Quick poll: How do you usually end your sessions?
A) With a quick “Thanks for coming out!” 👋
B) It depends… (aka I make it up as I go) 🎭
C) Wait… I’m supposed to end sessions?! 😬
It’s easy not to close.
If you’ve ever run out of time and skipped the closing—or ended with an awkward “any final thoughts?”—you’re not alone.
Art of Gathering author Priya Parker says that in group sessions “there is a tendency to close without closing.”
But here’s the thing: how you end a session matters just as much as how you start it.
So often in group sessions, we skip the ending.
In stories, the ending is often the part that we look forward to the most. And according to the Peak End Rule, it’s one of the parts that we remember the most.
But in live sessions the ending doesn’t always materialize.
Why? Because we fall into what I call 6 common “closing pitfalls”👇
⚠️ We don’t plan for a closing
⚠️ We run out of time
⚠️ We assume it’ll happen on its own
⚠️ We don’t think it’s important
⚠️ We avoid it (knowingly or not)
⚠️ We don’t know how to close
We need endings.
In stories, endings help us resolve all of the dangling threads.
In live sessions, here’s what I’ve learned:
Great closings don’t just wrap things up—they help everything land.
When we close well, we help participants…
✅ Reflect on what just happened
✅ Feel a sense of meaning and momentum
✅ Leave inspired and ready to act
In other words a solid closing boosts retention, motivation, and follow-through.
Because most session leaders skip the ending, closing well is one of the easiest ways to stand out—and make your sessions truly unforgettable.
So how do you close well?
Here are 10 tried-and-tested ways you can close any session from a 30-minute demo to a multi-day event or course. Online or in-person.
*Remember: Every live session is different. The secret is to adapt these closings to your specific purpose and audience.
10 Ways to Close Well (and What They’re Good For)
Shorter Closings
1️⃣ One-Word Checkout
Ask: “Drop one word in the chat that describes how you’re feeling.”
Good for: Short sessions (30–90 mins), medium to big groups, quick closing.
2️⃣ One sentence, what’s your biggest takeaway?
A final prompt in the chat or out loud. Or “What’s sticking with you?”
Good for: Short sessions (30–90 mins), groups with limited time.
3️⃣ Group Photo with a Twist
Everyone strikes a pose representing what they’re taking away.
Good for: Creative groups, community sessions, workshops where energy is high.
4️⃣ One Loud Clap + “YES!”
Everyone claps once and says “YES!” together.
Good for: Energizers, time-limited sessions, youth or high-energy groups.
Longer Closings
5️⃣ “One thing I learned… therefore I will…”
Have participants complete the sentence.
Good for: Trainings, multi-day events, coaching intensives—great for linking learning to action.
6️⃣ 1:4 Debrief (Fact, Question, Aha!, Action)
Participants create four columns and debrief in pairs or small groups.
Good for: Reflective learners, professional trainings, strategy sessions.
7️⃣ Letter from My Future Self
Write a letter as if your future self has already succeeded.
Good for: Leadership programs, retreats, moments of transition or goal-setting. Check out FutureMe.
8️⃣ Shower of Appreciation
One person is in the “hot seat” while others share appreciations for 1 minute.
Good for: Cohorts, long-term groups, team development.
9️⃣ One Strength I See in You
Participants name a strength they see in another person, then pass it on.
Good for: Team closings, community groups, coach/facilitator circles.
🔟 Close With a Quote or Poem
Pick a quote that captures the essence of the session.
Here’s one of my favorites:
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.“
T.S. Eliot
Big thanks to my facilitation mentors at PYE Global for teaching me many of these closings. ✨
Over to you 🎤
If you have a closing session coming up… what’s one tweak you could make to your closing that would take it from good to unforgettable?
Hit reply – I’d love to know!
This week’s Facilitator Finds 💪
📆 5 Mistakes Even Established Freelance Facilitators Make – and How to Avoid Them. Join seasoned freelance facilitator Nathy Ravez for a free live event on December 17. She’s sharing practical strategies to boost your facilitation business in 2026 (and beyond).
⚒️ The Workshop Deck. A beautifully designed facilitation card deck by facilitation expert Mehdi En-Naizi to help you design better workshops, one card at a time.
🎙️How to Design Vitual Session People Remember. What a big honour to join Mehdi on his Another Day, Another Workshop podcast where we chat about turning “just another Zoom meeting” into a high-energy, meaningful experience. Lots of spicy tips in this one! 😀
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Creatively yours,
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