What to do before, during and after your workshop?
Read time: 3.5 minutes
Today, I want to show you a simple process for consistently achieving successful workshop results.
It’s my Before, During and After Workshop Checklist, and it applies to any workshop in any situation.
This checklist lays out the important things you need to cover to demonstrate to all concerned that you’re a professional and in full control.
Even if you feel a little out of your depth inside 😉
Why what you do before, during and after the workshop matters
You’d be forgiven for thinking a successful workshop is about which tools or processes you use.
While that’s part of it, the last 20 years have shown me that success hinges more on what you do before, during, and after the session than on the tools you use in the session itself.
I’m always surprised by how many workshop facilitators don’t spend time getting properly prepared for their sessions.
How can you demonstrate authority and control if you’re not doing that?
For example, let’s say you’re running a session offsite. When you get there in the morning, you realise the electricity plugs are in the wrong location, the venue doesn’t have a projector that works with your computer, and there is no way for you to connect to the sound system.
What do you think your participants think while they watch you run around hurriedly creating a Plan B on the fly?
If you’re not answering these questions for yourself well in advance - you’re letting the environment around you dictate your actions.
And being dictated to by missing equipment is not how great workshops are run.
That’s why this Before, During and After Workshop Checklist is so powerful.
Here's how it works.
Before
Before (what you participants need to know)
During
Do:
Don’t
After
In Conclusion
Using this checklist, I produce high-quality workshops that consistently meet my sponsors' and participants' objectives and exceed their expectations.
At every stage, I demonstrate that I know what I’m doing, and nothing surprises me.
So, if something unexpected or unusual does crop up, as it often does, my participants already have confidence I will steer them to a successful conclusion.
Use this checklist and adapt it to your workshop's specific context and goals.
Doing so results in a successful and impactful learning experience for participants.
That’s it for today.
I hope you enjoyed it.
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