Terrapin Agrada

Project and change management expertise

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
  • AMAZING Project Management
  • AMAZING Change Management

The importance of Workshop Artefacts

14 August 2018 By Susan Tuttle

I once spent three days of my life in a facilitated workshop away from home and away from the office with 100 other managers in a newly merged organisation. I brainstormed, I networked, I participated, I contributed, I listened, I voted, I built consensus, I presented.  I talked in pairs, in triads, in foursomes, in medium-sized groups and in large groups. I reflected, I bonded, I awoke fresh in the morning to do it all again for two more days. At the end I felt gratified that we’d actually done a lot of great work in such a short amount of time.

And then…

Nothing.

Not a word of thanks, acknowledgement, next steps, minutes, pictures or any artefact whatsoever.

Years later I question the certainty that it actually happened at all… I’ll never know if A) nothing was done with all that input B) something was done with it, but it wasn’t helpful or C) something was done with it and I (and the other 100 managers) deserve a lot of appreciation because it turned the company around. I’ll never know.

Sending out workshop artefacts is equally as important as creating them in the first place.

Artefacts from such an intense, focused exercise as a facilitated workshop demonstrate acknowledgement, thanks and appreciation. All of which goes a long way in motivation and increases the likelihood of a repeat performance when needed next. No artefacts, no motivation. All of a sudden everyone is ‘unavailable’ for your next workshop. Say goodbye to collaboration and inspiring ideas. No one will be there to generate them.

Anything is better than nothing.

Ideally there will be meeting minutes, encapsulating the rundown of the event, the participants, the results, and the next steps.

At a minimum, pick from any of the following and be sure to send it out (as soon as possible after the event):

  • Thank you message
  • Summary statement
  • Next steps
  • Ideas explored
  • Decisions made
  • List of participants (contact information, especially for groups that didn’t know each other at the beginning)
  • Presentation, slides from the event
  • Resources
  • Sources for further information
  • Leaflet, pamphlet, brochure, publication, broadsheet, flier, bulletin
  • Pictures of participants and/or flipcharts and other writings captured throughout the event
  • White paper of the topic
  • Link to blog, vlog, podcast, video, webinar about the event or at least the topic
  • Summary or typed up list of posters, flip charts, notes, whiteboard drawings, sticky notes created

 

What other artefacts have you found to be helpful after a workshop?

Filed Under: Blog, Project Managment Tagged With: feedback, teams, workshop

Do you need a facilitator for your workshop?

14 February 2018 By Susan Tuttle

Short answer: Yes. Someone with the right training AND a level of independence from the outcome of the workshop being facilitated.

Long answer: The role of independent workshop facilitator is becoming more and more central to project and programme teams. Workshops are now the go-to technique for teams to use to get results. Workshops focus on getting the right people in the right room at the right time to talk about the right things (and if it’s part of the objectives for the workshop, to get to the right decision).

Workshops are successfully being used instead of hijacking using project progress meetings to endlessly discuss project issues that more than half of the team either don’t care about or don’t know anything to contribute. Facilitated workshops are allowing teams to have focused discussions with the right audience(s) – all of whom can contribute and collaborate on the right resolution.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Project Managment Tagged With: facilitation, facilitator, project management, workshop

Previous Posts

Earlier today I was robbed. Obviously, an unexpected change. It was the end of the day; I left my … [Read More...]

Ok, so somehow it is Q4 2018 already! A few too many of my to-do list items / continuous … [Read More...]

I once spent three days of my life in a facilitated workshop away from home and away from the office … [Read More...]

Sometimes a simple picture can cut through complexity. Even if you’re not a visual learner, having a … [Read More...]

Check out the latest podcast from Project Management Paradise: Throughout June 2018, receive a … [Read More...]

  • Copyright Notice
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© Copyright 2016 Terrapin Agrada · All Rights Reserved· ·Lovingly Made By DanielL· Log in