Scales – a Useful and Fun Tool!

If you run meetings or you deliver training, you know it is super important to encourage participants to engage, reflect, and respond. 

When people respond, you know they are connecting to what you are saying. When participants reflect, they are reinforcing what they have learned. When they engage, they have an opportunity to express themselves – and everybody needs to be seen and heard.

The problem is, trainers and meeting owners are often so busy getting information out, they forget to make sure it is acknowledged and understood.

If you are a manager, a holder of meetings, or delivering training, you know what I mean. It is challenging to get responses and assurances that what you are saying is landing. It’s not enough to keep asking, “any questions?”

It’s not your fault – it’s challenging to get people to connect to what you are teaching, in-person or virtually. But don’t give up, the effort is well worth it.

Here’s a tool I use and just had to share – it will enhance participation, engagement, and learning. It is an easy tool to boost communication and add some fun: Picture Scales. 

Cool, interesting picture scales are easy to find and easy to implement. Asking participants to find their feelings on a presented scale is something everyone can understand. Asking for them to place their understanding of the content on a scale is a lower risk ask. I find every participant can reflect on a question when there is a visual scale to reference.

Here are some examples:

• Emoji scales – Example of a reflection question: Are you feeling more equipped after what you just learned?

• Mood scale – Example question: How are you feeling about this new project?

• Animal Scales – example use: How are you feeling this morning?

• Picture scales – which scene best depicts where you are now?

Scales give an opportunity for participants to reflect and share in an easy and fun way. Reflecting and sharing reinforces what they have learned and helps build community. Make them funny and playful, make them serious or expressive. I use scales to help participants throughout a training or facilitated meeting, as a gauge for how they are doing and a way for them to acknowledge their status. 

Your homework is to google around and find a scale for your next meeting – Be sure to make it fun!

 For even more great engaging facilitation and training tips, contact me at connect@engagingplay.com