00000 Anything 2 organize with Example check list
Conducting a Workshop
https://ctb.ku.edu/en/who-we-are
.
Related resources:
Planning for the Institutionalization of an Initiative
Strategies for Sustaining the Initiative
Building and Sustaining Commitment
Developing a Plan for Involving Volunteers
Providing Incentives for Staff and Volunteers
Marketing the Initiative to Secure Financial Support
Working with the Media
Making Friends with the Media
Changing the Media's Perspective on Community Issues
Preparing Press Releases
Arranging a Press Conference
Promoting Adoption of the Initiative's Mission and Objectives
Attracting Support for Specific Programs
https://ctb.ku.edu/en/implement-social-marketing-effort
Section 1. Developing a Plan for Communication
CHAPTER 6 SECTIONS

Section 1. Developing a Plan for Communication
















Section 2. Using Principles of Persuasion
Section 3. Preparing Press Releases
Section 4. Arranging News and Feature Stories
Section 6. Preparing Guest Columns and Editorials
Section 7. Preparing Public Service Announcements
Section 8. Arranging a Press Conference
Section 9. Using Paid Advertising
Section 10. Creating Newsletters
Section 11. Creating Posters and Flyers
Section 12. Developing Creative Promotions
Section 13. Creating Brochures
Section 15. Creating Fact Sheets on Local Issues
Section 16. Creating a Website
Section 17. Using Email Lists
Section 18. Using Direct Mail
Section 19. Handling Crises in Communication

Main Section

Checklist

Tools

Examples

PowerPoint
Learn how to develop a plan for communication to raise awareness about community issues and
your organization's accomplishments.

W H A T D O W E M E A N B Y C O M M U N I C A T IO N ?

W H Y D O W E N E E D B E T T E R C O M M U N IC A T IO N ?

W H A T IS A P LA N F O R C O M M U N IC A T IO N ?

W H Y S H O U LD Y O U D E V E LO P A P L A N F O R C O M M U N IC A T IO N ?

W H E N S H O U LD Y O U D E V E LO P A P LA N F O R C O M M U N IC A T IO N ?

H O W D O Y O U D E V E LO P A P LA N F O R C O M M U N IC A T I O N ?
https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/promoting-interest/communication-plan/main
Table of Contents
This page lists 46 Chapters through which you can obtain practical, step-by-step guidance in communitybuilding skills. See also our related Toolkits, which offer short outlines for key tasks.
OVERVIEW
An overview of the Community Tool Box and frameworks for guiding, supporting and evaluating the
work of community and system change.
CHAPTERS


Chapter 1. Our Model for Community Change and Improvement
Chapter 2. Other Models for Promoting Community Health and Development
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S

1. Creating and Maintaining Partnerships
COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT
Information about how to assess community needs and resources, get issues on the public agenda, and
choose relevant strategies.
CHAPTERS



Chapter 3. Assessing Community Needs and Resources
Chapter 4. Getting Issues on the Public Agenda
Chapter 5. Choosing Strategies to Promote Community Health and Development
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S

2. Assessing Community Needs and Resources
COMMUNICATIONS TO PROMOTE INTEREST AND P ARTICIPATION
Communications that promote interest and encourage involvement.
CHAPTERS


Chapter 6. Communications to Promote Interest
Chapter 7. Encouraging Involvement in Community Work
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S


1. Creating and Maintaining Partnerships
8. Increasing Participation and Membership
DEVELOPING A STRATEG IC PLAN AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Information about developing a strategic plan and organizational structure, recruiting and training staff
and volunteers, and providing technical assistance.
CHAPTERS





Chapter 8. Developing a Strategic Plan
Chapter 9. Developing an Organizational Structure for the Initiative
Chapter 10. Hiring and Training Key Staff of Community Organizations
Chapter 11. Recruiting and Training Volunteers
Chapter 12. Providing Training and Technical Assistance
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S


5. Developing Strategic and Action Plans
15. Improving Organizational Management and Development
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Information about the core functions of leadership, management, and group facilitation.
CHAPTERS




Chapter 13. Orienting Ideas in Leadership
Chapter 14. Core Functions in Leadership
Chapter 15. Becoming an Effective Manager
Chapter 16. Group Facilitation and Problem-Solving
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S

