Pick one for me
If you cannot decide, this chooses one prompt from the 48 on this page.
All 48 prompts
Each line works on its own. Read the group heading to choose by situation rather than by topic.
Recap what we covered
Use these when the content was dense. People name what they learned in their own words. A written answer counts as much as a spoken one.
- Three-word recap (2 minutes). Everyone writes three words that sum up the session for them, then reads them aloud, posts them in the chat or passes.
- Subject line (2 minutes). Each person writes the email subject line they would use to tell a colleague what today covered. Read out three, then name any topic they all left out.
- Swap a quiz question (5 minutes). Each person writes one question about today’s content on a card and passes it to the left. Answer the card you receive, then check with its writer.
- Most useful point (3 minutes). Show the five key points of the session on one slide. Each person votes for the one most useful in their job: a hand, a tick on paper or a number in the chat.
- Thirty-second teach-back (3 minutes). In pairs, each person explains one idea from today as if the partner had missed the session. The partner adds one detail. Swap after 30 seconds.
- Two sentences for the manager (3 minutes). Each person writes two sentences they could say to their manager: what the session covered, and which part matters most for their own work.
Commit to one action
Use these when the course is about doing something differently at work. Each closer ends with one action that is small enough to start within a week.
- The action card (3 minutes). Each person fills in the action card: one action, the first chance to try it, a likely obstacle and a review date. Two volunteers read their first line.
- The first fifteen minutes (2 minutes). Each person writes what they will do in their first fifteen minutes back at work that uses today’s content. It must fit in fifteen minutes.
- Book the practice slot (2 minutes). Each person books a 20-minute slot in their calendar in the next seven days to try one thing from today, or writes the day on the card. Say or type the day only.
- Tomorrow, next week, next month (3 minutes). Each person writes three steps of growing size: one for tomorrow, one for next week and one for next month, then circles the step they are most sure to take.
- When this happens, I will (2 minutes). Each person completes the line “When [a situation at work] happens, I will [the new action].” Choose a situation that will come up within two weeks.
- Note to your future self (5 minutes). Each person writes a short note to themselves about what they plan to try and why, then seals it in an addressed envelope or schedules it as an email for two weeks from today. Nobody else reads it.
Prepare for the return to work
Use these when people will go back to a full inbox. They set up the reminders, materials and support that make a first attempt likely.
- A cue you will see (2 minutes). Each person chooses a reminder they will see at work next week, such as a note on the screen, a phone alert or a line in the task list, and sets it before leaving.
- Save the toolkit (3 minutes). Each person lists the handouts, templates and notes from today they will keep, and writes the folder or link where they will save them.
- Pass one idea on (2 minutes). Each person chooses one colleague who would gain from one idea from today and writes their role, the idea and the day they will mention it.
- Put it in your team’s words (4 minutes). Each person takes one tool or step from today and rewrites it in the words their team uses, so that it is ready to use on Monday.
- Ask for what you need (3 minutes). Each person writes the one thing they need to apply today’s content, such as time, access, a sign-off or practice, then who can give it and the sentence they will use to ask.
- Name the obstacle, plan the move (3 minutes). Each person writes the thing most likely to stop them using today’s content and one small move that gets round it. If they share, they share the move only.
Catch open questions
Use these so that no question leaves the room without an answer, an owner and a date, or an honest “outside this course”.
- Read the question catcher (2 minutes). Read aloud each question collected on the question catcher during the day. For each, say who will answer it and by when, or that it is outside this course.
- Last-question slips (2 minutes). Each person writes one question they still have on a slip or in the chat, with no name needed. Answer two now and say when the rest will be answered.
- Least clear point (2 minutes). Each person writes the one point that is still least clear to them. Count the repeats and explain the most common one again in one minute.
- Sweep the parking board (2 minutes). Read every item on the parking board aloud. Mark each one done, answered later with an owner and a date, or out of scope. Nothing leaves unmarked.
- Topic confidence count (3 minutes). List the session topics. Each person marks each topic sure, partly sure or not yet, on paper or with a number in the chat. Plan follow-up for topics with many “not yet” marks.
