The paper-ball Q&A: asking questions anonymously without technology

Long before there were apps for audience interaction, I came up with a simple format that still works: the paper-ball Q&A. Everyone can take part anonymously, and you don’t need Wi-Fi, a smartphone or a screen. Just paper, pens and an audience that’s allowed to throw things.

How it works

1. Give everyone a sheet of paper and a pen.
2. Ask them to write down a question, statement or comment.
3. Ask everyone to stand up and crumple their paper into a ball.
4. Count down together and have everyone throw their paper balls to the front.

The ingredients for an open discussion or interview are then literally at your feet. Pick up a few, read them out and discuss them with the speaker, panel or audience.

Why it works

• Anonymous. People feel more comfortable asking challenging questions than when they have to put their hand up. No one knows who wrote which paper ball.
• Everyone gets a say. Every paper ball has an equal chance of being picked. Quieter people in the audience get a turn too. The microphone doesn’t automatically go to whoever is quickest.
• Energy. Standing up and throwing is playful. After a programme where everyone has been sitting for a long time, the energy in the room rises straight away.

A common mistake

The format stands or falls on what you do next. I’ve seen speakers ask people to throw their paper balls, then pick up three that happened to land conveniently. The audience notices. Pick genuinely random paper balls, and read out the difficult questions too. Otherwise, it becomes a game rather than a conversation, and an audience quickly sees through that.

Make sure there’s enough time too. A five-minute paper-ball round at the end of a programme that’s already overrun feels like a box-ticking exercise.

Other uses

You can also use it during your own presentation. For example, create a menu of topics you can discuss. Ask the audience to write a question or comment for each topic, then choose which paper balls to pick up. The audience becomes a co-owner of your story, and your presentation naturally becomes more of a conversation.

It also works well as an opening to a round-table discussion or workshop. The questions on paper immediately give you an idea of what’s on people’s minds, before anyone has said anything out loud.

Paper or digital

These days, I often do the same thing digitally, using live questions sent in via smartphones. The principle is the same: anonymous, equal chances for everyone, and an audience that joins in. But the paper version remains a good option for smaller groups, or when the technology isn’t working.

What this means for the organiser

Make sure there’s enough paper and enough pens on the chairs, and a stage where people can throw paper balls without hitting any equipment. Ask your chair or facilitator in advance if they’d like to use this format, and where it could fit in the programme. It works best after a content-rich session, when people have something to respond to. For advice on which role is best to hire for this, read the article about the differences between these roles.

For speakers who want to stand out

Many speakers finish with “Any questions?”, then get silence. With a format like this, you show that you take the audience seriously, even if you’re not a big name yet. It costs nothing, requires no technology, and people talk about it afterwards.