6. Building Leadership
ANALYZING COMMUNITY PROBLEMS AND DESIGNI NG AND ADAPTING
COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS
Information about analyzing community problems to design, choose, and adapt interventions for different
cultures and communities.
CHAPTERS



Chapter 17. Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions
Chapter 18. Deciding Where to Start
Chapter 19. Choosing and Adapting Community Interventions
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S


3. Analyzing Problems and Goals
7. Developing an Intervention
IMPLEMENTING PROMISING COMMUNITY INTERVE NTIONS
Information on illustrative interventions using various strategies for change.
CHAPTERS







Chapter 20. Providing Information and Enhancing Skills
Chapter 21. Enhancing Support, Incentives, and Resources
Chapter 22. Youth Mentoring Programs
Chapter 23. Modifying Access, Barriers, and Opportunities
Chapter 24. Improving Services
Chapter 25. Changing Policies
Chapter 26. Changing the Physical and Social Environment
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S


7. Developing an Intervention
11. Influencing Policy Development
C U LT U R A L C O M P E T E N C E A N D S P I R I T U A L I T Y I N C O M M U N I T Y
BUILDING
Information on understanding culture and diversity, how to strengthen multicultural collaboration, and
spirituality and community building
CHAPTERS



Chapter 27. Cultural Competence in a Multicultural World
Chapter 28. Spirituality and Community Building
Chapter 29. The Arts and Community Building
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S

9. Enhancing Cultural Competence
ORGANIZING FOR EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY
Information on advocacy principles, advocacy research, providing education, direct action campaigns,
media advocacy, and responding to opposition.
CHAPTERS






Chapter 30. Principles of Advocacy
Chapter 31. Conducting Advocacy Research
Chapter 32. Providing Encouragement and Education
Chapter 33. Conducting a Direct Action Campaign
Chapter 34. Media Advocacy
Chapter 35. Responding to Counterattacks
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S

10. Advocating for Change
EVALUATING COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND INITIAT IVES
Information on developing a plan for evaluation, evaluation methods, and using evaluation to understand
and improve the initiative.
CHAPTERS




Chapter 36. Introduction to Evaluation
Chapter 37. Operations in Evaluating Community Interventions
Chapter 38. Some Methods for Evaluating Comprehensive Community Initiatives
Chapter 39. Using Evaluation to Understand and Improve the Initiative
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S

12. Evaluating the Initiative
MAINTAINING QUALITY AND REWARDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Information on achieving and maintaining quality performance, public reporting, providing incentives,
and honoring colleagues and community champions.
CHAPTERS


Chapter 40. Maintaining Quality Performance
Chapter 41. Rewarding Accomplishments
GENERATING, MANAGING , AND SUSTAINING FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Information on writing grants, preparing an annual budget, and planning for financial sustainability.
CHAPTERS



Chapter 42. Getting Grants and Financial Resources
Chapter 43. Managing Finances
Chapter 44. Investing in Community Resources
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S

14. Applying for Grants
SOCIAL MARKETING AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE INITIATIVE
Information on conducting a social marketing effort (promoting awareness, interest, and behavior
change), and planning for long-term sustainability.
CHAPTERS


Chapter 45. Social Marketing of Successful Components of the Initiative
Chapter 46. Planning for Sustainability
R E LA T E D T O O LK I T S


13. Implementing Social Marketing
16. Sustaining the Work or Initiative
https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents
13. Implementing Social Marketing
This toolkit assists in developing a social marketing effort to promote adoption and use of innovations.

