IF’s 10 rules for workshop design & facilitation

We are ramping up for a busy few months of workshops at Intelligent Futures. The projects are varied, but there are some general rules that we follow consistently at Intelligent Futures to help design and deliver experiences that benefit the participants and give the project team the information they need. With that in mind, here are the 10 Intelligent Futures Rules for Workshop Design & Facilitation:

1. Always focus on the value of getting people together in the room (it’s not to sit and watch a PowerPoint presentation together).
2. Design activities for smaller groups to work together. It decentralizes the conversation, gets more people talking and builds better relationships. It also allows for self-regulation of behaviour.
3. Trust that people are smart, can behave like adults and are there to contribute.
4. Allow time and space for people to get to know one another and learn from one another.
5. Minimize the time of the Talking Head at the front of the room.
6. Don’t be afraid of conflict, anxiety and disagreement. That’s why we’re in the room — to discover things together. If people are unhappy about things, suppressing that will only make them more unhappy, and we don’t find out what the underlying issues are.
7. Listen for common themes and threads of connection. It’s your job to bring ideas together.
8. Plan, plan, plan…then be totally flexible once the session starts. It’s about getting what is needed for the project in a way that works for the people in the room and that dynamic, not about sticking to your predetermined timeline.
9. You are the host. Treat people well and make them comfortable.
10. Above all, be curious — about the people, about their community, about their organization and about their ideas. Your job is to find out as much as possible about where folks are coming from and what they’re thinking.