6 Simple, Helpful Tips to Make Your Next Workshop Stellar! | by Jenn Danielson

As coaches, we have the skills and tools to work with others individually, and to work with others in a group. Group workshops can be a great way to introduce people to important coaching concepts and create the space to initiate growth and further personal development.

Not only that, but for many, a workshop can be a safer, easier, and more cost effective way to check out coaching and to check out you, the coach!

So what will make your workshop out of this world? What will help you connect with the right people?

Here are 6 Tips to Make Your Workshop Stellar & Help You Prepare For Your Next Group Event:

1. Define your audience

Yes, your ideas and processes might really be helpful to everyone in some way, but this is a workshop and you need to run it in one way to make the most impact to one group of people.

Determine who you will work with for this workshop and what connects them: women, men, 20-somethings, retirees, business owners, or healthy living? Once you determine who that group is, you can tailor your tone, your exercises, and even your choice of snacks. And, yes, you can tailor your marketing far better too.

Bonus Tip: Once you've created your workshop for a specific audience, you can easily recreate it for a different group at another time.

2. Engage

We know it's important to engage your workshop participants. It's even more important to engage them at the right time, in the right way.

Keep individual work time short, and break groups into no more than 6 participants. If you have a group of quiet, introspective folks, you may not want to ask them all to perform extreme, extroverted tasks, unless that's what they explicitly signed up to do. Be clear in your marketing about your planned workshop activities, and prepare to be a little flexible if your audience is only lukewarm to an idea.

Bonus Tip: Just like coaching, it's good to ask your participants: what would make this even better? Let them help create!

3. Size matters

A lot of things will determine the size of your workshop: venue, budget, activities and your capacity. There are limits in each of those areas and it's imperative that you know what they are.

Assessing your budget for one or more items such as venue, materials, food, and insurance in conjunction with the workshop ticket price and the minimum number of attendees is a critical step. It's equally as important to know how many people you want to support in this workshop, and whether the tone and material is best suited to the intimacy of a smaller group or the collective energy of a larger one.

4. Show the love

Take care of your attendees. Small, thoughtful gestures go a long way and don't have to have a huge impact on your budget. The right food, beverages, break times and appropriate materials like extra pens and paper take away extra stresses from your participants.

Bonus Tip: Be clear if you require attendees to bring anything with them, and have a few back up items just in case.

5. Stick to the schedule

Everyone set aside time and paid, in some fashion, to attend your workshop. Respect their time, expectations and goals. By all means, be flexible in your activities and honour each of your attendees where they are. And if the discussion strays, bring it back to focus or get everyone agreement to shift and acknowledge what might be lost. Start on time and close on time.

6. Be your best you

You pulled it all together: the content, the marketing, the location and the materials. All the right people registered. So show up at your best for them, whether that means well-rested, after your all important first cup of coffee, or a meditative walk. Make the time to be your best you, so that you can create the best experience for your workshop participants.

Wrap-up

You may have noticed something among these tips. They each impact the other: engagement depends on your audience; the schedule will vary with the size; the swag shifts with the activities and engagement. And the one piece that is critical and connects through all of it is you. You are hosting, presenting, facilitating and created this workshop.

In any and all of these areas, let you shine through. There are other coaches, and other workshops - but only one you!

Now you can host a great workshop that helps others connect with what you bring to their personal development and coaching needs.

If you liked this article on creating awesome workshops, you may also like:

• My Favourite Workshop Icebreaker!
• Cake, Coffee - and Clients! By Sue Leslie
• How an Easy Monthly Coaching Program Helps Clients & Could Get You More Business! by Lisa Honold

Contributing Author:

Jenn Danielson brings science and spreadsheets together with incense and energy to help people create balanced growth. With a background in science, standards and project management along with solution-focused coaching, Reiki and mindful practices, she supports people creating their next best steps, through anxious moments and conversations, and within the bigger picture of their lives. Connect the dots and walk the balance of career, health, self, family & transition. Visit Jenn's website to learn more and connect on social media. 

Learn more about Jenn & see all their articles here >>