Method guide · Work with a structured grid
Hopes and Fears
Choose what to share about hopes and concerns, then identify support without requiring equal self-disclosure.
- People
- 3–20
- Base procedure time
- 20 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Build working relationships; Explore through dialogue; Begin together.
English guide
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How this method works
A method for writing hopes and concerns separately and connecting them to support through participant-chosen disclosure. Use it when a new group cannot see participation purposes, concerns sound like opposition, or everyone is expected to disclose equally deeply. People write two cards individually and place only what they want to share in the group’s columns. Rather than judging correctness, groups choose one action supporting hopes and one easing concerns. The result is a voluntarily shared two-column board and support to try together. Do not demand private content, diagnose psychological states, or use it for personnel evaluation without confidentiality. Respect non-disclosure without asking why.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
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- Decide what to disclose0–2 minutes from the start (2 minutes)
Action: Decide. Participation: Everyone.
Recording not separately specified for this phase
- Write individually2–6 minutes from the start (4 minutes)
Action: Write. Participation: Individually.
Individual record
- Share by choice6–11 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Place. Participation: Groups of 3–5.
Shared record
- Choose support11–16 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: Groups of 3–5.
Shared record
- Bring support back to everyone16–20 minutes from the start (4 minutes)
Action: Return. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 2 minutes, explain that each person chooses what to share and private cards will not be collected.
- For 2 minutes, each person writes one concrete hoped-for change in action terms on a card.
- For 2 minutes, each person writes one concerning situation on another card, avoiding personal evaluation.
- For 5 minutes, people place only cards they chose to share in their group’s hopes or concerns column.
- For 5 minutes, each group chooses one action supporting hopes and one easing concerns.
- For 4 minutes, transfer the 2 actions per group to the whole-group surface and assign people to try them before the next session.
If something changes
If
Three minutes after optional sharing begins, both columns in a group still contain no entries.
Then
Place one “not sharing for now” entry rather than the private content and check verbally only whether support is needed.
If
Three minutes into choosing support, advice about concerns has continued at least 3 times.
Then
Stop advising and record whether the person wants support or someone simply standing by.
Preparation
Materials
- 2 individual cards per person, one for hopes and one for concerns
- A3 two-column sheets: one per group and one for whole-group consolidation
- One disclosure-choice card per person: share or keep private
- One dark-coloured pen per person
Room and setup
- Groups of 3–5, with sizes differing by no more than 1
- One working table per group for the two-column sheet
- One whole-group surface containing only the support each group chooses
Adjust for people and time
With 3–5 people, use one group. With 6–20, form groups of 3–5 with sizes differing by no more than 1, each using one sheet. Transfer only 2 support actions per group to one consolidation sheet. With 20 people, arrange 8 actions from 4 groups and combine matching support with its responsible people into one entry. At every size, individuals keep or destroy their own cards.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Participants choose disclosure without reasons and private cards are not collected. Do not diagnose, demand withheld content, or judge it. Stop unsolicited advice and check the person’s desired support. Share only selected support actions across groups; individuals retain or destroy their cards.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Cansu Kavili; Donna Benjamin: Hopes and Fears
https://openpracticelibrary.com/practice/hopes-and-fears/
Adaptation under CC BY 4.0; changes made
- CC BY 4.0
Current-page licence notice
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Credits on the checked source page
- Named contributors on the source page: Cansu Kavili, Donna Benjamin
- Contributors listed in the official practice source (repository handles): @ckavili, @kattekrab
Source page checked on 2026-10-17: Hopes and Fears.
Source lineage
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