Seven Tips for Running a Killer Workshop

Introduction

• Purpose: Share seven tips for running effective workshops (e.g., product discovery, goal-setting, strategy)
• Experience: Presenter has run thousands of workshops and learned from many mistakes
• Highlight: Tips 6 and 7 are the presenter's favorites

Tip 1: Preparation

• Key Action: Send out pre-work to participants
  • Get them thinking about research, review, and action items
  • Send at least 7 days in advance, especially for busy executives
  • Bonus: Send a reminder right before the workshop

Tip 2: Kickoff Strong

• Theory: Primary recency bias (people remember the beginning and end the most)
• Action Steps:
  • Get expectations from everyone (preferably after 1-on-1 interviews)
  • Create a list of expectations for the day (adjust or reset if necessary)
  • Take photos early to capture high energy (group selfies or screenshots for virtual)

Tip 3: Think-Pair-Share Technique

• Format:
  • Think: Give participants 2-3 minutes to think individually
  • Pair: Individuals discuss their thoughts in pairs
  • Share: Pairs share their insights with the entire group
• Scalability: Effective for large groups (hundreds); steps-level sharing can ensure everyone is heard

Tip 4: Equal Share of Voice

• Importance: Ensure everyone is contributing
• Action Steps:
  • Facilitate one-on-one conversations with quieter participants
  • Get permission to share important ideas on their behalf

Tip 5: Regular Energy Checks

• Objective: Maintain balanced energy throughout the workshop, virtual or in-person
• Method:
  • Pose questions about pace (“Are we on pace?”)
  • Use thumbs up/down/sideways for feedback
  • Regularly check participants' insights (“What’s been most useful so far?”)

Tip 6: Be a Storyteller

• Impact: Storytelling can significantly enhance engagement
• Example: Executive sharing a personal, impactful story about overcoming hardship
• Advice: Use personal experiences relevant to the workshop’s content

Tip 7: Close Strong

• Steps:
  • Summarize key decisions and actions with assigned owners
  • Recap the agenda and highlight key takeaways for each topic
  • Show photos or virtual screenshots from the start and end of the workshop
• Benefit: Leaves participants energized, engaged, and clear about next steps

Conclusion

• Engagement: Encourages audience to share which techniques were most useful
• Additional Resources: Mentions free training and community for OKR (Objectives and Key Results)