Advanced Tactic: The Permission Slip Method

How to create conditions where participants feel invited, not pushed, to name the unspoken

In many workshops, what goes unsaid holds more weight than what’s shared. Participants often sense the tension but hesitate to voice it, fearing judgment, conflict, or being “the one who rocked the boat.” As facilitators, our challenge is to create conditions where naming the unspoken feels like an invitation rather than an obligation.

The Permission Slip Method is a structured approach to give groups both psychological safety and social licence to explore difficult truths.