Top tips for effective workshops / UX Brighton / February 2015

tips for effective workshops10UX Brighton / February 2015

Alison CowardBracket

@alisoncowardwww.bracketcreative.co.uk

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The three stages of great workshops:

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The three stages of great workshops:

1. Preparation

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The three stages of great workshops:

1. Preparation

2. On the day

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The three stages of great workshops:

1. Preparation

2. On the day

3. Follow-up

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PREPARATION

1

Should you run a workshop?

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1

Should you run a workshop?

Reasons for workshops…

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1

Should you run a workshop?

1. To gather info

2. Generate ideas

3. Make decisions

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1

Should you run a workshop?

1. To gather info

2. Generate ideas

3. Make decisions

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Probably the most straight forward - you’re asking people to share what they know

1

Should you run a workshop?

1. To gather info

2. Generate ideas

3. Make decisions

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Slightly more difficult as you have to encourage creativity, ensure equal contributions etc

1

Should you run a workshop?

1. To gather info

2. Generate ideas

3. Make decisions

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Most challenging as you’re asking people to agree

1

Should you run a workshop?

Some workshops may have an element of all three, but the important thing to

remember is that it’s all about …

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1

Should you run a workshop?

Bracket

Some workshops may have an element of all three, but the important thing to

remember is that it’s all about …

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1

Should you run a workshop?

Bracket

Some workshops may have an element of all three, but the important thing to

remember is that it’s all about …

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and a genuine curiosity in what people have to say

Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr

2

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Think of the preparation stage as a real design process.

Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr

2

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Think of the preparation stage as a real design process.

Consider form, function and the user experience.

Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr

2

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Think of the preparation stage as a real design process.

Consider form, function and the user experience.

Be clear on what you need to do with the content after the workshop and

work backwards from there.

Think beyond the end of the workshop

Image by Juhan Sonin on Flickr

2

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Think of the preparation stage as a real design process.

Consider form, function and the user experience.

Be clear on what you need to do with the content after the workshop and

work backwards from there.

3

Image by Freddy Snijder on Flickr

3

Get people standing up, moving around

and using their hands

Image by Freddy Snijder on Flickr

3

Get people standing up, moving around

and using their hands

Make it dynamicImage by Freddy Snijder on Flickr

4

Separate divergent and convergent thinking

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Image by Kyle Macdonald on Flickr

4

Separate divergent and convergent thinking

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Think of as many uses of a paperclip as possible

Image by Kyle Macdonald on Flickr

4

Separate divergent and convergent thinking

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Think of as many uses of a paperclip as possible

Now, choose your best idea

Image by Kyle Macdonald on Flickr

4

Separate divergent and convergent thinking

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Think of as many uses of a paperclip as possible

Now, choose your best idea

You’re using a different thought process for each. You can’t do both at the same time

5

Plan for better brainstorming

Image by Ignacio Palomo Duarte on Flickr

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Avoiding GROUPTHINK

• Don’t let senior staff speak first

• Set the scene for “critical thinking”

• Get someone to play devil’s advocate

Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie

“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014

https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter

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Avoiding GROUPTHINK

• Don’t let senior staff speak first - let others start by sharing their ideas

• Set the scene for “critical thinking”

• Get someone to play devil’s advocate

Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie

“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014

https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter

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Avoiding GROUPTHINK

• Don’t let senior staff speak first - let others start by sharing their ideas

• Set the scene for “critical thinking” – give permission to challenge and constructively criticize

• Get someone to play devil’s advocate

Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie

“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014

https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter

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Avoiding GROUPTHINK

• Don’t let senior staff speak first - let others start by sharing their ideas

• Set the scene for “critical thinking” – give permission to challenge and constructively criticize

• Get someone to play devil’s advocate – have someone who is there to purposely disagree

Cass Sunstein & Reid Hastie

“Making Dumb Groups Smarter” HBR November 2014

https://hbr.org/2014/11/making-dumb-groups-smarter

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• Give people time to think individually first

