Warm up and surface views with a physical line-up.
Participants are invited to form a line, arranging themselves according to a criteria we set. This can be a simple way of mixing up a group e.g. "Line up according to your birthday", or getting a picture of people's views e.g. "Stand towards one end if you are optimistic about the coming year, and the other end if you expect significant challenges."
Participants are invited to form a single line from one end of room to another. This can be a simple way of mixing up a group e.g. "Line up according to your birthday." Another method is to start by asking people to line up by height without speaking to each other.This always provokes some fun comparisons and conversations.
Once warmed up, we ask people to line up according to an issue relevant to the theme of the event, for example:
- Stand towards one end if you are optimistic about the coming year, and towards the other end of you are expecting significant challenges
- Stand towards one end if you consider yourself comfortable experimenting with new technologies, and towards the other if you are less confident
We then invite people to form conversations with either those in similar positions to them, or to talk to people who have very different views. The main thing is to provoke some conversations about diversity and difference.
An advanced form is to ask two questions at the same time and guide participants in placing themselves along these axes, as pictured opposite.
Use Walk The Line to warm up a group and surface a range of views. People arrange themselves in a line by a chosen criterion, from birthdays to opinions, which mixes the group and sparks conversation about difference.
Using this tool with a skilled facilitator means that discussions are focused, time is used efficiently, and the group moves toward consensus, making the session productive and impactful.
