Concluding the discussion

Concluding the discussion is an important part of it. You should conclude the discussion in a dialogue with the participants so that they can revise what was brought up during the discussion. Going over the gained insights in the form of a presentation may disturb the dialogue, so be careful when using it.

Reserve at least half an hour for the conclusion to allow the participants to feel that they can end the discussion in peace. The conclusion serves as a pathway to allowing the discussion to continue. In the end it is also possible to reflect on the participants’ perceptions of the dialogue – when successful, a dialogue is a unique experience of inclusion and meaningfulness.

If the intention is to convey the insights gained in the dialogue to a party that did not participate in the discussion, you should wrap up the discussion. You will find the tips for wrapping up the discussion here.

You can perform the conclusion as a discussion using the below questions. One participant begins, after which you can ask whether anyone would like to add anything related to it.  This way you can link the points of view to each other.

Questions for ending the discussion: 

Ask the participants to answer at least these:

• What was the most important insight you gained in this discussion?
• Where should this conversation be continued and who should continue it?

Preferably also ask:

• Have we discussed the right issues?
• Have we discussed different points of view?
• Was our discussion constructive?