An activity should reflect the people in the room

What we found in the news

Returning to Emond and Kelly’s February 2025 study (opens in a new tab), its stakeholder interviews draw attention to programme fit and participants’ preferences. These are reported perceptions from a small Scottish study, not proof of a universal activity formula.

The abstract names:

“ongoing, flexible programme planning”

— Heather Emond and Fiona Kelly

Our practical interpretation is that preparation should leave genuine choices available. A plan can guide a session while still allowing the people in the room to influence what happens.

Why this matters to us

An activity can be carefully prepared and still meet a different group from the one the planner imagined. Someone arrives tired. A participant is curious about a side topic. A game is familiar to half the room and new to everyone else.

Our genus perspective is that responding to those details is part of good hosting. It does not mean abandoning all structure or expecting a facilitator to invent a new session at every turn. It means knowing which parts can change and noticing when a change may help.

People receiving support bring preferences and ideas alongside any assistance they need. An activity should offer a way for those preferences to matter, including the choice to watch, pause or try something different.

Build choices that change the experience

Start with two or three decisions participants can make. They might choose between images to discuss, select a familiar topic or decide whether to work together or individually. Keep the choices clear enough to understand without presenting an overwhelming menu.

Some choices matter more than others. Selecting a color is useful if the activity is already welcome. It does not answer a person who would prefer a different pace or who does not want to make that object at all. Ask what would affect their experience rather than assuming the smallest available choice is sufficient.

Offer different ways to respond. People may speak, point, use a familiar communication aid or show interest through an action. Check your interpretation with the person and with appropriate supporters rather than treating a quick glance as a definite answer.

Explain what is fixed too. A session may have a firm finishing time or materials that require supervision. Honest boundaries make the remaining choices more meaningful.

Let the next step follow what happens

A facilitator can prepare an easier starting point and an optional extension. Someone new to a game may want one practice turn. Another person may prefer a more challenging round. The aim is to offer a workable range without making participants feel ranked.

Notice when a pause would help. A room can become noisy or a discussion can move faster than some people want. Ask whether the group would like a quieter moment or a change of focus instead of assuming that continued activity means continued enjoyment.

If a participant suggests a different direction, consider whether it fits the setting and the available time. A useful idea need not be adopted immediately to be taken seriously. Explain when it could be tried or why it is not possible.

Afterward, record a few specific things to carry forward: the option people chose, a difficulty they identified and what the host plans to adjust. Avoid describing a whole group as delighted when only one person gave that feedback.

The genus connection

Today, Coaching & Mingle (opens in a new tab) can give a human facilitator prepared media, questions and supported shared activities in a configured room.

The facilitator chooses the material and decides when to move on, revisit a topic or leave time for a response. Available controls and activities vary with the setup. The tools provide options; people still determine what fits the session and what should change next time.

One question to take away

Where in your next activity can participants make a choice that changes their experience?

Build in two genuine choice points and ask afterward what people would keep. A flexible plan becomes useful when those answers can influence the next one.