Outline

Examples
1.
Decide whether to conduct a social marketing campaign.
a.
b.
The aim is to reach large numbers of people (e.g., all adults and youth in the community)
You hope to change behavior and outcomes significantly and/or over a long period of
time
c.
There are sufficient resources for the campaign including time, personnel, and financial
resources
Related resources:
Understanding Social Marketing: Encouraging Adoption and Use of Valued Products and
Practices
Conducting a Social Marketing Campaign
Collecting Information About the Problem
2.
Collect information from those who would benefit from and contribute to the social
marketing campaign:
a.
Indicate how you will gather information, including:
i.
ii.
b.
Listening sessions and public forums
Interviews with members of prioritized groups (e.g., asking youth why they
smoke)
iii.
Focus groups, interviews, and/or surveys with prioritized groups and their
subgroups
Indicate what you will ask about (listen for), including:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Knowledge of the issue including how often the problem (or desired) behavior
occurs
Importance of the goal/desired behavior for the audience (e.g., Why is that
important?)
Expected benefits of adopting the changed behavior
Expected benefits and costs of adopting or continuing the behavior
Related resources:
Analyzing Community Problems
Understanding the Issue
Developing Facilitation Skills
Conducting Public Forums and Listening Sessions
Conducting Interviews
Conducting Focus Groups
Rating Community Goals
3.
State the goals and behavioral objectives of the campaign.
.
State the issue or broad goal the campaign is trying to address (e.g., reduce violence;
promote physical activity).
a.
Outline the basic principles of the social marketing campaign including:
i.
Product: What are the behaviors/outcomes (e.g., poor eating/obesity) that you are
trying to change in and among whom
ii.
Price: How much time, effort, and other consequences (e.g., money, social
approval, lost opportunities) will it cost a person to change their behavior/outcome?
iii.
Place: Where should the behaviors occur (not occur)? What are the barriers
(opportunities) for the behavior to occur?
iv.
Promotion: What communications will occur, from what sources to whom, and
through what channels of influence?
b.
Indicate what behaviors of whom, if changed, would make the most difference with the
issue or goal.
i.
ii.
State the desired attributes and expected benefits of each target behavior. [e.g.,
For physical activity, desired attributes (and anticipated benefits) include: burn fat
(lose weight, look better, be healthier), produce endorphins (reduce stress, feel
more energy), and build muscle strength (become stronger, be more independent in
daily activities).]
Describe the specific behavioral objectives the campaign will seek how much
change in what behaviors of whom by when (e.g., By July 2020, the percentage of
adults who engage in regular physical activity will increase by 30%).
Related resources:
Developing a Plan for Communication
Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements
Understanding Social Marketing: Encouraging Adoption and Use of Valued
Products and Practices
Defining and Analyzing the Problem
Identifying Targets and Agents of Change: Who Can Benefit and Who Can Help?
Generating and Choosing Solutions
Creating Objectives
4.
Define the audience or specific prioritized groups to be reached.
.
Identify the specific prioritized groups whose behavior matters if the issue or goal is to be
addressed (e.g., youth, parents/guardians, elected officials).
a.
Indicate subgroups that may have a higher risk for experiencing the problem. Consider
those at particular risk associated with:
i.
ii.
iii.
Past or current behaviors (e.g., history of tobacco use)
Personal factors (e.g., age, gender, race or ethnicity, family history, income)
Environmental factors (e.g., stress, social support, access and barriers, and
exposure to harmful agents)
iv.
Geographic area (i.e., where people live)
b.
Indicate the environments, situations, or settings in which the targeted behavior occurs
(or should occur) (e.g., schools, homes, parks or other public places)
c.
For each prioritized group and subgroup, indicate their readiness for change including:
i.
Knowledge of the problem or goal
ii.
Belief in the importance of the goal
iii.
Desire for change
iv.
Belief in ability to change
v.
Action
vi.
Ability to maintain change
d.
Describe how you will learn more about the prioritized groups' current behavior, the
situations in which it occurs, and readiness to change including by:
i.
Direct observation of behaviors of interest (e.g., for the goal of reducing teen
smoking, count percentage of teens smoking cigarettes as they leave schools)
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Participant observation in the environments in which the targeted behavior occurs
(or should occur) (e.g., hanging out and observing in parks and recreation centers
where teens spend time after school)
Behavioral surveys (e.g., use school surveys to ask youth to report how often
they smoke)
