9. 1
Should you run a workshop?
Reasons for
workshops…
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10. 1
Should you run a workshop?
1. To gather info
2. Generate ideas
3. Make decisions
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11. 1
Should you run a workshop?
1. To gather info
2. Generate ideas
3. Make decisions
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Probably the most straight forward - you’re
asking people to share what they know
12. 1
Should you run a workshop?
1. To gather info
2. Generate ideas
3. Make decisions
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Slightly more difficult as you have to encourage
creativity, ensure equal contributions etc
13. 1
Should you run a workshop?
1. To gather info
2. Generate ideas
3. Make decisions
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Most challenging as you’re asking people to agree
14. 1
Should you run a workshop?
Some workshops
may have an element
of all three, but the
important thing to
remember is that it’s
all about …
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15. 1
Should you run a workshop?
Bracket
Some workshops
may have an element
of all three, but the
important thing to
remember is that it’s
all about …
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16. 1
Should you run a workshop?
Bracket
Some workshops
may have an element
of all three, but the
important thing to
remember is that it’s
all about …
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and a genuine curiosity in what
people have to say
17. Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr
2
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Think of the preparation stage as a
real design process.
18. Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr
2
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Think of the preparation stage as a
real design process.
Consider form, function and the
user experience.
19. Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr
2
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Think of the preparation stage as a
real design process.
Consider form, function and the
user experience.
Be clear on what you need to do with
the content after the workshop and
work backwards from there.
20. Think beyond the end of the workshop
Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr
2
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Think of the preparation stage as a
real design process.
Consider form, function and the
user experience.
Be clear on what you need to do with
the content after the workshop and
work backwards from there.
23. 3
Get people standing
up, moving around
and using their
hands
Make it dynamic
Image by Freddy
Snijder on Flickr
24. 4
Separate divergent and convergent thinking
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Image by Kyle Macdonald on Flickr
25. 4
Separate divergent and convergent thinking
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Think of as many uses of a paperclip as
possible
Image by Kyle Macdonald on Flickr
26. 4
Separate divergent and convergent thinking
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Think of as many uses of a paperclip as
possible
Now, choose your best idea
Image by Kyle Macdonald on Flickr
27. 4
Separate divergent and convergent thinking
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Think of as many uses of a paperclip as
possible
Now, choose your best idea
You’re using a different thought process for
each. You can’t do both at the same time
28. 5
Plan for better brainstorming
Image by Ignacio Palomo Duarte on Flickr
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29. Avoiding GROUPTHINK
• Don’t let senior staff speak first
• Set the scene for “critical thinking”
• Get someone to play devil’s advocate
Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie
“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014
https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter
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30. Avoiding GROUPTHINK
• Don’t let senior staff speak first - let others start by
sharing their ideas
• Set the scene for “critical thinking”
• Get someone to play devil’s advocate
Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie
“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014
https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter
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31. Avoiding GROUPTHINK
• Don’t let senior staff speak first - let others start by
sharing their ideas
• Set the scene for “critical thinking” – give
permission to challenge and constructively criticize
• Get someone to play devil’s advocate
Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie
“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014
https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter
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32. Avoiding GROUPTHINK
• Don’t let senior staff speak first - let others start by
sharing their ideas
• Set the scene for “critical thinking” – give
permission to challenge and constructively criticize
• Get someone to play devil’s advocate – have
someone who is there to purposely disagree
Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie
“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014
https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter
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33. • Give people time to think individually first
• Go for quantity
• Brainstorm in 15 min max cycles
• Create guidelines and constraints
Leigh Thomson
“Creative Conspiracy: The New Rules of Breakthrough Collaboration”
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Better BRAINSTORMING
39. 6
Get interactive as early as possible
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A simple example…
40. 6
Get interactive as early as possible
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A simple example…
Ask a question, and ask participants
to write down all their ideas, one per
post-it note
41. 6
Get interactive as early as possible
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Ask a question, and ask participants
to write down all their ideas, one per
post-it note
Then ask them to sort the post-it
notes into themes
A simple example…
46. 7
Manage the
introverts and extroverts
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Like to think
before they speak
Prefer to think
out loud
47. 7
Manage the
introverts and extroverts
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Like to think
before they speak
Prefer to think
out loud
Design a workshop that accommodates both types
56. Keeping time
Introducing
exercises
Taking notes
Setting the tone
Summarizing
Managing conflict
Ensuring equal
contributions
Noticing patterns
Asking questions
Keeping focus
Motivating
Neutral
Encouraging
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Visible skills
Less
obvious
57. Keeping time
Introducing
exercises
Taking notes
Setting the tone
Summarizing
Managing conflict
Ensuring equal
contributions
Noticing patterns
Asking questions
Keeping focus
Motivating
Neutral
Encouraging
Bracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
Visible skills
Less
obvious
Invisible
58. Keeping time
Introducing
exercises
Taking notes
Setting the tone
Summarizing
Managing conflict
Ensuring equal
contributions
Noticing patterns
Asking questions
Keeping focus
Motivating
Active listening
Empathy
Comfortable with ambiguity
Flexible
Open to surprises
Patient
Self-aware
Knowing when to
stay silent Thinking on your feet
Able to synthesise quickly
Genuine curiosity
Neutral
Encouraging
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Visible skills
Less
obvious
Invisible
60. Image by Jerome on Flickr
10
The main thing is PROGRESS
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61. Image by Jerome on Flickr
10
The main thing is PROGRESS
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This is the biggest factor that has a positive
impact on inner work life – “the conditions
that foster positive emotions, strong internal
motivation, and favourable perceptions of the
colleagues and the work itself”
Amabile & Kramer,
“The Progress Principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, creativity and engagement at work”
62. • Celebrate small wins
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The main thing is PROGRESS
63. • Celebrate small wins
• Keep tasks and timelines visible
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The main thing is PROGRESS
64. • Celebrate small wins
• Keep tasks and timelines visible
• Provide regular feedback
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The main thing is PROGRESS
65. • Celebrate small wins
• Keep tasks and timelines visible
• Provide regular feedback
• Short, but frequent, update meetings
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The main thing is PROGRESS
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Summary – three stages of great workshops
Preparation
1. Is a workshop the right thing to do?
2. Think beyond the end of the workshop
3. Make it dynamic
4. Separate divergent and convergent thinking
5. Plan for better brainstorming
6. Get interactive as early as possible
On the day
7. Manage the introverts and extroverts
8. Embrace the chaos
9. You can’t facilitate and participate at the same time
Follow-up
10. The main thing is progress