workshop culture for a better workplace

Workshop Culture for a Better Workplace

Alison Coward@alisoncoward

bracketcreative.co.uk

www.bracketcreative.co.uk

www.bracketcreative.co.uk

Image: Freddy Snijderon Flickr

What’s wrong with meetings?

What’s wrong with meetings?

Brief discussion!

Typical meeting

Typical meeting

Known facts or decisions to be communicated

Typical meeting

Known facts or decisions to be communicated

Power dynamic of the loudest, or most senior people in the room

Typical meeting

Known facts or decisions to be communicated

Power dynamic of the loudest, or most senior people in the room

Passive attendees

Typical meeting vs Great workshop

Known facts or decisions to be communicated

Power dynamic of the loudest, or most senior people in the room

Passive attendees

Exploring different possibilities and options

Equal contributions, regardless of role

Dynamic

What should a workshop participant feel ?

What should a workshop participant feel ?

Engagement and connection

What should a workshop participant feel ?

Engagement and connection

Autonomy

What should a workshop participant feel ?

Engagement and connection

Autonomy

Purpose

What should a workshop participant feel ?

Engagement and connection

Autonomy

Purpose

Progress

What should a workshop participant feel ?

Engagement and connection

Autonomy

Purpose

Progress

Teamwork

• 43 CEOs

• 400 employees

“Leaders… are learning to be less the visionary, less the sage, less the objective-setter, and more the shaper, the connector, the questioner”.

https://woreport.wolffolins.com/

• 238 knowledge workers

• 12000 daily diary entries

“In settings where people must work together to solve challenging problems, high performance has four dimensions:

creativity, productivity, commitment, and collegiality”

“Ideational Facilitation Leadership”

Abraham Carmeli, Paul Paulus

• 500 organisations

“leadership behaviour that cultivates openness, exchange of ideas and effective discussion for creative thinking”

CEO Ideational Facilitation Leadership and Team Creativity: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing, 2014

Image: Andres NietosPorras on Flickr

Where do you start?

Rule #1

Rule #1

Do not participate and facilitate at the same time!

Rule #2

Rule #2

You don’t have all

(or any of) the answers!

Level one: Making it collaborative

Level one: Making it collaborativeNote-taking, time-keeping, introducing exercises

Level one: Making it collaborativeNote-taking, time-keeping, introducing exercises

Level two: Guiding the content

Level one: Making it collaborativeNote-taking, time-keeping, introducing exercises

Level two: Guiding the contentSynthesising, summarising, asking clarifying questions

Level one: Making it collaborativeNote-taking, time-keeping, introducing exercises

Level two: Guiding the contentSynthesising, summarising, asking clarifying questions

Level three: People skills

Level one: Making it collaborativeNote-taking, time-keeping, introducing exercises

Level two: Guiding the contentSynthesising, summarising, asking clarifying questions

Level three: People skillsReading the room, empathy, dealing with conflict, active listening

Four key skills for workshop facilitation

Asking good questions &

curiosity

Asking good questions &

curiosity

Crafting good questions

Open-ended questions – why, how, what

‘Stupid’ questions

What if…? questions

Think of a challenge you’re facing.

Write down 3 open-ended questions you could ask your colleagues.

Asking good questions &

curiosity

Asking good questions &

curiosity

Listening&

empathy

Asking good questions &

curiosity

Listening&

empathy

Dealing with ambiguity

Asking good questions &

curiosity

Listening&

empathy

Dealing with ambiguity

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

Asking good questions &

curiosity

Listening&

empathy

Dealing with ambiguity

Listening&

empathy

Asking good questions &

curiosity

SynthesisingDealing with ambiguity

A simple technique

Craft a really good question

Craft a really good question

Craft a really good question

Craft a really good question

• Start small

• Start small

• Start small

• Practice the four skills: questions, listening, dealing with ambiguity, synthesising

• Start small

• Practice the four skills: questions, listening, dealing with ambiguity, synthesising

• Get out of the way!

THANK YOU

Alison Cowardwww.bracketcreative.co.uk

Icons: The Noun Project – TMD, Nicolas Morand, Emily Haasch, Oliviu Stolan, BenPixels, Christoph Robausch, Kevin Augustine,

iconsmind.com

Illustrations: Gabija Jankauskaite