Listening sessions and public forums (e.g., among those living in particular
neighborhoods)
Informal interviews with members of prioritized groups (e.g., asking children
what they most appreciate about those who care for them)
Focus groups of members of subgroups (e.g., asking working adults what it
would take for them to get more physical activity)
Related resources:
Identifying Targets and Agents of Change: Who Can Benefit and Who Can Help?
Collecting Information About the Problem
Developing Baseline Measures of Behavior
Conducting Public Forums and Listening Sessions
Conducting Interviews
Conducting Focus Groups
5.
Engage potential partners and change agents in the campaign.
.
Identify those agents of change who may be particularly helpful in reaching different
prioritized groups (and indicate how they will be engaged) including:
i.
Connectors: How will the group identify and involve those who can spread the
message of the campaign through their networks?
ii.
Teachers: How will the group identify and involve those who can and will
provide needed knowledge to those implementing the campaign’s components?
iii.
Persuaders: How will the group identify and involve those who can motivate
others to adopt the behaviors sought by the campaign
a.
Identify those in a position to change conditions under which the targeted behaviors
occur, and indicate how they will be engaged in the campaign (e.g., Who can help modify
access, barriers, and opportunities?).
Related resources:
Building and Sustaining Relationships
Writing Letters to Potential Participants
Making Personal Contact with Potential Participants
Identifying Potential Throughout the Community
Creating and Gathering a Group to Guide Your Initiative
Involving Key Influentials in the Initiative
Identifying Targets and Agents of Change: Who Can Benefit and Who Can Help
Recognizing Allies
Lobbying Decisionmakers
6.
Analyze the key behaviors and environments related to the problem or goal.
.
State the target behavior(s) the campaign will address:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
State the likely consequences of the desired behavior for individuals, and for the
community:
Indicate the personal factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of behaviors and
outcomes of interest:
Indicate the environmental factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of behaviors
and outcomes of interest:
Indicate what aspects of broader conditions and systems affect the behaviors and
outcomes:
Indicate best practices for addressing the issue/goal and changing the desired behavior
and what made them work:
Related resources:
Defining and Analyzing the Problem
Identifying Strategies and Tactics for Reducing Risks
7.
Identify core components or strategies of the campaign. Indicate how the campaign will:
.
Communicate memorable messages about the desired behavior including:
i.
a.
Credible content and source (e.g., testimonial by someone like me, celebrity, or
person in authority)
ii.
Images that convey the appropriate tone (e.g., serious, humorous, friendly,
frightening)
iii.
Memorable sayings (e.g., “just do it”; “make kids count”) and narrative stories
(e.g., about why this was important to particular people and communities)
iv.
Specific prompts about the behaviors to be changed (i.e., be clear about what
people should do and when)
v.
How this fits with the circumstances of people’s lives (i.e., how it is compatible
with people’s available time, the places where they live and work, and the
situations they experience)
vi.
How this minimizes time and effort (i.e., how the time and cost is acceptable)
vii.
How doing it results in positive consequences (e.g., increased social approval
from peers)
Make the desired behaviors more rewarding or attractive by:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Increasing available positive reinforcement for the desired behavior (e.g., social
approval from friends and family)
Decreasing the prevailing punishment (e.g., media campaign to suggest it is
“cool” or socially acceptable to do well in school)
Make the desired behaviors easier or of lower cost in time, effort, and money
(i.e., modifying access, removing barriers, and increasing opportunities for the
behavior)
Improve people’s abilities to adopt the behavior change (e.g. provide more and
better services and support)
Decrease the attractiveness of competing behaviors (e.g., reducing available
rewards for undesirable behaviors)
Related resources:
Influencing People
Designing Community Interventions
Communications to Promote Interest
Understanding Social Marketing: Encouraging Adoption and Use of Valued
Products and Practices
8.
Select and tailor campaign components based on their importance, feasibility, and fit with
different prioritized groups/subgroups.
.
Identify the particular sources of information that may be most influential with distinct
prioritized groups and subgroups (i.e., people trust messages that come from others who are
similar in age, ethnicity, etc.).
a.
Identify the particular channels of influence to be used to reach distinct prioritized groups