• Go for quantity

• Brainstorm in 15 min max cycles

• Create guidelines and constraints

Leigh Thomson

“Creative Conspiracy: The New Rules of Breakthrough Collaboration”

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Better BRAINSTORMING

Techniques to try…

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Brainwriting

Breakout groups

Dot voting

Image by B Dixon on Flickr

6

Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk

6

Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk

A simple example…

6

Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk

A simple example…

Ask a question, and ask participants to write down all their ideas, one per

post-it note

6

Get interactive as early as possibleBracket www.bracketcreative.co.uk

Ask a question, and ask participants to write down all their ideas, one per

post-it note

Then ask them to sort the post-it notes into themes

A simple example…

ON THE DAY

Despite it’s image, facilitation is a valuable skill!

7

Manage the

introverts and extroverts

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7

Manage the

introverts and extroverts

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Like to think before they speak

7

Manage the

introverts and extroverts

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Like to think before they speak

Prefer to think

out loud

7

Manage the

introverts and extroverts

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Like to think before they speak

Prefer to think

out loud

Design a workshop that accommodates both types

8

Embrace the chaos!

8

Embrace the chaos!

Especially here

9

You can’t facilitate and participate at the same

time

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9

You can’t facilitate and participate at the same

time

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(there’s too much to do)

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Facilitation is a bit like an iceberg

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Visible skills

Keeping time

Introducing exercises

Taking notes

Setting the toneNeutral

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Visible skills

Keeping time

Introducing exercises

Taking notes

Setting the toneNeutral

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Visible skills

Less obvious

Keeping time

Introducing exercises

Taking notes

Setting the tone

SummarizingManaging conflict

Ensuring equal contributions

Noticing patternsAsking questions

Keeping focusMotivating

Neutral

Encouraging

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Visible skills

Less obvious

Keeping time

Introducing exercises

Taking notes

Setting the tone

SummarizingManaging conflict

Ensuring equal contributions

Noticing patternsAsking questions

Keeping focusMotivating

Neutral

Encouraging

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Visible skills

Less obvious

Invisible

Keeping time

Introducing exercises

Taking notes

Setting the tone

SummarizingManaging conflict

Ensuring equal contributions

Noticing patternsAsking questions

Keeping focusMotivating

Active listening

Empathy

Comfortable with ambiguity

Flexible

Open to surprises

PatientSelf-aware

Knowing when to stay silent Thinking on your feet

Able to synthesise quickly

Genuine curiosity

Neutral

Encouraging

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Visible skills

Less obvious

Invisible

FOLLOW-UP

Image by Jerome on Flickr

10

The main thing is PROGRESS

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Image by Jerome on Flickr

10

The main thing is PROGRESS

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This is the biggest factor that has a positive impact on inner work life – “the conditions that foster positive emotions, strong internal motivation, and favourable perceptions of the colleagues and the work itself”

Amabile & Kramer,

“The Progress Principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, creativity and engagement at work”

• Celebrate small wins

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The main thing is PROGRESS

• Celebrate small wins

• Keep tasks and timelines visible

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The main thing is PROGRESS

• Celebrate small wins

• Keep tasks and timelines visible

• Provide regular feedback

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The main thing is PROGRESS

• Celebrate small wins

• Keep tasks and timelines visible

• Provide regular feedback

• Short, but frequent, update meetings

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The main thing is PROGRESS

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Summary – three stages of great workshops

Preparation

1. Is a workshop the right thing to do?

2. Think beyond the end of the workshop

3. Make it dynamic

4. Separate divergent and convergent thinking

5. Plan for better brainstorming

6. Get interactive as early as possible

On the day

7. Manage the introverts and extroverts

8. Embrace the chaos

9. You can’t facilitate and participate at the same time

Follow-up

10. The main thing is progress

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Alison Coward

@alisoncoward

@bracketagency

www.bracketcreative.co.uk