# Cascade Greeting Participants form a circle and pass a direct greeting paired with a brief good wish sequentially to the person beside them until the sequence travels around the entire group. In the closing round, participants reflect on the exchange or pass on speaking. **Time:** 10 minutes. Source recommends 10 to 15 minutes; 10 minutes fits up to 24 participants with concise turns. **People:** 4 to 24. Whole group standing or seated in a single circle; split into parallel circles of 8 to 12 if group exceeds 20. ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Provide a structured, sequentially shared closing greeting and good wish to complete a group session. **Use it when:** Use at the end of a workshop, training session, or retreat when a group needs a brief, orderly closing ritual before departing. **Skip it when:** Skip when participants are in active conflict, when forced personal warmth would feel insincere, or when group members require complete anonymity. ## Materials and tools - No physical consumables required - Digital chat or video conferencing tool for online delivery ## Before participants arrive 1. Clear a spacious, open floor area free of obstacles so all participants can stand or sit in a clear, unbroken circle. 2. Ensure every person has sightlines to their immediate neighbors. ## Say this to open We will close our time together with a Cascade Greeting. We will form a circle. One person will start by turning to the neighbor on their left, offering a greeting, and sharing one short, sincere wish for that person. You may shake hands, give a slight nod, or use a wave. That neighbor accepts it, turns to their left, and passes a new wish to the next person. We will follow the line all the way around until everyone has received and offered a greeting. ## How to run it ### 1. Circle up and set the prompt (2 minutes) Assemble the group into a single circle. State the direction of flow (clockwise). Offer an explicit example so participants understand the expected brevity, such as: 'Jordan, thank you for your focus today; I wish you a calm and restful journey home.' Remind participants that physical touch is completely optional and that a verbal greeting with a nod or small wave is fully welcome. ### 2. Run the greeting cascade (5 minutes) The facilitator or a designated volunteer turns to their neighbor, delivers a direct greeting, and speaks their short wish. The recipient acknowledges it, turns to the person to their left, and delivers their own wish. Continue sequentially around the circle without interruption. If running two smaller circles in a large room, run both simultaneously. ### 3. Closing reflection round (2 minutes) Once the greeting returns to the originator, open the floor for two or three brief observations. Ask: 'What was it like to send or receive these wishes at the close of our work?' Allow up to three volunteers to speak for thirty seconds each. ### 4. Facilitator close (1 minutes) Thank the participants for their contributions and energy throughout the session. Formally announce the conclusion of the workshop or event. ## Debrief questions - What did you notice about the energy in the room as the greeting moved around the circle? - How does receiving a direct good wish change your transition out of this workspace? **Finished output:** Every participant has received and offered a closing greeting or signaled a silent pass. ## Remote In a video call, post an explicit speaking order in the chat window (for example: Jordan to Sam, Sam to Priya, Priya to Carlos). The first participant unmutes, speaks to the next named person with camera on or off, and passes the turn. Participants who prefer not to speak aloud type their wish directly into the chat tagging their neighbor's name. ## Hybrid Establish a single spoken queue that alternates between in-person participants and remote participants, or run the in-person circle while projecting remote participants on a screen so the pass alternates smoothly across both spaces. Use the video camera on a wide room shot so remote participants see the circle. ## Access and participation choices - Physical touch like handshakes is completely optional; a nod, slight bow, or verbal greeting alone is valid. - Participants may pass their turn by smiling, nodding to their neighbor, and gesturing for the next person to continue, without giving an explanation. ## If the session gets stuck **A participant gives an overly long speech, stalling the flow and eating into closing time.** Gently hold up a hand with a smile and say, 'Keep it to a single sentence wish so the cascade reaches everyone before we depart.' **A participant feels uncomfortable with physical contact like handshakes.** Reinforce during the opening script that eye contact, a head nod, or hands placed together at the chest are complete and equal alternatives to touch. ## Terms used here - Cascade: A sequential flow where an action passes step by step from one individual to the next. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in the Participatory Methods online activity library (2024 to 2025). Retained the circle formation, sequential greeting flow, and good wish mechanic from Participatory Methods. Replaced the mandatory handshake with explicit non-contact greeting options, added timing allocations, established clear turn-passing conventions, and added explicit remote and hybrid facilitation mechanics. [Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/cascade) [Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/cascade-greeting/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/cascade-greeting/