You may be facilitating a workshop for the first time or you may have done this only a few times. You might be feeling nervous or worried about presenting the activities, managing the time, achieving the desired results, or several other things.
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Rest assured, all of this is normal if you are a newbie. Don't let that stop you from getting started.
Check the below tips to run workshops confidently and download this checklist to get yourself covered!
# 1 Sort out workshop logistics
Think of all the logistics before you send out that workshop invitation to participants. Make sure you are briefed and you’ve obtained approval of the workshop plan with whoever ‘the owner’ of the project is.
Also, ensure you’ve got the relevant content you need to run the workshop (key insights, problem statement, etc..).
# 2 Align on a clear workshop purpose
Before you decide on the workshop activity, make sure you are clear about the purpose of the workshop and the goals you want to achieve. Align on the purpose and goals of the workshop with whoever is owning the project before you start planning it.
# 3 Craft an invitation
When inviting participants to join a workshop, make sure you engage them before they get to join it. Send an email explaining briefly what the workshop is all about, sharing the activity (link) to familiarize them with it, and an overview of how to use Miro.
Finally, ask them to come in ready to engage and collaborate!
# 4 Start by having a script
Before you run a workshop, you should be clear on what you will present. It is important to explain to participants the reasons why you are all gathered, how to use Miro (if you’re using it for remote collaboration), and what the activities are all about.
Writing a script of what you’ll explain during the workshop will help you articulate clearly.
# 5 Make sure key people are present in the workshop
As a facilitator you may not have all the answers around project-specific questions that participants may ask or debate. It is important to have whoever ‘the owner’ is to set context and answer questions.
Also, make sure you have a note taker as you’ll be busy keeping up with the discussions and the facilitation. The note taker could be someone facilitating the workshop along your side.
# 6 Allow time for questions during the workshop
As you allocate durations for the workshop activities, make sure to leave some room for people to discuss and ask questions. Participants may debate points and you don't want to force them to move on immediately. Let them make the most out of their discussions with the time they’ve got.
# 7 Familiarize yourself with useful Miro hacks
Miro has in-app features that make it easy to run a workshop. These features include a timer and a music player. It is highly recommended to play some music (calm one) while you ask participants to work on their own. It spreads good vibes and allows participants to concentrate. To find the feature, check the top right corner that has the timer icon (the music player is embedded in the timer feature).
Moreover, Miro has a feature that makes all participants follow you on the board. Use that feature when you are explaining anything. To find the feature, click on your avatar on the top right corner and select ‘bring everyone to me’).
# 8 Utilize breakout rooms
Breakout rooms feature (Zoom, Teams, Google Hangouts) is a great way to get participants collaborating in separate and smaller groups while making progress quickly in a workshop. Participants in breakout rooms could leave and get back to the main call whenever they please.
You could also set up a timing for each breakout room, select members of the group and join them as you wish.
# 9 Send a survey for feedback
To know how well the workshop went, send this survey at the end of the workshop. It will give you insights on how to improve the following workshops you run.If you have any questions then make sure to get in touch with designthinking@hp.com
READY, SET, GO!
