Role Cards
Participants are assigned specific discussion roles (e.g. spokesperson, devil's advocate, notetaker) via cards, then switch roles partway through. The structure balances participation — drawing out quieter members and reining in those who dominate — while creating a shared sense of ownership over the process.
Come eseguirlo
- 1
Define appropriate roles for your group (e.g. spokesperson, devil's advocate, timekeeper, notetaker, connector, questioner). Optionally co-create the roles with the group for more buy-in.
- 2
Write or print roles on index cards or mailing labels. Add playful icons if appropriate.
- 3
Distribute role cards randomly — or deliberately if you know the group dynamics.
- 4
Walk through the responsibilities and constraints of each role.
- 5
Run the discussion with roles active.
- 6
Halfway through, ask everyone to switch roles. Run the second half of the discussion.
- 7
Debrief: What was it like to play your role? How did it change the discussion?
Suggerimenti
A 'devil's advocate' role legitimises challenge and makes disagreement feel structural rather than personal.
Silly or humorous icons on the cards reduce resistance — especially in corporate settings.
Pre-meditate the role distribution if you have a specific participation problem to solve.
Variazioni
Use six thinking hats as the role set (White, Red, Black, Yellow, Green, Blue) for a structured creativity session.
Casi d'uso
Metodi correlati
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Workshop Weaver ti aiuta a combinare metodi come Role Cards in un'agenda completa e temporizzata in pochi minuti.
Prova gratisMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from University of Hawaii.