and subgroups (e.g., African Americans and Hispanics might be reached through church
bulletins in faith communities). Indicate all the channels that might apply for person-toperson, small group, or media communications, including:
i.
Informal networks and naturally occurring groups (e.g., those in faith
communities, support groups,neighborhoods)
ii.
Public and nonprofit organizations (e.g., health and human service agencies,
libraries)
iii.
Professional associations and groups (e.g., teachers' associations, labor unions)
iv.
Businesses (e.g., theaters, convenience stores, beauty salons, bars)
v.
Point-of-purchase/activity materials (e.g., signs, displays, "take one" handouts)
vi.
Community events (e.g., soccer games, arts festivals)
vii.
Social media (e.g., facebook, twitter, instagram)
viii.
Direct and electronic mail (e.g., bill stuffers, email)
ix.
Print materials (e.g., brochures, fact sheets, newsletters, posters, flyers)
x.
Print media (e.g., newspapers, daily and weekly)
xi.
Outdoor media (e.g., billboards, transit ads)
xii.
Broadcast media (e.g., television, radio)
xiii.
Telephone directories (e.g., yellow pages)
xiv.
Other (be specific)
b.
Identify how other selected strategies/components of a social marketing campaign will be
tailored for use with different prioritized groups/subgroups (e.g., To increase adult
engagement in caring relationships with children, the group might use radio and television
ads, flextime policies in large businesses, and information distributed through church
bulletins, etc.).
Related resources:
Developing a Plan for Communication
Adapting Community Interventions for Different Cultures and Communities
9.
Pretest and revise the campaign components before full implementation.
.
Indicate how you will implement the selected strategies/components with a representative
sample of the targeted groups/subgroups (e.g., use focus groups to test public service
announcements).
a.
Indicate how you will gather information about the benefits and costs of the campaign
components, including:
i.
Clarity of the message
ii.
Effects with target behaviors
iii.
Satisfaction with particular components
iv.
Negative side effects
v.
Costs in time and money
b.
Indicate how you will use the information to modify (and, if necessary, re-test)
components of the campaign
10. Implement the social marketing campaign. For each aspect of the campaign, outline an
action plan:
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
What actions will occur?
Who will carry it out?
When this will occur?
Resources (money and staff) needed/ available?
Communication - Who should know what about this?
Related resources:
Putting Your Solution into Practice
Achieving and Maintaining Quality Performance
11.
Evaluate the effects of the social marketing campaign. Indicate how you will:
.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Track implementation of campaign components and activities
Assess knowledge of (and exposure to) the campaign
Assess ongoing changes in specific behavioral objectives
Assess ongoing changes in specific population-level outcomes
Examine the contribution of campaign components to possible improvements in behavior
and outcomes at the community level
e.
Consider the ethical implications of the campaign
Related resources:
A Framework for Program Evaluation: A Gateway to Tools
Developing an Evaluation Plan
12.
Celebrate successes and make ongoing adjustments (e.g., group celebrations, modify
components).
Related resources:
Arranging Celebrations
Holding Awards Ceremonies
Providing Feedback to Improve the Initiative
Achieving and Maintaining Quality Performance
13.
Sustain the effort long enough to make a difference.
.
Maintain the involvement of core members of the campaign team (e.g., connectors,
persuaders).
a.
Imbed and amplify the message (i.e., make public and visible, durable, deliver in natural
contexts, imbed in small groups).
b.
Use evaluation information to help secure ongoing resources for sustained
implementation (e.g., presentations to grantmakers about benefits).
c.
Secure media coverage of the issue/goal and successful implementation of relevant
components (e.g., hold news conferences and pitch feature stories to promote continued
awareness).
d.
Promote adoption of campaign components that made a difference (e.g., institutionalize
enhanced access to services as part of the line item budget of the health department or other
relevant public agency).
e.
Advocate for new changes that contribute to improvement (e.g., seek policies to change
service hours to make it easier for people to use them).
Related resources:
Planning for the Institutionalization of an Initiative
Strategies for Sustaining the Initiative
Building and Sustaining Commitment
Developing a Plan for Involving Volunteers
Providing Incentives for Staff and Volunteers
Marketing the Initiative to Secure Financial Support
Working with the Media
Making Friends with the Media
Changing the Media's Perspective on Community Issues
Preparing Press Releases
Arranging a Press Conference
Promoting Adoption of the Initiative's Mission and Objectives
Attracting Support for Specific Programs
CHAPTER 12 SECTIONS


