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   Part D. Developing a Strategic Plan, Organizational Struc... >
      Chapter 12. Providing Training and Technical Assistance >
         Section 4. Conducting a Workshop >
             Tools & Checklists - A checklist that summarizes the major points contained in the section. >

Conducting a Workshop

  

Tools & Checklists

 Contributed by Phil Rabinowitz Edited by Bill Berkowitz & Tim Brownlee

Tools

Tool #1: A Sample Evaluation Form
Tool #2: Introductions
Tool #3: Troubleshooting: What to do when things don't go as planned

Checklist

Tools

 


Tool #1: A Sample Evaluation Form

Name (optional)__________________________________________________________

Name of Workshop________________________________________________________

Presenter________________________________________________________________

Please circle one for each question below.

1=Strongly Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neutral or Don't Know, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly Agree

1. The presenter knew the material well.    1    2    3    4    5

2. The presentation was clear and well-organized.     1    2     3    4    5

3. Materials were appropriate and helpful.    1     2    3    4    5

4. Questions were welcomed and addressed.    1     2     3    4    5

5. Activities were relevant and useful.     1    2    3    4    5

6. The quality of this workshop was high.     1    2    3     4     5

Comments:_____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

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Tool #2: Introductions

Here are some activities that could be used for introductions:


1. Simply go around and ask people to introduce themselves by name and where they're from or what they do, or some other basic fact. In a parenting workshop, they might use the ages and genders of their kids, for instance.

2. Ask people to pair up with the person next to them, talk for a couple of minutes about themselves, and then introduce each other to the group.

3. Ask people to introduce themselves by name, with an adjective that describes them, an animal they'd like to be, a time other than the present they'd like to live in, an ideal alternative career, etc.

4. In a large group (25 or more), where introductions might take too much time, you might ask some general questions so people can see other participants' backgrounds: "How many of you are teachers? How many are administrators? How many are here to improve their job performance?" Etc.

5. Particularly if participants are likely to be doing some fairly serious soul-baring, or sharing information about themselves, you might try a game that will help people feel that they know one another a bit. Some possibilities are:

  • Pretzel: Everyone stands in a circle and raises his right arm. Each person grabs the right hand of someone else in the circle, but not the person next to him. Repeat with the left arm, but grab a different person's left hand. Thus, everyone is now holding hands with two different people, neither of whom is standing next to him, and the arms of all those in the circle are intertwined. The point of the game is to untangle, without anyone letting go of either of the hands he's holding. This generally entails cooperation, group problem solving, and a lot of laughter.
  • The Name Game: Have people stand in a circle, each say her name, and then, after everyone has spoken, each person tries to go around the circle and repeat each person 's name. You can either continue until everyone has learned everyone else's name, or do a specified number of rounds. (The maximum size group for this activity is about 15, and that's a lot for most people.)
  • Animals: Everyone is given the name of a different animal, and, by each making the sound his animal makes, the members of the group attempt to line up by animal size, or alphabetically by animal.

[Find reference for New Games book]

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Tool #3: Troubleshooting: What to do when things don't go as planned

1. Logistics. What happens when the equipment you've asked for and checked on isn't there, or doesn't work? Or when, instead of the bright, airy room you were promised, you're assigned a closet for your presentation? Or when you've planned a workshop for 12 people and 50 show up?

Flexibility and anticipation are the keys in any of these situations. Remember that we said that if anything can go wrong it will, and you'll probably have to fix it. That means thinking ahead about what might go wrong, and hedging against it.

Equipment failure.

  • Bring your own equipment, or think about how to make sure there's a backup available.
  • Don't put all your eggs in one basket. If possible, don't base your whole workshop on a video or overheads. Provide alternate means of presenting your material (handouts on paper, still pictures you can show or pass around, etc.) This is a good idea in any case, because it gives participants more connection to the material.

Group size

Do contingency planning. Make alternate plans for large and small groups, for instance. This isn't as much work as it may seem. Rather, it simply involves thinking about alternatives as you plan. If you're planning to split people up into small groups of three or four, for instance, will that work if you have 40 participants? If not, how can you get the same result? You might use larger groups, work with the whole group, put people in different rooms if possible, or even plan an alternative activity in case the group is very large.

