tips for effective workshops10UX Brighton / February 2015
Alison CowardBracket
@alisoncowardwww.bracketcreative.co.uk
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The three stages of great workshops:
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The three stages of great workshops:
1. Preparation
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The three stages of great workshops:
1. Preparation
2. On the day
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The three stages of great workshops:
1. Preparation
2. On the day
3. Follow-up
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PREPARATION
1
Should you run a workshop?
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1
Should you run a workshop?
Reasons for workshops…
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1
Should you run a workshop?
1. To gather info
2. Generate ideas
3. Make decisions
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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
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
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
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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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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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 …
www.bracketcreative.co.uk
and a genuine curiosity in what people have to say
Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr
2
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Think of the preparation stage as a real design process.
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.
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.
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.
3
Image by Freddy Snijder on Flickr
3
Get people standing up, moving around
and using their hands
Image by Freddy Snijder on Flickr
3
Get people standing up, moving around
and using their hands
Make it dynamicImage by Freddy Snijder on Flickr
4
Separate divergent and convergent thinking
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Image by Kyle Macdonald on Flickr
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
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
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
5
Plan for better brainstorming
Image by Ignacio Palomo Duarte on Flickr
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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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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
Bracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
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
Bracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
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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• 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
Techniques to try…
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Brainwriting
Breakout groups
Dot voting
Image by B Dixon on Flickr
6
Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
6
Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
A simple example…
6
Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
A simple example…
Ask a question, and ask participants to write down all their ideas, one per
post-it note
6
Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
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…
ON THE DAY
Despite it’s image, facilitation is a valuable skill!
7
Manage the
introverts and extroverts
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7
Manage the
introverts and extroverts
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Like to think before they speak
7
Manage the
introverts and extroverts
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Like to think before they speak
Prefer to think
out loud
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
8
Embrace the chaos!
8
Embrace the chaos!
Especially here
9
You can’t facilitate and participate at the same
time
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9
You can’t facilitate and participate at the same
time
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(there’s too much to do)
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Facilitation is a bit like an iceberg
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Visible skills
Keeping time
Introducing exercises
Taking notes
Setting the toneNeutral
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Visible skills
Keeping time
Introducing exercises
Taking notes
Setting the toneNeutral
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Visible skills
Less obvious
Keeping time
Introducing exercises
Taking notes
Setting the tone
SummarizingManaging conflict
Ensuring equal contributions
Noticing patternsAsking questions
Keeping focusMotivating
Neutral
Encouraging
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Visible skills
Less obvious
Keeping time
Introducing exercises
Taking notes
Setting the tone
SummarizingManaging conflict
Ensuring equal contributions
Noticing patternsAsking questions
Keeping focusMotivating
Neutral
Encouraging
Bracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk
Visible skills
Less obvious
Invisible
Keeping time
Introducing exercises
Taking notes
Setting the tone
SummarizingManaging conflict
Ensuring equal contributions
Noticing patternsAsking questions
Keeping focusMotivating
Active listening
Empathy
Comfortable with ambiguity
Flexible
Open to surprises
PatientSelf-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
FOLLOW-UP
Image by Jerome on Flickr
10
The main thing is PROGRESS
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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”
• Celebrate small wins
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The main thing is PROGRESS
• Celebrate small wins
• Keep tasks and timelines visible
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The main thing is PROGRESS
• Celebrate small wins
• Keep tasks and timelines visible
• Provide regular feedback
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The main thing is PROGRESS
• 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
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Alison Coward
@alisoncoward
@bracketagency
www.bracketcreative.co.uk