When I look back on past workshops, the moments that stick out for me are the funny ones. I remember when someone brought their dog to the session and everyone played with it. Or when someone presented their ideas by taping a flipchart to their body. Once, we gave a prize to the most negative participant in the room. Something you’re never supposed to do - especially as he was the most senior person at the session. He played along with it, which was great.
Having fun is important in workshops. It puts everyone at ease. It creates positive energy. It creates fond memories and encourages greater participation. Usually, you get better ideas.
So how do you do it? How do you ensure workshops are playful and light-hearted?
Firstly, you must follow these golden rules of what you must never do.
What Not to Do: The Golden Rules
1 Don’t laugh at people
By all means, make fun of yourself but don’t be cruel to specific individuals. Join in with the laughter and make it inclusive. Don’t seek to humiliate people or make jokes at someone’s expense.
2 Don’t hog the limelight
It’s not about demonstrating how funny you are. It’s about creating an environment where everyone else can have fun. Don’t share long, ‘amusing’ anecdotes just because you have a captive audience.
3 Don’t deflect from the purpose of the session
Having fun should make the workshop more productive. So make sure it doesn’t get in the way. Pick and choose your moments and don’t force a humourous interlude if it doesn’t feel right.
Some suggestions
Here are some simple and easy ways to introduce fun into the session.
1 Icebreakers and Energisers
Start your workshop with a fun icebreaker to lighten the mood. Include simple games or quizzes throughout that encourage interaction and laughter. They set the tone for the whole session.
2 Visual Aids and Props
Use visual aids, props, or multimedia elements to add humour throughout. Funny images, videos, cartoons. Anything that puts a smile on people’s faces. Keep them relevant to the workshop and part of the overall experience.
3 Humorous Examples
Incorporate funny stories, quotes, or examples related to the workshop topic. Humour can help make the subject matter more relatable and memorable.
4 Encourage Participation
Create opportunities for participants to share their own funny experiences or ideas. Specifically, those related to the workshop topic. This encourages a relaxed atmosphere where humour is welcomed and appreciated.
5 Role-Playing Exercises
Workshop exercises can be playful and enjoyable. Role playing allows you to do this. This involves assigning roles to participants and having them act out scenarios. Typically, consumer role play. Other workshop exercises can feel light-hearted and playful. For example, creating mood boards from magazines.
6 Music
Use music to set a relaxed, informal tone. This could be during breaks, at lunch or as part of workshop exercises. If you’re not sure what to choose, stick to the 1980s. Everyone loves the 80s. It sometimes leads to spontaneous singalongs or dance moves. Click here for more ways of using music in workshops.
7 Silly Competitions and Prizes
People are naturally competitive so create competitions between teams with fun (inexpensive) prizes. This is particularly effective during the final presentations. Chocolates are always welcomed. Anything silly works well - key rings, cuddly toys, little trophies.
Summary
Having fun is part of the overall workshop experience. You don’t have to be a comedian. Inject humour into your facilitation style using a friendly and light-hearted tone. Then provide lots of opportunities for fun and laughter for everybody else. Remember the golden rules. Laugh with people, avoid hogging the limelight and make sure it doesn’t deflect from the workshop’s objectives.
Then try out out some of these simple suggestions. You don’t have to force it or try too hard. Everyone enjoys a good laugh. You’ll build trust, people will relax, time will fly and you’ll get great outcomes.
And if all else fails - bring along a dog.
What have been your funniest workshops? Please let me know in the comments below.