Over the past couple of years, we’ve become more proficient in the art of planning and facilitating online workshops. Tools have evolved, and tech has improved. We’ve trained ourselves to use it better. During lockdown, It was the only option and the fear has dissipated. Now the world is opening up again, we have a choice. Do we revert back to ‘in real life’ (IRL) workshops? Or do we stick with the new ways? Let’s explore.
Online Workshops: the pros and cons
Online workshops have yielded a number of benefits:
Cost efficiency: IRL workshops are expensive. There are the materials. Post-it notes, flipcharts, and pens cost a fortune. Then there’s the cost of going to and from the venue. Usually, you have to hire a venue. Plus feed people. They even request nice coffee. It all adds up. You get none of this expense with online workshops
Time efficiency: People are generally pretty good at turning up on time for online workshops and ending them on time. There’s no travel to and from the venue. The sessions tend to be shorter too. 2 or 3 hours vs half-day or full-day sessions. People can’t stay on their screens or sit still for too long. We just get down to business.
Wider involvement: With IRL workshops you’re restricted by the size of the room available and the effort of getting people together in one location. With online workshops, more people can be involved. It’s particularly helpful when bringing people together from different locations. More people can take part in workshops than ever before.
Output management: With tools such as Mural, it’s easier to make sense of the output that’s generated. Plus it’s quicker and easier to share. One of the nightmares of IRL workshops is processing the tons of paper that were produced. The handwriting was difficult to understand, it easily got lost and took ages to transcribe. What a relief that we don’t have to do that anymore.
More control: The tech gives facilitators more power. They can send people into break-out groups and bring them back on time. If necessary, they can mute people. They can start and finish sessions on time. The dominant voices can be sidelined more easily.
But there are downsides to online workshops:
Lack of engagement: It’s much easier for participants to hide during the online session, particularly if they have their cameras off. They become easily distracted and find it more difficult to stay focused. As a facilitator, it’s harder to read the room, sense the energy, and involve everybody.
Tech dependency: Everyone needs decent tech to make it work. A good camera and a decent microphone are essential. You’ve got to learn new tools. You’re much more vulnerable to Wi-Fi failures, screen freezing, and software updates. Things that are out of your control. And some people find technology challenging. They find online software confusing and offputting. They feel inadequate and unable to give their best work.
The human dimension: One of the joys of the IRL workshop is true physical contact. Sharing a coffee, having a chat, hanging out together. Having a laugh. All the stuff we missed during the lockdown. It’s hard to replace all this when you’re working online.
Getting deeper: Online workshops are very functional. They’re great for getting jobs done and solving problems. But for some topics, face-to-face workshops work best. Innovation and idea generation require spontaneity and more back and forth. Or when you're discussing issues around personal development, culture, or team building. They just work better when it’s face-to-face.
Key Conclusions
Both styles of the workshop are here to stay. I think online workshops will continue to dominate. We’re used to them now. Businesses value efficiency and people will continue to work from home. We need them. The days of flying around the world for fairly functional workshops or short sessions are pretty much over. Plus we’re all even more sensitive about our carbon footprints.
But IRL will still have an important role to play. Sometimes you need to get a team together to bond, understand each other and re-connect at a human level. Also, you may want to add extra-curricular activities, such as store visits, meeting clients, or getting to know a local market. In addition, certain sessions simply work best face-to-face. Team building, idea generation and solving really difficult problems are best done when you’re physically together.
There was a time when people used to resent IRL meetings. Now we value them more than ever. We can see the benefit. We even look forward to them.