Preparation
- Explore the values and principles of a group, team, or community.
- Encourage dialogue and collaboration to build a shared identity.
- Establish alignment around how the group wants to be perceived or how it wishes to act.
- Whiteboard, flip chart, or collaborative digital tools for the sliders.
- Sticky notes or markers to indicate preferences.
- Slider templates adapted to the context of the group or project.
- Make sure the space is comfortable and allows participants to interact with the sliders.
- Use collaborative platforms that support digital whiteboards and collective preference marking.
Step-by-step instructions
Introduce the activity:
- Explain that the goal is to reflect on and reach consensus about the values, principles, or traits that represent the group or project.
- Emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers—the value lies in dialogue and collaboration.
Present the sliders:
- Draw or project a set of sliders that represent key attributes such as: - **Inclusive ↔ Exclusive** - **Traditional ↔ Innovative** - **Formal ↔ Informal** - **Collaborative ↔ Independent** - **Results-oriented ↔ Process-oriented**
- Adapt the sliders to the context of the group (community, educational, organizational, etc.).
Initial voting:
- Provide sticky notes or use digital tools so each participant can indicate their position on each slider.
- Let participants vote individually and silently.
Facilitate dialogue:
- Review the marked positions and promote group discussion about differences and similarities.
- Ask participants to explain their choices and consider others’ perspectives.
Build consensus:
- Guide the group toward a shared position on each slider, encouraging respect and equal participation.
- Record the final decisions in a document or template for future reference.
Materials
Practical recommendations
Adapt the sliders to the group’s context
Make sure the ranges are relevant to the specific goals of the team, community, or project.
Provide clear examples
Share examples of how different groups, brands, or communities might position themselves on the sliders to inspire participants.
Create a safe environment
Encourage a space where everyone feels comfortable participating and sharing their perspectives.
Encourage equal participation
Invite all participants to share their views to ensure the resulting identity truly reflects the group.
Facilitate constructive dialogue
Help the group discuss differences respectfully and collaboratively, focusing on reaching consensus.
Use colors or visual aids
Use stickers, markers, or digital tools with distinct colors to make preferences more visible.
Document the results
Record the final decisions and share a summary with participants to ensure clarity and future reference.
Apply what was learned
Use the outcomes of the activity to inform strategies, decisions, or specific actions related to the group or project.
Reflect with the group
Take time to evaluate how the process contributed to group cohesion and how it could be improved in future iterations.
Regular iterations
Repeat the activity at regular intervals to assess whether perceptions and priorities have shifted over time.
Additional sliders
Introduce new sliders based on emerging themes or specific group needs.
Storytelling integration
Invite participants to share stories or experiences that support their slider positions.
Comparative evaluation
Run the activity with subgroups and compare results to understand different perspectives within the team or community.
Inspiration
- Inclusive ↔ Exclusive
- Traditional ↔ Innovative
- Spontaneous ↔ Planned
- Local ↔ Global
- Open to change ↔ Resistant to change
- Proactive ↔ Reactive
- Individualistic ↔ Collectivist
Educational
- Theoretical ↔ Practical
- Formal ↔ Informal
- Structured ↔ Flexible
- Independent ↔ Collaborative
- Knowledge-based ↔ Skills-based
- Academic ↔ Applied
- Conservative ↔ Experimental
Business
- Competitive ↔ Collaborative
- Results-oriented ↔ Process-oriented
- Innovative ↔ Conservative
- Hierarchical ↔ Horizontal
- Fast-paced ↔ Cautious
- Local ↔ International
- Data-driven ↔ Intuition-driven
Creative
- Minimalist ↔ Detailed
- Realistic ↔ Abstract
- Functional ↔ Aesthetic
- Avant-garde ↔ Classic
- Open process ↔ Closed process
- Spontaneous ↔ Meticulous
- Monochrome ↔ Multicolor
Social and environmental
- Pro-sustainability ↔ Not sustainable
- Local ↔ Global
- Reactive ↔ Preventive
- Connected to the community ↔ Disconnected
- Conservative ↔ Innovative
- Recycled-based ↔ New resources-based
- Social justice ↔ Economic efficiency
Product or service design
- Friendly ↔ Authoritative
- Simple ↔ Complex
- Luxury-focused ↔ Accessibility-focused
- Functional ↔ Emotional
- Innovative ↔ Traditional
- Exclusive ↔ Mass-market
- Customizable ↔ Standard
Cultural
- Traditional ↔ Modern
- Individualistic ↔ Collectivist
- Local ↔ Universal
- Conservative ↔ Liberal
- Spiritual ↔ Scientific
- Static ↔ Dynamic
- Past-oriented ↔ Future-oriented