- Where to ask later (1 minute). Show the one place to send questions after the session: an email address, a channel or a drop-in time. Everyone writes it on their action card.
Opt-in appreciation
Appreciation is optional. People thank an action or an idea, not a named person, so that nobody is singled out and nobody is left out. Every closer has a written route, and a pass needs no reason.
- What helped my learning (2 minutes). Anyone who wants to finishes the line “Something this group did today that helped my learning was …”, aloud or in writing. Name the action, not the person.
- Unsigned thank-you slips (3 minutes). Anyone who wants to writes one unsigned slip about a moment that helped them today. Read three aloud without names, then leave the slips where all can read them.
- An idea I am taking with me (2 minutes). Anyone who wants to names one idea that came from another participant and that they will use. Describe the idea, not who said it.
- The facilitator thanks the group (1 minute). You name three things the whole group did that made the session work, such as sharing real examples or keeping to time. Thank the group, not individuals.
- What-helped sheet (3 minutes). Put up one sheet or one shared document headed “What helped today”. Anyone may add a line during the last break or the close. Read the lines aloud at the end.
- A line for your practice partner (2 minutes). Pairs who practised together may each write their partner one line about what helped in the practice. Both write or both skip; no reason is needed.
Look back at the start
Use these when you asked for goals, expectations or a first answer at the opening. Close the loop that the opening started.
- Back to the objectives (3 minutes). Show the session objectives from the start. For each, the group says or types covered, partly covered or not covered. Say what happens to anything not covered.
- Expectations revisited (3 minutes). Read out the expectations people gave at the start. Mark each one met, partly met or not met, and give the next step for anything not met.
- Opening answer, closing answer (3 minutes). Repeat the question you asked at the opening. Each person writes a new answer and compares it with the first. Share the difference only by choice.
- Confidence before and after (2 minutes). Each person rates their confidence in today’s main skill from 1 to 5 on paper, as they did at the start, and keeps both numbers. It is a private reflection, not an evaluation.
- Agenda tick-through (2 minutes). Show the agenda. Each person ticks the part they will use first and puts a question mark by any part they want more on. Tally the marks.
- Since this morning (2 minutes). Each person writes one thing they would now do differently in a task they did before the session. One sentence is enough.
Two minutes or less
Use these when the session has overrun. Keep the promise to finish on time and use one of these instead of cutting the close altogether.
- One-word close (1 minute). Each person says or types one word about what they take away. With more than ten people, everyone types or writes at the same moment.
- Finish the sentence (1 minute). Show the starter “Next week I will …” and give 60 seconds to write the end. Collect nothing; people keep their line.
- A sticky takeaway (2 minutes). Each person writes one takeaway on a sticky note and sticks it on their laptop or notebook before leaving.
- Confidence count (1 minute). On a count of three, each person shows one to five fingers, or types a number, for how sure they are to try their action. Name the range you see, not anyone’s number.
- The last line of the notes (1 minute). Each person writes, as the last line of their notes, the page or slide they will look at again first.
- The two-sentence close (1 minute). You say what the group covered and the one thing to try first, then end on time. Use it when no time is left at all.
Online and hybrid sessions
Use these on a video call or with some people remote. Nobody needs to unmute or turn on a camera, and typed answers are read aloud for the room.
- Chat waterfall (2 minutes). Everyone types an answer to “What will you try first?” but does not send it. On “go”, all press enter together. Read five answers aloud.
- Poll the first step (2 minutes). Run a one-question poll: which part of today will you use first? Show the results and name the top choice and the second.
- Shared action board (4 minutes). Open a shared document with one row per person. Each person types their action and a review date, or only their initials and the word “private”.
- Breakout pair promise (4 minutes). In two-minute breakout pairs, each person says one action and the partner repeats it back in one sentence. Back in the main room, nobody reports.
- Opt-in reminder email (2 minutes). Show the email you will send tomorrow with the slides, the answers to open questions and a reminder date. People type “yes” if they want the reminder.
- Remote people first (2 minutes). Ask the closing question to remote people first, in the chat, then to the room. Read every typed answer aloud so that the room hears them.