Section 2. Designing a Training Session
Section 3. Delivering a Training Session

Section 4. Conducting a Workshop





Section 5. Organizing a Conference
Section 6. Organizing a Teleconference
Section 7. Organizing a Retreat
Section 8. Choosing a Consultant
Section 9. Serving as a Consultant
The Tool Box needs your help
to remain available.
Your contribution can help change lives.
Donate now.
Engage colleagues, share ideas,
and reinvent the way you work.
Learn more.

Main Section

Checklist

PowerPoint
Learn how to conduct a workshop, a short educational program designed to teach or introduce
practical skills, techniques, or ideas.

W H A T IS A W O R K S H O P ?

W H Y W O U LD Y O U G IV E A W O R K S H O P ?

W H E N W O U LD Y O U W A N T T O C O N D U C T A W O R K S H O P ?

HOW DO YOU CONDUCT A WORKSHOP?

F O L LO W - U P
You've probably been a participant in a number of workshops. You may have been at a folk festival
where a famous performer held a guitar workshop and demonstrated some of his techniques. You may
have been at a conference where there were workshops on surfing the internet, or on selling to reluctant
customers. There are workshops on subjects ranging from cake decorating to treating schizophrenia, all of
which are limited in time, meant to teach practical skills or techniques or ideas, and conducted by people
like you.
Now it's your turn to conduct a workshop. You may be training staff or volunteers for a new organization,
presenting at a conference, or trying to show the world this terrific new method your organization has
developed. Whatever the case, you're going to have to entertain, educate, and edify a group of people
you've probably never met before. That may sound frightening, but running a workshop is really very
much like anything else: if you prepare well, stay relaxed, and respect the participants, it'll go fine.
WHAT IS A WORKSHOP?
There are probably as many answers to this question as there are workshops and workshop presenters but,
in general, a workshop is a single, short (although short may mean anything from 45 minutes to two full
days) educational program designed to teach or introduce to participants practical skills, techniques, or
ideas which they can then use in their work or their daily lives. Most workshops have several features in
common:



They're generally small, usually from 6 to 15 participants, allowing everyone some personal
attention and the chance to be heard.
They're often designed for people who are working together, or working in the same field.
They're conducted by people who have real experience in the subject under discussion.
A presentation doesn't have to be limited to one person. Co-leaders or co-facilitators are not only
common, but can greatly expand the possibilities of a given workshop, and can make everyone's job
easier. Each co-leader might be responsible for particular parts of the workshop, or all may work together
throughout, depending upon the structure and purpose. In any case, finding one or more co-leaders or cofacilitators is always an option if you're planning a workshop.




They're often participatory, i.e. participants are active, both in that they influence the direction of
the workshop and also in that they have a chance to practice the techniques, skills, etc. that are
under discussion.
They're informal; there's a good deal of discussion in addition to participation, rather than just a
teacher presenting material to be absorbed by attentive students.
They're time limited, often to a single session, although some may involve multiple sessions over
a period of time (e.g. once a week for four weeks, or two full-day sessions over a weekend).
They're self-contained. Although a workshop may end with handouts and suggestions for further
reading or study for those who are interested, the presentation is generally meant to stand on its
own, unlike a course, which depends on large amounts of reading and other projects (papers,
presentations) in addition to classroom activities.
WHY WOULD YOU GIVE A WORKSHOP?
Why choose a workshop, when you could use some other method like a study circle, a course, on-the-job
training, etc.? Because there are a number of different ways to teach people things, and because people
learn things in different ways, a workshop has some advantages (and some disadvantages, too, most
notably the lack of time it provides) over these other methods that make it a good choice in certain
circumstances.




A workshop provides a way to create an intensive educational experience in a short amount of
time, when the time for a more comprehensive effort may not be available. Participants may be
working, they may be too far apart to gather together regularly, or may simply be unwilling to
commit large amounts of time. A workshop can introduce a new concept, spurring participants to
investigate it further on their own, or can demonstrate and encourage the practice of actual methods.
It's a great way to teach hands-on skills because it offers participants a chance to try out new
methods and fail in a safe situation. Failure is often the best teacher, and failure in this instance
doesn't carry a cost. At the same time, feedback, from both the presenter and peers in the group,
helps a participant understand what she can do to avoid failure in a real situation.
A workshop is a way for someone to pass on to colleagues ideas and methods that he has
developed or finds important. Teaching a graduate course may not be possible, but he may be able
to reach large numbers of people by conducting workshops in various situations.
Especially for people who work together, a workshop can help to create a sense of community or
common purpose among its participants.
WHEN WOULD YOU WANT TO CONDUCT A WORKSHO P?
A workshop, as explained above, is valuable in certain circumstances. When do those circumstances arise,
and when might you choose to conduct a workshop over other methods of education or training? There
are a number of situations in which a workshop would be the best choice:







