Description Long

At the turning point, the aim is for workshop participants to completely disengage from the previous phase during a break, allowing them to generate new lines of thought. This is precisely the purpose of the Opposites Method. Participants are encouraged to do the opposite of what they were doing in the previous activity. Mentally, they switch off from the workshop by focusing on a new topic for informal conversation during the break. They are also invited to change their physical activity: for example, if the workshop involved sitting, they should stand or go for a walk; if it was held indoors, they should step outside, and so on.

This shift in conversation topic, physical movement, and environment makes it easier for participants to develop fresh ideas and engage more openly with new perspectives after the turning point.

Illustration

Preparation

No preparations are needed.

Execution

1. The facilitator explains the method and provides examples of “opposite” activities.
2. The group jointly decides which activities they would like to carry out during the break.
3. Participants then engage in the chosen activities (e.g. going for a walk, chatting about hobbies).

It is important that participants make an effort to focus on a new conversation topic. For workshop participants who did not previously know each other, the turning point can also be used as an opportunity to get to know one another better and to identify the skills and expertise within the group.

Hints from experience

• What participants do during this method is entirely up to the group. For example, they might go for a walk, jump into the lake, or have a coffee outdoors. However, it is important to physically move away from the previous setting and to talk about a new topic in order to stimulate fresh lines of thought.

References

This method was developed by Marcel Geiser, Marco Barmettler Marc Willimann and Martina Bircher during the 2018 CreaLab Summerschool of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.