How to Create Workshops that Work

Have you been called to give a workshop, a presentation, to teach a colleague and/or informally instruct?

As a result, are you feeling scared, overwhelmed, nervous, and/or not sure where to start?

Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. 

Designing and delivering workshops can be a hair raising process BUT it doesn’t have to be.

You’ve got some seriously powerful subject matter expertise that you’re passionate about.  So let’s get you translating that into powerful learning for your participants.

Instead of relying on the ‘banking method’ which is where the expert pours all their knowledge into their participant’s presumed empty head, let’s instead focus on making your subject matter expertise engaging, and tailored to your particular audience, and all the while making a difference.

Sounds good right?

Here’s a simple way to start.

There is a trifecta sweet spot.   You’ve already got one of the three so you’re more than a third of the way there.

When creating game-changing workshops we need to pay attention to all three areas below, in order to reach the sweet spot.

Subject matter expertise:

Your subject matter expertise or the content you’re passionate about teaching

Instructional design:

Designing game-changing workshops is all the things that go into creating workshops that make a difference, that are engaging and motivate participants to make a difference.

Training:

Delivering your workshop is where the petal meets the metal when you teach your beloved subject matter expertise in your carefully designed workshop

It can get pretty overwhelming pretty quickly but let’s keep it simple shall we?

Simply take your subject matter expertise and brainstorm three things you want to teach.

Here’s an example from my Workshops that Work workshop:

1. Have participants understand the concepts behind powerful learning, what it is and how to create it, based on an example from their background
2. Teach two instructional design tools, including how to use the S.A.K.E.(c) tool and how to design workshops for all learners
3. Teach two delivery tools including public speaking tips and how to increase your confidence when teaching

Next, take those three juicy ideas and brainstorm three ways you can teach them.

Here’s an example from my Workshops that Work workshops:

1. 90-minute online workshop plus a 30 follow-up call
2. Use three examples of the cup game to demonstrate effective and ineffective teaching methods
3. Include interactive activities plus infographics I’ve created

And there you have it.  Go get your sweet spot with the trifecta of your beloved subject matter expertise, using that expertise as the basis to design a kick-butt workshop and then go on to deliver that workshop.

Now go on and learn, laugh and lead.

Learn

• Download my Learning and Development infographic and use it to brainstorm each of your own circles.

Laugh

• Teaching can and does happen in all sorts of wonderful ways.  Take this little brother and his even younger sis.

Lead

• Join me for my Workshops that Work online course; 4 steps to taking that beloved subject matter expertise of yours and starting to teach it to others.