workshop culture for a better workplace
TRANSCRIPT
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