Did you attend to a Workshop lately? – Or was it a “cover-up” for yet a meeting?

What is the difference between a meeting and a Workshop? One could argue that a effective meeting is about making decisions between known facts, whereas a workshop is to sort out what is the best options between many yet unknown.

I’m not at all sure if this is a precise enough distinction, you maybe have thought about this.

Workshop methodology is not about the “sticky notes”. There is nothing wrong with  Post It , but there are many more appropriate tools and techniques to bring out creative ideas and possible solutions to problems.

I’ve listed some workshop methods / techniques / exercises I have worked with (Far from  complete as a list, but to inspiration for some of you?)

• Out of the box–  thinking ,moving viewpoint, discover new opportunities

• Brainstorming workshop – get the diversity of ideas up on the table

• Business process reengineering – finding alternative ways to deliver added value

• Kaizen – building lasting change

• Six Thinking Hats – challenge established thought patterns

• SWOT – Analytical approach to a problem put in context

• Benchmarking – comparisons and choices  in a “landscape”

• Scenario Workshop – part of strategy development, where alternative routes are enabled

• “The War Room” workshop – creating artificial crises to promote new decision opportunities

• Incentive workshop – positive involvement and “carrot” principle to produce solutions

• Lego Serious Play – depth understanding and complex problem solving

Taking a course in workshop management is a very good idea, because it is not a mechanical exercise to facilitate workshops. It requires pedagogical skills and that you love to help groups and diverse personalities. One needs to be able to reduce own ego and strengthen others self-esteem and confidence.

Know-how of workshop methodologies and expertise in facilitation of such is important in the context of digital strategy because digitization of most businesses is all about change.

“Several people create more together, than one by one”