5 Steps to Running a Successful Workshop

Henry Brooks Adams said, “A teacher affects eternity – he can never tell where his influence stops.”

A workshop is a life-changing opportunity for everyone. Some attendees may learn nothing but may meet someone important to their future. Some attendees may feel they’ve learned nothing but, years later, that workshop information aids them. No matter what we do to help the learning, it is up to attendees whether they take up the opportunity or not.

So, let’s make it as amazing as possible but not get too upset if some attendees don’t see the value that everyone else did – be a little gentle with yourself. Let’s see what we can do to make it an amazing event, anyway!

1. Preparation

Be there early, set up, make sure you have more than you need for attendees (paper, pens, crayons, seats, desks, food and drink) and make sure all the equipment you need works – overhead projector, data-show, whiteboard pens and duster (eraser), microphone, music, wall posters, your advertising material for your next workshops, your business cards, assessment forms.

2. Welcome

Introduce yourself to every attendee as they come in (or have someone in your team do this) as they’re coming into your space, your “home”. As guests, they’re unsure, fearful even. Start relaxing them before the workshop starts and they’ll participate earlier on. This makes it easier for you… and them!

Start with an ice-breaker (see my article called Running Workshops – Great Ice-Breakers) so they can feel more comfortable with you, the other attendees and the venue.

3. Learning styles

They say that we all learn via one of seven ways. You will have a learning style and if it’s, say, talking, you’ll prefer standing and talking. Those who do not learn best that way (six sevenths of your group) will find it difficult to keep focused if that’s all you do. Try to have as many different styles catered for by having:

1. Auditory – facilitator talks.
2. Visual – whiteboard, powerpoint or some visual presentation.
3. Music – soft, background music playing at the start and during breaks.
4. Kinesthetic – action activities.
5. Group – small-group discussions.
6. Meditative – time for quiet, solo consideration.
7. Verbal – opportunity for them to address the group.

It may be hard to incorporate all these learning styles but the more you have interspersed throughout, the more they will get from your presentation.

4. Ending

Have a way for people to acknowledge each other – maybe they each write their name on a piece of paper and it gets passed around for everyone else to write a positive comment (anonymous or otherwise) on.

5. Assessments

Don’t forget to have assessments forms completed – how else will you know how to improve next time? See my article Running Workshops – How to Get the Right Feedback and What to Do With it.

Public Speaking at Any Time

Why do you need to practice impromptu speaking? So you can speak quickly and professionally without prior rehearsal. In short, practice will position you to be able to extemporize. How many times have you wished that you could easily voice your opinions on the spur-of-the-moment without feeling like we you were choking on your words and couldn’t seem to get anything out your mouth that was coherent?

Impromptu speaking skills improve oral expression of thought, creativity in voicing your opinion, and enhance your confidence in public speaking situations. The benefits are numerous; being able to think quickly on your feet and verbalize in an articulate manner greatly improves leadership and communication skills.

The more often you allow yourself to be exposed to unexpected questions, the more readily you can relax in social situations, the interviewing process, and just defending your position on whatever topic is presented to you. When you realize you have the ability to deal with the unexpected, the surprise question won’t leave you quaking in your boots.

As you develop the process to put yourself through a regimen of learning for impromptu speaking, make it fun and use the tips below to make it effective:

o Set aside a time every week to practice with a friend or several friends. You can do it by yourself with questions on cards that you randomly draw, but it will be more interesting when you get together with a buddy to learn.
o Be creative – think out of the box.
o Choose topics that range from humorous to serious themes.
o Arrange the topics to center around one subject until you become more confident, than start to mix them up on various topics.
o Use positive words when you create topics – even if it is a controversial issue.
o If you use a closed ended question (answer is yes or no), make certain that the response is backed up with reasons to support the point of view. It is much more effective to use “news reporters questions that begins with how, when, what, where, or why.

Investing time in practicing impromptu speaking is a plus for everyone. You develop skills that will serve you well in every area of your life, and help make the people around you more comfortable in their conversations with you. Go ahead, take a chance! By the way, could you tell us about the first time you went out on a date?