Workshop This Way -> : As a noun and a verb, it’s hard to outdo workshop. Here are a few thoughts on how to make the most of the noun, collected by way of the verb. I’ll clarify.
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Workshop: noun, work·shop. A seminar, discussion group, or the like, that emphasizes exchange of ideas and the demonstration and application of techniques, skills, etc. Source: dictionary.com.
Fragmented business environments and WFH trends are making workshops indispensable. Not meetings, workshops. Moments in time when blue sky thinking can occur in a zero-multitasking space. Prior to 2020, we would have referred to these as laptops-down sessions and with any luck they’ll return IRL soon.
Without workshops, all we do is work. It’s an etymological twist. And if all we do is work, head down and shoulders tense, it’s hard to perceive whether we’re setting ourselves up for progress or getting stuck.
Want to run a workshop? Here’s some of what you’ll need.
An approach. If you’re asking a team or partners to trade time with customers for time in an internal conversation - however critical it might be - then the why, how, and what of your workshop investment must be clear-cut. You’ll need an agenda, a set of roles and responsibilities, an outline of desired outputs, knowledge of who else is attending, and a menu. Yes, a menu. For morale. If the workshop you’re leading is virtual, make sure everyone has sustenance nearby even if it means sending digital coffee cards in advance. In short, show participants you care and they’ll care in return. ☕️☕️
An ethos. Be flexible because where you think you’re stuck isn’t necessarily where others are also stuck. Your workshop may pursue a tangent and that’s 100% OK as long as the tangent reconnects with your goals. Keeping a workshop moving while making space for perspectives - being inclusive - is what participants will remember just as much if not more than your conclusions. Inclusive in the workshop: inclusive outside the workshop. Everything else is details.
Tactics. Intersperse tech where you think it will add value and not distract. For example, anonymous polls inserted in slideware can be a great way to keep conversations moving. If you select this route, bear in mind there are no stone tablets commanding that all workshop polls must be business-ish. Have the confidence to infuse a little levity. I, for one, am grateful to know that my spirit animal is the arctic fox. All-up: to stimulate progress, keep the conversation moving. Find avenues for personal engagement and record learnings in the language of your audience. Use your whiteboard, the comments field in your video communications platform, and post-it notes. The more involvement you generate, the more actionable your workshop results will be.
Follow-up. Point out the differences between your trajectory (or lack thereof) going into your workshop and where you closed the day; e.g. we started here — 🔴 and ended here — 🟢 Make a list of tasks you’ll begin doing, keep doing, and stop doing, with accompanying next steps. Establish your next connection point before your workshop wraps, ideally within the next 7 business days. And always, always, thank your attendees. Make your next workshop a must-attend event.
Who should lead
Not everyone is equipped to lead a workshop. I’m not equipped to write code. That’s just how it is. I can’t force it and neither should you.
Look for someone with a coach’s mentality, a person who’s comfortable speaking in front of groups, asking insightful questions, and showing their vulnerability because this will inspire others to do the same. Maybe the ideal person is inside your organization and maybe not. Maybe she or he is more junior or senior than you. Maybe they know your space deeply or maybe they don’t. Maybe it’s you! I’ve found workshops tend to work best when the person leading is acquainted with an industry or product but not so deep in the minutiae that their preconceived notions stand in the way of gritty debate. If you’re in charge, it’s your call. Either way, do your part to encourage open minds. We’re all as impactful as the questions we ask and the teamwork we stimulate.
But first, workshop it
Workshop: verb (used with object), work·shop·ped, work·shop·ping. To experiment with different versions … often in a collaborative environment: Source: dictionary.com.
Workshopping is one of my favorite activities because it’s impossible to know whether or not you’re stuck unless you try it. And try it repeatedly. Workshopping is taking an idea for a walk or, to offer another metaphor, sending it up the flagpole and seeing who salutes. You get the gist.
When workshopping, seek insights and feedback from a variety of people: old friends, new friends, colleagues, family members, anyone who’ll listen. Listen for enthusiasm or skepticism, commonality of purpose, familiarity with the opportunity or problem you’re presenting and willingness to examine it. Listen for how you articulate your goal and where your story needs help. Listen for the raw materials that will make a decisive workshop.
Workshop your workshop because your workshop isn’t going to be a slapdash event (see: most brainstorms). It’s where you’ll replace the Hollywood Squares of modern collaboration with real connections. Where you’ll identify the traction needed to sprint forward together rather than one-at-a-time. Where you’ll trade stuck for forward progress.
Time to move. Thanks for visiting.
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