This document outlines best practices for planning and facilitating workshops. It discusses preparing for workshops by practicing presentations, knowing the environment and available tools, and creating detailed agendas. It also covers facilitating workshops by establishing ground rules, handling questions, keeping activities on track and time, and providing guidance to groups. The goal is to create collaborative environments and measure the success of workshops.

1. Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally
Russ Unger - @russu
| Perficient XD
| GE Capital
The Workshop
Workshop

2. Workshops:
Behind the Scenes

3. WhyWorkshops?

4. Workshops Are Everywhere.

5. -Russ Unger
“We are all event planners now.”

6. Lead & Collaborate

7. Today’s Agenda
• Create a Team Name
• Behind the Scenes of Workshops
• During the Workshop
• Workshop Activities
• Post-Workshop
• Wrap Up
Let’s Get Started!

8. HowWillIKnow?

9. Surrounded By Workshops

10. Sound Familiar?
Let’s whiteboard
this out...
I’ll schedule a
quick brainstorm...
We’ll plan a
working session...
Can we sketch
out some ideas
together?

11. Collaborative Environments

12. TypesofWorkshops

13. Kickoff Workshops

14. Exploratory

15. Decision-Making

16. Team-Based Activities
Teams can be as small or as large as necessary

17. Agendas

18. Every Workshop Deserves an Agenda
They are no longer optional
"I've often found, though, that
deserving and happening don't
always necessarily go together."
-Tasslehoff Burrfoot

19. Creating Your Roadmap

20. Agenda 101
• High level Activities
• Topics To Be Covered
• Time Table
• Break Times
• Communicate Purpose
• Introduce Yourself
• Define Outcomes
• Additional Background
• Additional Roles

21. Example

22. Example

23. Sharing the Agenda

24. WorkshopPreparation

26. Orchestration is Key
• What, When, Where, Etc.
Prepare the workshop-specific details
• Follow-Up
Collecting & distributing outcomes
• Structure & Timing
Planning the Activity / Activities
• Organize the Attendees
Getting the right people, place, time

27. -Russ Unger
“We are all event planners
now.”

28. - Russ Unger
- Scott Berkun
How to Prepare
• UX-Type methods; rapid prototyping
• Rough outline & slides; practice
• Iterate at challenge areas
• Repeat until no changes needed
- Christina Wodtke
• Get your content out quickly
• Fix the things that are vague
• Remove needless content
• Tighten up; get the story right
• Get ideas out without a filter
• Assess; add where necessary
• Cut without mercy
• Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

29. Elements of a Workshop
• People
• Timeline
• Agenda
• Environment
• Materials
• Supplies
• Presentation (if needed)
• Goals
• Outcomes
• Samples

30. So What?
How does this all relate to the larger picture?
• What do we accomplish?
• What do we gain/save?
• Why did we spend this time together?
- Dr. Arthur P. Doederlein

31. WorkshopEnvironment

32. MVW
Minimum Viable Workshop
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33. Know Your Stuff. The Stuff That is YOURS.

34. Your Stuff
• Computer, Software, Files, Etc.
• Cables & Connections
• Remote Control
• A/V
• Supplies
• The Internet
• Reference Materials
• Food & Snacks

35. Know Their Stuff. The Stuff That Is NOT YOURS.

36. Their Stuff
• The Room
• Their Computer?!
• Audio Quality
• Video / Projector & Settings
• Microphones
• The Internet
• No Internet?!

37. No Tools. No Problem.
- Nathan Shedroff
“Know your [content] and be
prepared to tell it no matter
what happens with the
technology.”

38. Practicing

39. Preparing is
• UX-Type methods; rapid prototyping
• Rough outline & slides; practice
• Iterate at challenge areas
• Repeat until no changes needed
- Scott Berkun
- Christina Wodtke
• Get your content out quickly
• Fix the things that are vague
• Remove needless content
• Tighten up; get the story right
• Get ideas out without a filter
• Assess; add where necessary
• Cut without mercy
• Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.- Russ Unger
Practicing

40. Practicing Secrets
Note CardsResearch Notes/Outline
PracticeSlides Practice Practice PracticePra

41. Practicing Secrets
Note CardsResearch Notes/Outline
PracticeSlides Practice Practice PracticePra
Practice

42. -Russ Unger
“The only wrong way to
practice is to not practice.”

43. Workshops:
Live WIthout a Net

44. Asking“Why?”

45. What’s in a “Why?”
It’s probably the most under-used question in all of business

46. Why Ask “Why?”

47. When to ask “Why?”
60 percent of the time, it works every time...
• New Idea Gets Introduced
At some point a new idea needs to be vetted out.
• Unexpected Surprises
Get the rationale behind the unexpected
• Past Roadblocks
Discover the heart of the issue

48. Why “Why?” Matters
they

49. People&Personalities

50. Patterns of Personalities
Every person is unique, but we share a lot of similar attributes

51. Body language 101

52. Position of Arms

53. Position of Arms
Closed Arms
Protective of “Core”
Closed Off
Resistant or Challenging

54. Position of Arms
Closed Arms
Protective of “Core”
Closed Off
Resistant or Challenging
Open Arms
Showing Trust
Accepting or Welcoming

55. The Cowboy

56. The Cowboy
Sizing Someone Up
Aggressive Stance
Could be Good or Bad

57. Laid Back

58. Laid Back
Showing Off Confidence
Ready To Act/Move On
Ready For Their Turn

59. Edge of Seat

60. Edge of Seat
Excited and Passionate
Wants The Floor
Ready to Contribute

61. Self-Awareness is Key

62. Learning Control

63. Learning Control
There is no spoon.
Nope.
No spoon.
None.
See ya later, spoon.

64. HandlingQuestions

65. No More Words

66. Do Do Do!
• Establish Q&A Rules Upfront
• Know Your Topic
• Repeat the Question
• Incentivize
• Be Aware of the Time
• Continue the Conversation Later
Do Not Not Not!
• Fear Not Knowing an Answer
• Relinquish Control
• Answer Everything RIGHT NOW
• Fight, Argue, Battle, Rage
• Feel Forced to Do Q&A
• Fear Owning a Mistake

67. YourRole:Facilitator

68. Facilitators Do These Things:
• Define the Teams
• Define the Goal(s)
• Define the Task(s)
• Keep the Task on Track
• Keep the Task on Time
• Provide Guidance
• Provide Focus
• Avoid Contributing Unless
Required; Guides Through
Group
• Provides a Framework
• Follows Agenda

69. ThisIsHowWeDoIt

70. Project Overview

71. Activities Overview

72. Agenda Exercise

73. Your Turn!

74. Post-Workshop

75. Measuring Success
How’d You Do?

76. -Adam Polansky
“The most successful companies in
history and entire communities of
practice emerged from a single,
astute, shared observation.”

77. AdditionalResources

78. Additional Resources

79. Thank
You!
Brad Nunnally - @bnunnally
Russ Unger - @russu
| Perficient XD
| GE Capital