Background

Increasingly we are asked to run 'workshops' - either with clients, consumers or both. These workshops may seek to generate ideas, disseminate information, form part of forward planning exercises or change management programmes, aim to build teams etc. Many are all-day events or even longer.

Successful workshops need to be carefully planned, well 'facilitated' and properly followed up - and this workshop will introduce you to a series of principles, tools and resources that can help ensure your workshop sessions are well planned, well run, enjoyable, and produce results that are valuable and usable.

For

Those who are asked to manage (or assist managing) workshop sessions; maybe at quite senior levels if they have no real experience of workshop facilitation.

Key Topics

From this session you will learn about:

• Basic principles and ground rules.
• Different sorts of workshops (eg idea generation, information dissemination, forward planning, team building, 'change management').
• Roles and responsibilities - including Chairmanship and 'management issues'.
• Optimum numbers, skill ranges, task allocation.
• Selecting the 'space', practical issues (food, drink etc).
• Setting and allocating pre-workshop tasks.
• Planning the workshop - general principles and specific issues such as creating the mood and managing energy, pacing the day, contingencies, dealing with uncooperative delegates.
• Ice-breakers and energisers to help process.
• Tools techniques and exercises to help content (eg idea generation and creative thinking techniques; techniques for evaluating and prioritising ideas, setting plans).
• Follow-up - setting and delegating post-workshop tasks and action plans.

Contact Mike Imms - email us or telephone 01243 814777.

See also: Creative Thinking