“Running my first workshop during lockdown felt like an out of body experience” … I’ve put together a brand new online course to help you run better workshops. You will learn how to prepare and run a workshop to drive alignment even if everyone is working from home and attending your workshop using video conferencing systems such as Teams and Zoom.
This article explains why those skills are important. (Also read “Coronavirus and the Zoom Boom”.)
Everyone has attended a badly run workshop. It was a wasted few hours you will never get back, but you did some emails so it wasn’t a total loss. During lockdown you can now wear your Zoom suit to the workshop and easily multi-task without being rude. Even before lockdowns, people in workshops usually just hold out for tea time and the value achieved is way below the cost of everyone’s time. On the other hand you might remember that one successful workshop where people were actually engaged – and not just because of the muffins.
The difference between these is often the facilitator; they should run workshops properly and get things done. Successful workshops can alter the course of an entire business, rescue a failing project or even resolve conflict. Effective workshop facilitation is a skill and its one that really matters; not just for business benefits but also to demonstrate respect for people’s time. A workshop is usually needed because people are misaligned or not collaborating and the facilitator has to solve these problems. That was hard work when people were looking at their phones right in front of you but now they might be on the couch watching TV in their pajamas with the PC on mute!
I’ve run countless workshops, and I’ve developed and re-used numerous facilitation techniques. Over many years of trial and error, I’ve learnt to “own the room”. However, most of these techniques require everyone to be in the same room – WFH requires a totally new approach. Running my first workshop during lockdown felt like an out of body experience. I was sitting looking at my computer screen while I knew there were 20 other expectant people also looking at their screens and waiting for me. This shared digital experience was literally our only connection and its the new normal; mastering online workshop facilitation requires a new playbook.
During lockdown I’ve adapted my techniques and built an online training course so you can learn them as well. Own your next Zoom room with the Online Workshop Facilitation course from Leadership Insights. There are 3 modules and the course includes videos as well as a handy worksheet so you apply your new skills in the next workshop. I’ll even throw in a free consultation for the first five people to complete the course and send me a copy of their completed worksheet. We won’t be going back to normal so change your facilitation game and get ahead >> do the Online Workshop Facilitation course from Leadership Insights today.
Also see this article and others on my website Leadership Insights.
