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Button

The Button method is a dynamic alternative to the traditional round-robin approach, maintaining engagement by allowing participants to choose who speaks next. This technique ensures that everyone contributes once before anyone speaks again, avoiding predictable and energy-draining patterns.

Duration
15m–30m
Group size
4+ people
Materials
small token (e.g., poker chip), index cards

How to run it

  1. 1

    Introduce the topic or question to the group.

  2. 2

    Give a small token to the first volunteer who wants to respond.

  3. 3

    After responding, the volunteer passes the token to another participant who has not yet spoken.

  4. 4

    Continue until all participants have had a chance to speak.

Tips

  • Encourage participants to remain attentive by reminding them that they could be called upon at any time.

  • Use the index card variation if you want to add an element of surprise and keep focus sharp.

Variations

Instead of a physical token, use index cards where participants write down a keyword and their name. Shuffle these cards and use them to randomly select the next speaker.

Where it fits

Brainstorming sessions where equal participation is desiredMeetings where maintaining participant focus is challengingWorkshops aiming to build team interaction and engagement
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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Gamestorming.

Button — Facilitation Method | Workshop Weaver