Planning a facilitated workshop
The key to the success of a facilitated workshop is careful planning. Over the years, I have developed a checklist that I use with clients to plan a facilitated event, which I share below.
The key to the success of a facilitated workshop is careful planning. Over the years, I have developed a checklist that I use with clients to plan a facilitated event, which I share below.
Pre-2020, online workshops were pretty rare- even in the field of international development, where they make a lot of sense. The pandemic forced us all to rapidly and radically adapt our practices, embracing online focus groups, workshops, webinars and townhall meetings. And while there is still no substitute for the energy you can get when people are in a room together, there are definite advantages to virtual meetings. No travel time or expenses, less childcare difficulties for some participants and simpler logistics are some that are key.
However, as a facilitator, the challenge is to keep participants engaged. The following are some simple tips to make good use of online platforms.
A fishbowl discussion is a way of managing a conversation in a larger group. In the room, it consists of an inner ring of chairs (the fishbowl) and an outer ring, where the observers sit. In an 'open' fishbowl, participants can move in and out of the inner circle freely, making the discussion dynamic and free flowing. It's a nice alternative to breakout groups, if you don't want the conversation fragmented, and it's more interactive than a panel discussion.