Space problems

The best remedy here is to try to deal with it beforehand. If you need a certain kind or amount of space, make sure to be clear about that with whoever is arranging the workshop. Emphasize that you can't do your best job unless the space fits your requirements.

If you still end up in space that's wrong for your workshop, you have a number of options:

  • If the workshop is long enough to justify the time it will take, you can try to get the space changed.
  • Ask participants to help you figure out how to adjust space and activities so they can get the most out of the workshop.
  • Adapt activities to fit the space available: if the space is small, for instance, cut down on activities that involve a lot of movement.
  • Use the hallway, the next room, or any other space available.
  • Where appropriate, incorporate the problem into the workshop itself. How would participants use the technique being taught in a limited space? How would they adapt to logistical problems in their work settings? Etc.

Problems with the group. Every workshop presenter has horror stories about groups that were "dead," that never said a word or got into any activity. In some (very few) cases, there's nothing you can do about that; that's the nature of the group, and you just have to get through it. In most instances, however, there are things you can do to get groups involved.

Silent groups. You've planned a workshop centered on discussion, but no one will talk. The longest answer you can get from anyone on any topic is "yes" or "no." What do you do? It always makes sense to have alternative activities available if discussion doesn't work.

  • Try something physically active and/or interactive: a game, acting out a scenario -- movement that's somehow connected to the topic. That may loosen people up, or it may simply provide a means of expression for a group that isn't verbal.
  • Ask the group why they're not responding. Sometimes the resulting conversation can be more valuable than what you've planned. It may lead to a workshop that's more helpful and relevant to participants than what was originally intended.
  • Use humor. Ask people to discuss something silly and non-threatening, or ask everyone to tell the best joke they know.
  • Split people up into small groups and give each group an assignment. You may have planned this anyway, but in a silent group, it may be the best way to run the whole workshop. They may not be willing to discuss in a large group what they will discuss in a smaller one, or in one without you.

Individuals who distract groups from their purpose. Sooner or later, you're bound to run into a group that contains an individual with an axe to grind, a gripe that has to be heard, or just a need to talk constantly. His outbursts may or may not be related to the topic, but you'll have to deal with them anyway. This takes tact, occasional firmness, and, often, great patience. It's important to remember that the rest of the group is hoping you'll do something, and may, in fact, help you.

Unfortunately, there's no one technique that works in all of these situations. One possibility is saying something like "That's a really interesting situation, but it's not directly relevant to what we're doing here. Perhaps we could discuss it after the workshop is over." By saying this, you're being clear about what's appropriate in the workshop, and at the same time acknowledging the person's depth of feeling and the importance of his issue, and offering a chance for him to air it later, which you'll have to make good on. If you're not willing to, then it's better to leave off the part about discussing it.

You may have to intervene several times in the course of the workshop to keep the individual from derailing what's going on. It's important to try to recognize when such a person is merely a distraction, and when he's distracting or obnoxious though he actually has something legitimate and relevant to say.

Resistant groups. A group sometimes has its own agenda which has nothing to do with you. Participants may have been forced to attend this workshop when they would rather have been doing something else. They may have strong prejudices against a technique or idea you're introducing. Or there may be tensions or splits within the group that you're unaware of. In any case, trying to present a workshop to a group that isn't cooperating or doesn't seem interested can be a difficult or even a depressing experience.

There are times when there's nothing you can do, and you just have to survive the experience. But often, you can change the situation by addressing it head-on. Ask the group what the issue is, or why they're there. The workshop may not end up being the one you planned to present, but it may be helpful to the participants. It's one way to try to get out of an awkward situation.

If the issue is that the participants disagree profoundly with what you're presenting, one possibility is to emphasize that you're simply putting forth information. Be willing to hear and accept their criticisms (they may be at least partially right, after all), and to allow for a real discussion of their side of the argument. They may not walk out convinced, but the chances are that they won't leave thinking you're evil, either.

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Checklist

Here, you'll find a checklist summarizing the major points contained in the text.

A workshop should be:

___participatory

___informal

___time limited

___self-contained


Planning Considerations

___consider your topic

___consider your audience

___consider the size of the workshop

___consider the time

___consider the purpose

___consider a presentation


Helpful preparation

___find out about usable space to conduct the workshop

___don't assume: bring anything that you think that you'll need

___make any materials attractive

___be prepared

___make an evaluation form for workshop members to fill out

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