Facilitator’s Note: This is often a question that I will keep for only the decision maker, especially if we have a good relationship. That said, posed in a non-confrontational way to the group, you can learn a lot! Tell the group they are going to predict the future. Explain each section and ask them to complete it. To start with, I’m obsessed when it comes to getting to know people who I meet when presenting or running workshops. I want to learn about their culture, I want to read their local papers and I want to grab a local bite as soon as I arrive off the plane. An example of this was at a recent workshop in Newfoundland where I began by talking to a few people about a local dish called Touton and how if there was one thing I need to try before I left – That was it. They were instantly engaged and wanted to help me find this dish before I left.

Is the team I plan to bring together drawn from various level of the organizational structure (for example, managers, supervisors, technical analysts)? and that was my lightbulb moment. Not only curating the best workshops into one place but giving guidance on exactly the most appropriate time to use them. Healthy debate allows your team to make aligned decisions. Encourage the group to really listen to the viewpoints of others. In the event of a consensus not being reached. Use Jeff Bezos’ approach: H. Voting Dots — At least 2 colors; the design sprint process includes a lot of individual voting exercises, to build inspiration and buy-in. We like to buy one smaller dot, and one larger dot — in different colors. The Workshop

i. Purpose: Why are we having this meeting? As the workshops leaders, we need to be able to state this clearly and succinctly. Consider the urgency of the meeting: what is going on, and what is on fire? If this is difficult to articulate, we should ask if this meeting is really necessary, or if perhaps the proposed purpose needs to change. This session is a catalyst for great things: mentorship, development opportunities and cross-pollination of skills and knowledge. It helps your team, but it also brings an added dimension to the whole project, and can help you spot any skills gaps that need to be filled, too. d) Have a plan but always expect it to change. The 7Ps can give us a structured, repeatable framework for designing a meeting, but they cannot run the meeting for us. The unexpected will virtually always happen, and as workshop leader it will be your job to adapt and adjust! Opportunity Identified

Target customer: write a descriptive name for your target customer. For example, aspiring facilitators. Special thanks to Katherine (and team) from customer service that helped me out to complete my full set. A Hopes and fears workshopis an effective tool for identifying what your team is thinking so that you can decide how to proceed in a way that – ideally – meets everyone’s hopes and allows them to overcome or avoid the things they are most worried about. Unexpectedness — How do we get out audience to pay attention to our ideas and maintain their interest? You’ve set your product team’s goalsand come up with a plan of action, but do you know what challenges you face on your path to success?This may be the most important advice you read in this entire post. If you’ve made it this far good job – You’re in for a treat. This piece of advice changed my entire approach to presenting and storytelling. The story that you tell will make or break your workshop. Your decision to act as a lecturer or a storyteller will determine whether people go to sleep or stay awake. iii. People: Who needs to be there, and what role will each play? One way to focus the list of attendees is to think is terms of questions and answers: What questions are we answering for this workshop/sprint? Who are the right people to answer our questions? Liberating Structures are built on the idea that conventional structures are either too inhibiting (e.g., presentations and status reports) or too disorganized (e.g., brainstorms). Liberating Structures are intentionally simple activities that help you get more out of your group. I always annoy people when I run through this tactic, but it does help discover the root cause of a problem. Or maybe you’ve got your objectives down – but you don’t know how to achieve them, or what it will look like when you do. A workshop to help you plan how to reach your goals goes hand-in-hand with deciding what they are. Goal-setting workshop tactics