- wasn't that experience so much more rewarding and enriching than those who put you down and made you feel ashamed and embarrassed? Positive reinforcement is FAR better and more effective when teaching teams and working toward your goals as a company. Don't let learning opportunities slip away into hard feelings. Here's a simple tip to encourage mistakes and transform them to learnings: Add a reflection to your weekly team sync! If your team is currently experiencing low psychological safety stick with questions like "What wins and challenges did the team have this week? What's your rose (win), bud (upcoming opportunity), and thorn (loss or something challenging) this week? If your team has some trust already built in then go deeper. Encourage team members to bring something they're working on for feedback. Have a team member share the opportunity or challenge. Have the group go around and answer, "What's effective or going well here?" and "What could make it more effective? What opportunities do you wonder about here?" #GrowthMindset #MakeMistakes #TransformationalLeadership #leadershipdevelopment #managermagic