Choose a closer by purpose and time
The 48 closers sit in eight groups of six, numbered in the order of this page. Choose the purpose first, then a card that fits your minutes.
| Purpose | Cards | Use it when | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recap what we covered | 1–6 | The content was dense and people need to say it in their own words. | 2–5 min |
| Commit to one action | 7–12 | The course asks people to do something differently at work. | 2–5 min |
| Prepare for the return to work | 13–18 | People go back to a full inbox and need reminders, materials or support. | 2–4 min |
| Catch open questions | 19–24 | Questions came up that the session did not answer. | 1–3 min |
| Opt-in appreciation | 25–30 | The group worked well together and you want to say so, without singling anyone out. | 1–3 min |
| Look back at the start | 31–36 | You asked for goals, expectations or a first answer at the opening. | 2–3 min |
| Two minutes or less | 37–42 | The session has overrun and you still want a proper end. | 1–2 min |
| Online and hybrid sessions | 43–48 | Some or all people join by video. | 2–4 min |
The 10-minute closing plan
2 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 10 minutes. Run the feedback form before the close starts, so that the session ends on each person’s own action.
| Minutes | Step | Card | What you say | Written or online route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | Recap in three words | 1 | “Write three words that sum up today for you. Read them out, type them, or pass.” | Type the words in the chat. Read out four. |
| 2–5 | Write the action card | 7 | “Fill in your action card. Nobody will collect it. Two volunteers, read me your first line.” | Typed card in a document. Volunteers may type their first line. |
| 5–7 | Answer or route the open questions | 19 | “Here is every question from the catcher, who will answer it and by when.” | Paste the list with owners and dates in the chat. |
| 7–9 | Opt-in appreciation | 25 | “If you want to, finish this line: something this group did today that helped my learning was … Thank the action, not the person.” | Unsigned slips or the chat. Read three aloud without names. |
| 9–10 | Last word and end on time | 37 | “One word about what you take away. Then we finish, on time.” | With more than ten people, everyone types at the same moment. |
Closing rules
Read the first three aloud before the close. They apply to every closer on this page.
| Rule | What you say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| End on time | “We finish at the time I promised.” | A close that overruns loses the people who have to leave, and the action cards with them. |
| Sharing is optional | “You can say ‘pass’. You never have to read your action card aloud.” | An action that is kept private still counts. Nobody records who passed. |
| There is always a written route | “Say it, write it or type it in the chat.” | People who need time to think, or who work in a second language, can take part fully. |
| Appreciation thanks actions, not people | “Thank something that was done or said. No names are needed.” | Nobody is singled out, and nobody notices that their name was never said. |
| Feedback comes before the close | “Two minutes for the feedback form, then we close.” | The last minutes belong to the participants’ own next step, not to the evaluation. |
| Open questions leave with an owner | “Every question gets a name and a date, or I say it is outside this course.” | People trust the follow-up when they can see who will answer and when. |
Action card: what to write
Copy the first two columns into a document for a typed card. The example answers come from one fictional participant on the course in the filled examples.
| Write here | What to write | Example answer |
|---|---|---|
| The one thing I will do | An action you can see someone do, small enough to start within a week. | Put the decision I need at the top of every project update, in one line. |
| My first chance to do it | A real task, meeting or day in the next two weeks. | The weekly update for the office move project, on Tuesday 27 October 2026. |
| What might get in the way, and my move | One likely obstacle and one small way round it. | Habit: I start with the history of the project. Move: write the top line first, before anything else. |
| Who could help, if they agree | A colleague or manager, and what you will ask them for. | My team lead, who reads the update. I will ask her on Wednesday 28 October whether the top line was clear. |
| How I will know it worked | Something you could notice or point to afterwards. | Fewer replies that ask what I need, and the decision is made in the email thread, not in an extra meeting. |
| My review date | About two weeks from today. Set a reminder before you leave. | Thursday 5 November 2026, 14 days after the course. Calendar reminder set before leaving. |
Filled example: a 10-minute close
Fictional. A one-day course on writing clear project updates for 12 coordinators, two of them online, on Thursday 22 October 2026. Sample events, not evidence that the close works.
