Next Gen Workshops: How to Foster True Collaboration with In-Person and Virtual Attendees
Hybrid workshops – workshops with a mix of in-person and virtual attendees – used to be a worst-case scenario. Now that more companies are transitioning to full and partial-remote workforces post COVID, they’re fast becoming the norm instead of the exception.
We always work hard to respond to our clients’ needs no matter the circumstances, so when meeting in-person became a reality again, our Momentum strategists quickly adapted the Hypothesis workshop framework for this new normal. We tested new platforms and collaboration tools that could transcend the barriers of distance and screens, fostering the same “in the room” magic for all participants, online or off.
Tapping into all of our workshop experience (IRL, virtual, and hybrid), we developed a list of best practices for modern workshops that encourage valuable growth, action, and change. And because we’re anti-gatekeeping and pro empowering people, we thought we’d share some of our best workshop tips to help others navigate the weird new world of in person and virtual collaboration.
PREP FOR SUCCESS (BOTH ONLINE AND OFF)
Keep the attendee list under 25 people.
It’s tempting to welcome everyone into your workshop, but inviting too many voices into the room can lead to important perspectives getting lost in the shuffle. Limit workshops to 25 attendees for higher engagement, participation, and productive outcomes.
Design agendas to be under two and a half hours.
Hours of nonstop activities can exhaust creativity and muddle the point. We’ve found that 2.5 hours (plus extra time for transitions, snacks, and meal breaks) is the sweet spot. Planning to tackle a lot? Consider hosting your workshop over two consecutive days to allow critical information to sink in.
Articulate the “why.”
Workshop attendees should go into your session with a shared understanding of what everyone is working together to achieve. Write out and reiterate concrete objectives to prevent tangents and keep the group focused on the bigger picture. Take activity descriptions on your workshop agenda one step further by articulating the purpose and outcome of each exercise:
What are the goals for each activity?
What inputs, materials, and visuals will you use to get ideas flowing?
What is the group ultimately trying to get out of the exercise?
Confirm smaller “breakout” groups in advance.
Smaller group discussions and activities can be crucial for identifying the best ideas and approaches for a given goal. Do a little matchmaking before your workshop to ensure breakout groups have an equal number of in-person and virtual attendees, a representative mix of colleagues across departments, and diverse perspectives present at all tables.
Build digital tools into your sessions.
There’s nothing worse than sitting silently on a conference call while all the real action is happening in the room. Design activities using digital tools like Miro and Mural to get virtual and in-person attendees collaborating on a level playing field. We promise you’ll get better ideas, and more of them. While still burgeoning, some companies are even using VR headsets and meeting in the metaverse to truly bring everyone into the same environment.
Name your digital co-pilot.
Leading a workshop while trying to change slides and switch activities at the same time is a recipe for disaster. Stay present by assigning tech and digital notetaking duties to a virtual co-lead. This person should be responsible for taking notes, answering questions that come through digitally, sharing and managing any activities with a digital component, and keeping time to ensure everyone stays on schedule.
Get ahead of tech fails.
Nothing can throw an agenda into chaos like a mid-session tech issue. Plan time to run through all technical needs for the workshop in advance of the day alongside a colleague who is virtual. Be sure to test video conference links and wifi connection in all rooms you plan to use on the day of the workshop, and check sound quality around each room to make sure the acoustics will work for those online. If you’re expecting a larger group and the room is not outfitted with microphones, consider sourcing a wireless mic to ensure decent audio quality for virtual attendees.
Feed the people, virtually.
A catered lunch can be one of the best rewards after a long workshop requiring lots of engagement and brainpower. Provide your virtual participants with this typically in-office perk by sending out meal delivery gift cards in advance of the day, so they can enjoy a catered break from their home or office. After all, engaging on camera for multiple hours requires a lot of energy!
SEIZE THE DAY (workshop day, that is.)
Vanquish pre-workshop freakout.
Print (and/or send out) all workshop materials in advance of the day.
Arrive 30-45 minutes before attendees, and log on at least 15-20 min before you are set to start.
Work with your co-lead to double check audio and video quality is good to go.
Set up an internal text or Slack channel for everyone helping to run the workshop. Use it to share timing reminders, sound issues, and other important notes that come up mid-workshop.
Remind your digital co-lead to record the meeting.
Play upbeat music to set the tone while waiting for the meeting to get started.
Establish the ground rules.
Before diving in, get ahead of tangents (and that notoriously longwinded guy from Marketing) by laying out what’s cool vs. what will get called out. Establish rules that encourage ideas, reinforce a spirit of collaboration, and keep everyone focused on tangible outcomes.
Keep everyone engaged in the conversation – in the room and virtually.
It’s easy to feel left out when you’re in a large virtual meeting. Use the tips below to make sure virtual participants feel included and ensure all voices are heard throughout the day:
Have all attendees log onto their cameras – even if they’re present in the room.
Remind in-person attendees to look into their cameras when addressing the group.
Ask attendees to keep cameras on throughout the session.
Pay attention to which attendees haven’t been heard, and actively call on virtual attendees for their participation (it’s harder to interject when you can’t read social cues in the room).
TURN IDEAS INTO ACTION
Send a comprehensive recap.
Once you’ve had a chance to toast to your success, get to work on a workshop summary that outlines the most important takeaways, any outputs that resulted from the session, and next steps for individuals and teams. Screen shot or summarize any digital activities and include these with your notes so attendees can revisit the work that was produced. Lastly, be sure to include a link to the workshop recording in case attendees need to replay certain discussions, or share with others.
Solicit and collect attendee feedback.
Every organization is a little different. While the above approaches have been thoroughly tested across categories and brands, it’s crucial to identify what works for your team, department, and company. Reach out to attendees with a quick anonymous survey so you can better understand what worked well, and where improvements might be made for next time. Attendees will feel heard, and you’ll receive candid input to deliver even better results in the future.
Hold a post-session debrief.
Gather your team for a quick roundtable discussion about the day. Share what you’ve learned so far and ask questions like:
What went well?
Did we achieve our main objectives?
Were there any tech issues and if so, how can we eliminate them next time?
How did we do on timing? Were we realistic?
What activities worked well? Which activities didn’t deliver the results we were hoping for?
Did we lose participation from in person or virtual attendees at any point? What might we do in the future to prevent this?
What follow ups are important to furthering objectives post-workshop?
THE SILVER LINING
It might take more effort and forethought to lead a productive workshop in 2022, but it isn’t all bad. That elusive CIO who can almost never travel to your satellite office? She very well might be able to make it if she’s able to join virtually. Hybrid workshops are an opportunity to gather previously impossible-to-assemble groups of people across teams together to share ideas, which can be world changing (so long as you get your soundcheck right)!