How to run a successful workshop?

Almost all of us will have attended a workshop at some point during our working lives.

When executed well, they can be critical spaces for idea-generation, innovation, collaboration and problem-solving. When executed poorly, the opposite is often true; disorganised, unstructured, awkward and producing little of actionable value. Ultimately, workshops can either be a great use of people’s time or a drain across multiple, already-hectic schedules.

With time a precious commodity across all sectors and industries, understanding how to make the most of workshop sessions is an essential aspect of a leader’s toolkit.

What to do before the workshop

The very first step is to be clear on the goal of the workshop. What will the session, or series of sessions, hope to achieve? Is there a desired outcome?

Having complete clarity over the objective will help to define a number of key factors:

•       Participants – What is the required number of participants? Who should be in the room and why? Think carefully about the key stakeholders – and the key perspectives, expertise and skills – that will add value to the session. If a stakeholder can’t make it, can they send a representative?
•       Planned activities – What activities or sections need to be planned into the workshop in order to achieve the objective? What should the starting point of the session be? Can you plan a short presentation, activity or opening gambit that will spark imagination and creativity? Will there be small group discussions or brainstorming sessions? Make a list of all of the essential components of the session and sketch out an outline of how the session will run. Timing is very important and you should allow enough time for each of the planned activities: too little time and team members will not have the opportunity to meaningfully engage with a topic; too little and people may get bored, restless and lose focus.
•       Workshop logistics – Is it a one-off workshop or a series? Would it work better as a whole-day workshop, workshops scheduled over subsequent days in the style of a conference, or a series of short workshops spread out over a period of time? The specifics of the situation and the goal will dictate this – for example, are you developing a new product or process that has a hard launch date, or perhaps it’s a longer-term ambition – such as a company rebrand – that can have more time dedicated to it? Group size will help dictate the appropriate setting for the workshop; which meeting room is required, or would it be more practical to run the session over Zoom or another conferencing platform if key stakeholders cannot be physically present or if teams works internationally? Perhaps hosting the workshop off-site in a neutral capacity would be more effective? Think about the environment you need to create to get the most out of the activities and the session as a whole.
•       Organisation and admin – Circulate the agenda and any relevant resources ahead of the workshop taking place. If team members are required to do any prep work, or can have a think about key questions and tasks ahead of time, state this clearly and ensure enough time is given for the work to be completed. Everyone works differently and, while some team members may be very comfortable thinking on their feet and receiving brand-new information during the session itself, this will not be true for everyone. In order to receive the highest-quality input, set the stage for people to learn and work in ways that play to their strengths. Some people will be more comfortable completing the hard work outside of the session itself, so factor this in where possible.
•       The facilitator – The person, or people, organising the workshop do not necessarily have to be the ones running it. Who is best-placed to facilitate? While it may very well be a senior leader or manager, it might make more sense to approach a particular subject-matter expert to lead the session, or even have different facilitators across a series of sessions. Perhaps co-facilitators are required to host or support during certain sections? For example, team leads or heads of functions can be spread across different breakout sessions to stimulate and structure discussions. Many organisations also have in-house business analysts or teams that will run workshop sessions from an objective standpoint, which also allows all stakeholders to participate in the workshop instead of focusing on facilitating it themselves.

Running the workshop

At the beginning of the workshop, make sure that ground rules are set. Re-iterate the clear goal of the workshop and talk through how the session will run, step-by-step. What will participants be expected to do? Is there any housekeeping to be aware of?

One of the most important elements of effective workshops is a keen eye for timekeeping. We’ve all been present in sessions that have overrun, feel too rushed, or where time has been allocated to sections and activities that are less-important or useful than others.

Aim to make the environment as cohesive to discussion and collaboration as you can. If you are expecting groups to feed back in a certain fashion, can you provide templates? Is there someone who can take notes during a session, or an area where ideas or questions – that may not be pertinent when first raised but need to be recorded – can be scribbled down and revisited later?

Depending on the tasks or activities – and whether you require physical or digital versions – useful tools and equipment to have available may include:

•       post-its
•       flipcharts or whiteboards
•       presentations
•       conferencing software
•       communication tools
•       survey tools
•       visual aids and handouts.

At the end of the workshop, the facilitator should summarise any key discussion points, actions or next steps. If possible, allow extra time for feedback and reflection as team members may have more to contribute.

What to do after the workshop

It’s important to follow-up with workshop members after a session. The nature of this may vary – communications may re-iterate next steps, include minutes, share resources mentioned or created during the workshop, list actions and so on.

If there will be subsequent sessions, when is the next workshop? Is it scheduled to allow enough time for attendees to process the previous workshop and reflect on discussions while also maintaining momentum for the next one?

Extra tips for running great workshops

Whether it’s your first time facilitating a workshop or you’ve run plenty in your time, there is also room to improve:

•       Icebreakers – again, these can either be effective – and useful for team-building and establishing rapport – or can fall flat. Ensure that any icebreakers, if used, are well-judged and appropriate for the setting.
•       Develop facilitation skills – skills including communication, presentation, organisation and meeting facilitation are valuable in all aspects of work, not just for workshops and chairing general discussions. For example, particularly in workshop scenarios, the group of people and personalities present can significantly influence group dynamics. How can you engage everyone and ensure attendees all get a chance to share their ideas?
•       Workshop attendee welfare – if it’s a session of longer than 90 minutes, build in time for comfort breaks and giving people a chance to stand up or get some fresh air and refreshments. When people are uncomfortable, they will not be able to produce their best work.
•       Gather feedback – survey workshop participants to inform future sessions, particularly if running workshops is a common activity. What did they find useful? What didn’t they find useful? Do they have suggestions for improvement? Encourage honesty and open communication; making feedback anonymous often helps to gauge real thoughts and opinions – and, as a result, more useful data.

Become adept at workshop facilitation

If you’re keen on stimulating creativity and innovation at work – and learning how to get the most out of workshop and brainstorming sessions – choose the University of Lincoln’s MBA Leadership programme.

Our course is designed to equip the next generation of senior business leaders with the specialist business expertise to succeed in high-pressured, fast-paced environments.  With flexible study options to suit you, you’ll explore modules such as change management, marketing, workforce planning, strategic decision-making, innovation and entrepreneurship, governance and risk management, and more.