Workshop Successfully

Workshop Successfully (Is it On-site or Off-site now?)

A work from home or hybrid environment has forced the change of a number of things, but in my estimation nothing more than an organized workshop. This past year I have had the opportunity to put several of these together and gotten feedback that some were "the best workshop I have ever attended", along with "I will never get that week of my life back".

This has caused me to really think about what went right along with what went wrong. Reach out to attendees as well as peers in the industry and training experts to collect a quick list of how to make the most of that limited face time. This is a process of learning, especially since the environment is ever changing, so let us call this a living list you can add to with some comments?

The To Do List:

Prepare

This one seems obvious, but there isn’t anything more critical. Your workshop? Have a day-to-day plan, hour by hour. Include breaks, figure out lunch, plan dinners ahead of time and be there before anyone else.

Make it Physical

Finally have everyone in one room? Do not then turn to a projector and talk the entire time, it is a lost opportunity. I am not saying make it all tactile, but this is such a critical component in the act of bringing people together, seek ways to make it memorable and actually bring the people together. Work things through on a whiteboard, break into teams and do some team building, get everyone standing and do some exercises for your mind and body.

Clarity of Purpose

This one really is how it sounds, be clear on what the team is here to do before you walk out and carve out the last couple hours of your workshop to wrap up and confirm in writing what you intended and what you achieved. How you start and how you end this engagement is what stays with your teammates. So make sure you have a plan to follow up with the team on what you all did so it was worth it.

Ask 5 Questions For Every 1 Statement

This is a team effort, if it wasn’t, you would all individual this to death at home. Don’t so easily forget this, that you get carried away telling everyone in the room how it is going to be. Instead ask your way to the goal. We must work together to achieve, that can’t happen if the words I, me and my drive the narrative.

Listen, No really Listen

Authenticity is something we can all deduce and perceive. Do you think you are smarter and better than everyone in the room? If you do, we know how you feel already. Instead, remember the purpose of bringing this team together is to receive the benefit of the team. So you must truly listen and then adjust what happens next to what you learn. Genuine curiosity about how to do it better, how to adapt and how to ask your questions better can be felt and will be rewarded.

The Do Not List

Refuse to Adjust to Reality

Much of the time entering into a productive conversation will not only exceed your agenda, but will fundamentally change the sessions that follow. So find a core team that will meet each evening to discuss how to adjust the agenda the next day, essentially plan for your plan to need adjustment. Do not feel completely beholden to your original plan and agenda

Leave Travel to Chance

I am not saying tell everyone what airline to take and strict mandates on travel snacks. What will help is getting everyone to the same hotel and make it clear as can be when to be there and ready to work along with when the earliest you can head home, remembering travel can be stressful and unpredictable.

All Work & No Play

A walk for coffee, talk at the watercooler, lunch with a colleague. These things built life long relationships and bonds that enabled greatness. Much of that along with a corporate culture that encourages us to change companies every 3-5 years (an article for the future), means that your workshop is that opportunity to remind everyone we are all humans, embrace it, value it, don't run from it.

Now What Happens?

Curiosity and a desire to learn is the sign of a great leader. Be part of it all, seek to be of service to something greater than yourself. It certainly seems corny saying that out loud, but the truth can be like that. Good luck to you in your off-on-sites!