Keeping the need, the audience and the message in mind during the workshop design process creates a foundation for building a focused workshop.
There is an old adage that you can't really learn something until you teach it. You can learn even more by designing a workshop on the subject. To design a workshop effectively, you really need to dig deep and look at all aspects of the learning process and then apply it to your content. Focusing the design and content ensures that the important messages are delivered and heard.
1. What need are you addressing?
What need are you fulfilling with your workshop? Are you introducing a new technology? Building corporate culture? Gaining buy-in to a new policy or procedure? Dealing with a performance issue? Hopefully you have completed a needs assessment of some sort (held a focus group with staff or the community, conducted a survey, held meetings with management and so on) and the need for this workshop was determined as an outcome of your research. You may have conflicting and/or complimentary needs from various stakeholders that need to be addressed in the workshop design.
2. What are the key messages?
Once you are clear on the need you are addressing with the workshop, the next step is to determine 3-5 key messages you want the audience to take away from the workshop. If the workshop is 1-2 hours in length, pick 3 key messages, if longer pick more messages but don't try to exceed 5. Workshops that go beyond a six hour time frame are rarely effective. Information overload sinks in and the learning stops.
3. Who is your audience?
A workshop is a form of sales. You have to understand the demographics of your audience so you can tailor your delivery to them. You may need to break your group into smaller groups of like individuals (if feasible) or you'll have to accommodate conflicting demographics in your design. Here are some factors to consider:
- Introverted/extroverted
- Education level
- Language level
- Prior learning (previous experience or training in the subject)
- Learning style: auditory, manipulative/tactile/kinesthetic, visual
- Openness to the learning process
In the next article Keeping Workshops Practical, we'll continue this discussion considering:
4. What are your delivery limitations?
5. How will you keep the learning active?
6. Is the information practical?
If you have comments or suggestions on this article, please use the link below to start a discussion.
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