| Time | Step and card | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 16:20–16:22 | Recap in three words (card 1, “Three-word recap”) | Twelve people wrote three words each. Two remote participants typed theirs. The trainer read four lists aloud. “Decision first” came up in three of them. |
| 16:22–16:25 | Write the action card (card 7, “The action card”) | Everyone wrote a card. Two volunteers shared their first line: one aloud, and one remote participant typed hers. Nobody else shared, and the cards stayed with their owners. |
| 16:25–16:27 | Answer or route the open questions (card 19, “Read the question catcher”) | Four questions were on the catcher. The trainer named an owner and a date for each, and said that one would go to the tools administrator. |
| 16:27–16:29 | Opt-in appreciation (card 25, “What helped my learning”) | Five people spoke or typed a line, for example “the real updates people brought in”. Seven passed. No names were used. |
| 16:29–16:30 | Last word and end on time (card 37, “One-word close”) | With twelve people, everyone typed or wrote one word at the same moment, and the trainer read five aloud. “Thank you. We end at 16:30, as promised.” The session ended at 16:30. |
| Before 16:20 | Feedback form (not part of the close) | Participants filled in the training evaluation form from 16:15 to 16:20, so that the close could end on each person’s own action. |
| Friday 23 October | Follow-up email | The trainer sent the slides, the four questions with their owners and dates, and an opt-in reminder for Thursday 5 November to the nine people who asked for it. |
Filled example: question catcher
As it stood on Fri 30 Oct 2026: 4 questions, 2 answered (1 on time), 1 open and 1 overdue. The workbook calculates the same numbers.
| # | Question | Owner | Answer by | Answered on | How it was answered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Can we use the update template for client-facing reports? | Trainer | Thu 29 Oct | Tue 27 Oct | Email to the group: yes, with a client version attached. |
| 2 | Who approves changes to the shared status colours? | Programme manager | Thu 29 Oct | Fri 30 Oct | Post in the course channel, one day late: the project office lead approves. |
| 3 | Is there a shorter version of the template for daily stand-ups? | Trainer | Thu 5 Nov | Not yet | Draft in progress. |
| 4 | Can the update be sent from the project tool instead of by email? | Tools administrator | Thu 29 Oct | Not yet | Chased on Friday 30 October. |
What you'll leave with
In 10 minutes each participant recaps the session in their own words, writes one action with a first chance and a review date, hears who will answer each open question and by when, and may thank the group aloud or in writing. The session ends on time.
Before the session
- For trainers closing a course for 4–20 adults at work, in a room or online. Keep the last 10 minutes free.
- Print an action card per person and appreciation slips. Put up the question catcher at the start of the day.
- Run the feedback form before the close. Draft the follow-up email: slides, answers, reminder date.
- Every closer runs seated, with a written or chat route. Passing is fine; action cards stay private.
The run of show
Recap in three words
Use card 1, “Three-word recap”. 30 seconds: say “Write three words that sum up today for you. You can read them out, type them in the chat or pass.” 30 seconds of silence to write. 1 minute: invite people to read their words or read four typed lists aloud. Do not comment on the words; say “thank you” and move on.
Write the action card
Use card 7, “The action card”. 30 seconds: hand out the card and say “One action you can start within a week, your first chance to do it, what might get in the way, and a review date about two weeks from today. Nobody will collect this card.” 2 minutes of silent writing. 30 seconds: ask “Would two volunteers read me their first line?” Thank them. If nobody volunteers, read the example action aloud instead.
Answer or route the open questions
Use card 19, “Read the question catcher”. Read each question on the catcher aloud and say who will answer it and by when, or that it is outside this course: “I will email the answer by Thursday.” Allow about 20 seconds per question, so up to five questions fit. If there are more, group them and say when the full list will arrive. Write the owners and dates on the catcher.
Opt-in appreciation
Use card 25, “What helped my learning”. 15 seconds: say “If you want to, finish this line aloud or on a slip: something this group did today that helped my learning was … Thank an action, not a person. Passing is fine.” 45 seconds to write. 1 minute: take a few spoken lines or read three slips or chat lines aloud without names. Do not call on anyone, and do not ask people who stayed quiet.
