Potential problems when running workshops
- Stakeholders :
- not turning up
- not participating
- taking over and pursuing a different agenda
- not agreeing with each other
- Outcome of workshop:
- Not getting what was needed from it
- Running out of time
Best practice tips
If you run workshops already the chances are you may have come across many of above. Over the years I have put together a list of best practice tips to avoid or reduce the problems covered above.
Preparation and planning
Send out agenda to all attendees clearly stating the objectives, who is invited, items on the agenda and time slots
Reasons
- To make sure you understand what you want to achieve from the workshop
- To enable stakeholders to understand what is required from them and enable them to do any preparation beforehand if they think any is necessary. This will also prevent stakeholders trying to pursue any different agendas and focus on the topic
- Will enable stakeholders to point out in advance if they think anyone is missing who can contribute to the meeting or whether they are unable to contribute
- Time slots will help focus the discussions and help the stakeholders self govern themselves by also helping to keep to the time
- Have smaller informal catch-up meetings prior to a big workshop especially at the beginning of a project or if it is a new stakeholder who is unfamiliar
Reasons
- To help build rapport and trust
- To get their buy in for the value of the meeting and to take on any suggestions they may have
- Book the meeting room 15 – 30 minutes prior to the workshop
Reasons
- To set up the room appropriately
Ring attendees prior to sending out invitations to check they can make the planned time of the workshop and possibly on the day to ensure they can still make the workshop.
Reasons
- A stakeholder is more likely to ensure they attend if they have promised to do so verbally beforehand. It also gives them a chance to let you know if they cannot make it at a particular time so a more convenient time can be arranged
During the workshop
Ensure everyone is introduced, an introduction is given and refreshments are provided
Reasons
- To make sure everyone knows each other and to create a relaxed environment where people feel comfortable enough to contribute
Use flip charts and visual aids
Reasons
- To ensure the stakeholders can see what is written down, that they have the same understanding and can then make additional suggestions or corrections
- To slow the pace of the workshop to ensure consensus and common understanding
Have a piece of flip chart paper with car park written on it and use it to record discussions that come up that arent part of the objectives of the workshop
Reasons
- To enable the workshop to go back to the objectives of the workshop and enable the stakeholder to feel comfortable that their item has been captured for another time and will not be forgotten
- Once stakeholders are used to this concept the workshop will become self governing as they will then know to ask to have items added to the car park without going too off topic
Use silence, especially after asking a question
Reasons
- To encourage contribution as stakeholders will feel awkward if the silence is too long so will want to fill in the gaps. This is especially useful for getting stakeholders to volunteer to have their name against an action
End the meeting 10 minutes early to go over actions and agree next steps
Reasons
- To ensure all actions have a name and agreed date for completion next to them
- To ensure agreement for further meetings if required and buy in
After the workshop
Write up minutes including key decisions and actions and distribute to all of the stakeholders involved asking for them to review and provide updates or amendments
Reasons
- To provide an audit trail of what was discussed so as not to loose the key decisions made as could be easily forgotten later on
- To enable the stakeholders to point out any key points missed and to ensure what was captured was agreed
- To enable actions to be tracked to ensure completed
Thoughts? Questions? Please share in the comments.
