Hopes & Fears

Purpose

Hopes & Fears is a lightweight opening exercise that makes participants' expectations and anxieties visible. By sharing hopes and fears at the start of a workshop, project kickoff, or change initiative, the facilitator can calibrate the agenda, address concerns early, and build psychological safety.

At a glance

How to run

1. Introduce (2 min): Explain that everyone will share one hope and one fear about the upcoming workshop, project, or change.
2. Write (5 min): Each participant writes their hopes on green sticky notes and fears on red/pink sticky notes.
3. Post and share (5 min): Place all notes on a board divided into two columns. Optionally, each person briefly reads theirs aloud.
4. Acknowledge (3 min): The facilitator summarises themes, acknowledges common fears, and explains how the session will address them.

Materials needed

• Sticky notes in two colours (green for hopes, red/pink for fears)
• Markers
• Board divided into Hopes / Fears columns

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Ignoring the fears: If the facilitator collects fears but never addresses them, trust erodes.
• Forcing verbal sharing: Some participants prefer to post anonymously. Allow it.
• Using it as a checklist: Do not promise to address every fear — acknowledge and be honest about scope.
• Running too long: This is a check-in, not a therapy session. Keep it brisk.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Two-colour system is intuitive; add labels for colour-blind accessibility.
• Silent writing ensures equal contribution.
• Anonymous posting reduces social risk.
• Offer digital input for remote participants.

Variations

• Hopes, Fears & Questions: Add a third column for open questions.
• One-word Hopes & Fears: Each person shares a single word for speed.
• Return to Hopes & Fears: Revisit at the end of the session to check if hopes were met and fears were mitigated.

When NOT to use this

• When the group already has strong trust and shared context — it may feel redundant.
• When time is extremely limited and the exercise would feel rushed.
• When the facilitator has no ability to address any of the fears.

Source & further reading

• Standard facilitation technique (widely used, no single origin)
• Gamestorming: Hopes and Fears
• Sam Kaner, *Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making* (2014)