Last word and end on time
Use card 37, “One-word close”. Say “One word about what you take away.” With ten people or fewer, go round in turn; with more, everyone types or writes at the same moment and you read a few. Say “Thank you. The follow-up email comes tomorrow.” End at the time you promised.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Recap | Three words that sum up the session for me, said, typed or kept |
| My action | One thing I will do, small enough to start within a week |
| First chance and review date | A real task in the next two weeks, and a date about 14 days away |
| Open questions | Every question with an owner and a date, or marked outside this course |
| Appreciation (optional) | Something the group did that helped my learning, without names |
Debrief questions
- Did the close end on time, and which step would you shorten next time?
- How many people wrote an action with a real first chance and a date, and what helped or stopped the others?
- Did every open question leave with an owner and a date, and did the answers go out when promised?
- Did the appreciation round feel optional to the people who passed, and did anyone feel left out?
Adapt it for your group
- For 4 to 6 people, run the recap and the last word as spoken rounds in turn, since everyone has time to speak, and read every appreciation slip aloud rather than three.
- For a 5-minute version, keep the action card (3 minutes), read the question catcher owners in 1 minute and use the one-word close (1 minute): 3 + 1 + 1 = 5. Drop the appreciation round rather than rushing it.
- Online or hybrid, paste each prompt in the chat, use the chat waterfall for the recap and the last word, share the action card as a typed document and read remote answers first. Cameras and microphones stay optional.
- For quiet participants and people working in a second language, show the five steps on the agenda in advance, give the full writing time in silence and accept written or typed answers for every step. Never ask someone who passed to try again.
- At the end of day one of a longer course, replace the action card with a closer from “Catch open questions” and one from “Look back at the start”, and keep the action card for the final day.
After the session
Send the follow-up email the next working day: the slides, each open question with its owner and answer date, and the opt-in reminder date. Answer the questions by the dates you promised and send the reminder only to people who asked for it. Do not collect or read the action cards; at a follow-up session, ask people to look at their own card and share only what they choose. This kit offers activities, not a way to measure learning or transfer. Use the training evaluation form for feedback, and record only counts, not names.
Questions people ask
What are good closing activities for training?
Short activities that do one job each: recap what was covered, commit to one action, prepare for the return to work, catch open questions, thank the group, look back at the opening goals, or close quickly when time has run out. This page has 48 original closers in those eight groups, each with its time, what it leaves behind and an online or written route.
How long should the close of a training session take?
Plan 10 minutes for a half-day or full-day session and keep them free in the agenda. The plan on this page uses 2 minutes for a recap, 3 for the action card, 2 for open questions, 2 for an optional appreciation round and 1 for a last word. If the session overruns, use a closer from “Two minutes or less” rather than skipping the close.
How is this different from the debrief questions after training?
The debrief questions help a group examine one practice activity in the middle of a course: what happened, why, and what to try. This page is for the last minutes of the whole session. Its closers are activities, such as a three-word recap, an action card or a question catcher, and none of them repeats the 42 debrief questions. Use both: debrief each activity, then close the session.
How do I run an appreciation round without putting anyone on the spot?
Make it optional, thank actions instead of named people, and always offer a written route. On this page people finish the line “Something this group did today that helped my learning was …” aloud, on an unsigned slip or in the chat. Nobody is called on, a pass needs no reason, and because no names are used, nobody notices who was or was not mentioned.
Should the feedback form come before or after the closing activity?
Before. Give people two to five minutes for the training evaluation form just before the close, then run the close. The session then ends on each person’s own next step rather than on a form, and people who have to leave on time do not miss either one.
What is in the free PDF and the editable files?
The open PDF has the closing rules, the chooser table, all 48 closers on four pages of cut-apart cards, the 10-minute closing plan, a blank closing planner, the action card, appreciation slips, a question catcher, filled examples of a close and a question catcher, and an action card with example answers. Subscribers also receive the editable Word file, an Excel workbook with the closer bank, a closing planner and a question catcher that calculate, and a CSV of the 48 closers.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.