Facilitation

How to Make Strategy Workshops More Creative

How to Make Strategy Workshops More Creative

Whenever I take a brief to facilitate a workshop I categorise them as either strategic (business or brand planning) or creative (generating ideas). I then shape the sessions accordingly. The strategy sessions tend to be relatively cerebral and formal, whilst the creative sessions are much more lively and playful. However, I’ve come to realise that this is a false distinction. The best workshops are where the two styles merge. When creative sessions become more strategic and vice versa. Here’s how you inject creativity into strategy workshops.

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The Best Tools for Online Innovation Workshops

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The Best Tools for Online Innovation Workshops

Given all the restrictions we’re living with, one of the key challenges for facilitators is how to create the same buzz as face to face sessions. This is particularly important in innovation workshops, where spontaneity and energy are vital. Like everybody else, I’ve had to adapt. Having planned and run a few online innovation sessions, here’s what I believe are the key tools and platforms you need.

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Introducing Randomness into Idea Generation Workshops

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Introducing Randomness into Idea Generation Workshops

New ideas emerge by making random connections. You observe something over here, you observe something completely unrelated over there. You then bring the two together to produce something new and different. It’s this unique combination that forms the basis of something fresh. It’s why it’s called lateral thinking.

How to Plan and Facilitate Strategy Workshops

How to Plan and Facilitate Strategy Workshops

In a previous post, I outlined how to facilitate idea generation session. However, what about strategy workshops?

Just to clarify what strategy workshops are all about:

Essentially the focus will be on planning and decision making. For example an annual brand plan or 3 year business strategy. It will usually involve team alignment. For example around an organisation’s vision, values or brand positioning.

How to Plan and Facilitate Idea Generation Workshops

How to Plan and Facilitate Idea Generation Workshops

In the marketing world, there are 2 types of workshop we’re asked to facilitate - the creative and the strategic. Creative workshops are all about idea generation - new products, services, names, communications. Strategic sessions are about planning and making decisions. Sometimes you can combine a bit of both, eg creating brand positioning, but they do tend to focus on one or the other.

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Three Essential Creative Exercises For Innovation Workshops

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Three Essential Creative Exercises For Innovation Workshops

People need stimulus to generate ideas. Simply thinking of ideas spontaneously can only get you so far. In workshops we need inputs and techniques to force us to make lateral connections. There are many to choose from, but if you’re not sure where to begin, here’s three tried and trusted exercises I always turn to.

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How to Get the Best Out of Introverts in Innovation Workshops

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How to Get the Best Out of Introverts in Innovation Workshops

Susan Cain’s book ‘Quiet’ has had a big influence on me. It’s a manifesto in support of the world’s introverts and how to make the most of their talents. You get a sense of the book from her inspiring TED talk – here. I spend much of my working life facilitating workshops, standing in front of people and telling them what to do. Despite this, I’m an introvert. (really, it’s true!) I have a lot of sympathy for introverts who attend workshops. 

How to Perfect Your Workshop Timekeeping

How to Perfect Your Workshop Timekeeping

When I facilitate, I have one golden rule. Always give time back, never take it away. I never, ever over-run. Time is such a precious commodity. People have chosen to give this up to take part in your workshop, so you need to treat it with respect. In my view, there’s nothing worse than a facilitator who over-runs. It shows you haven’t planned or you’re losing control of the session. The only time I ever go over the allotted time is when the session owner or the attendees request it.

Building Rapport: Top Tips for Facilitators

Building Rapport: Top Tips for Facilitators

You’re about to kick off the workshop. You’ve planned it meticulously. You’re in a cool venue. You’ve designed a dynamic, creative workshop process. As a facilitator, the key thing now is to focus on building a rapport with the expectant faces looking at you. You need to create a close, harmonious relationship with everyone in the room.

How to Structure an Idea Generation Workshop

How to Structure an Idea Generation Workshop

Idea generation sessions are the workshops I enjoy the most. I love the buzz, the energy and it’s so satisfying to go through the journey of inventing something new. If you were to simply walk into an idea generation session, it may appear chaotic with post-its, magazines, random products and objects strewn all over the place. However, the best sessions are really well organised. Of course they need to be planned properly, but once this is done, this is how you structure them.

How to Plan Amazing Workshops

How to Plan Amazing Workshops

The most successful workshops I’ve been involved in are a result of great planning.. The more time and effort you put into this, the better the session will be. Detailed planning allows you to really understand the brief, design a fabulous process and create a truly bespoke event. By the time the workshop day comes around you’ll be full of confidence and able to adapt, improvise and have fun.