The beginning of something new. If your organization is adopting a new method, or your
community initiative is taking a new track, there are often new pieces of information or ways of
functioning that people must learn. A workshop, or series of workshops, is a way to introduce these
in a short time and get people ready for the change.
The initial training of staff or volunteers. Workshops are often a good way to train new staff
members or volunteers in the philosophy, methods, and functioning of your organization, or in
techniques they'll need to do their jobs.
The in-service or ongoing training of staff or volunteers. Workshops in different issues,
techniques, etc. are a good way to keep staff and volunteers fresh and thinking about what they're
doing.
Staff development. Workshops are often used as a way of honing professional skills and learning
about new developments in the field.
The demonstration of a new concept. If someone in an organization has been exposed to a
particularly exciting new idea or technique, he may want to conduct a workshop on it for his
colleagues, or the organization may want to bring in someone to do so.
The explanation of something to the public. An organization may conduct a public workshop on
its issue, in order to make sure that people are informed about its cause or about what it is doing. An
adult literacy program may hold a workshop on illiteracy in its local area, for instance, or a shelter
might hold one on the causes and consequences of homelessness.
The availability of a knowledgeable presenter. If you have particular expertise in a subject, you
may be asked to present a workshop to staff or members of another organization, to the public, at a
conference, etc. Well-known people in a given field are often invited (and paid) to travel long
distances to present workshops.
HOW DO YOU CONDUCT A WORKSHOP?
Even if you've never done it before, you can conduct a good workshop by paying attention to all the
phases of the process. There are three phases to conducting a workshop: planning, preparation, and
implementation (actually doing it). In addition, once you're done, it's important to follow up with
participants to get feedback on the workshop, so you can improve it the next time. We'll look at each of
these phases separately.
PLANNING
Once you know what your topic will be, planning a workshop ultimately means figuring out what you
want to do to guide participants through the experience, and what you hope they'll learn from it. In order
to do that, you have to consider a number of factors:
Consider your topic. The first element of planning a workshop is to know what you're talking about. No
matter how interactive and participatory your workshop will be, you still have to have a good command
of what you're presenting. Do your homework, so that you're confident you can deal with most questions
and issues that might come up. That doesn't mean you have to know absolutely everything about the
topic, but that you have to know a reasonable amount about it, and understand it well enough so that you
can help participants fit it into the context of their own jobs and lives.
Consider your audience. Your audience, the people who will actually be part of the workshop, is
probably the most important piece of the puzzle here. Understanding them and their needs will do more
than anything else to help you decide what to do and how to do it.

What do they already know? If you expect most of the participants to be familiar with certain
background material, or to have had certain kinds of experiences, that will greatly affect how and to
what extent you choose to present material.
You can sometimes do some research here. If you're presenting for a particular group or organization, you
may be able to find out either from your contact person or from participants themselves who your
audience will be, where they're starting from, what their experience has been, and what they want from
the workshop. Asking about the audience is part of what a careful presenter is expected to do.
In other circumstances at a large conference, for instance, there may be no way to anticipate how much
knowledge participants have. In this case, it may make sense to prepare a range of materials and activities,
and then begin the workshop by asking people what they know about the topic. By doing that, you can
gear your workshop to most participants' needs, and be sure you're neither going over anyone's head nor
putting anyone to sleep.


Is this material out of their field? Knowing the context of participants ' experience can help you
understand how to present material.
What is their field? People in some fields may be expected to be more verbal or introspective or
outgoing than those in others. You're more likely to find a group of social workers willing to discuss
their emotions than you are a group of construction workers, for instance. It also might take more
creativity to bring the construction workers to an understanding of why this kind of discussion
might be a good idea. It's important to find ways of presenting material that both makes sense to the
participants in this particular workshop, and doesn't pull them too far out of their context.
In reality, any group can either be very quiet or very volatile, extremely apathetic or extremely
responsive, or (most likely) somewhere in between. It depends to a great extent on one or two individuals
who set the tone, whether or not the group is one whose members all know one another. What kind of
group you have has a lot to do with what kind of workshop will be successful. If the group is very quiet,
for instance, discussion may be deadly, but activities based on movement may work well. If the group is
argumentative, you may be able to take advantage of that by splitting people up into small groups and
having them hash out made-up problems on the topic. Understanding that you can't predict will help you
to plan for several different possibilities.


Do they know one another and/or work together? If so, you can perhaps dispense with
introductions (it depends on how well they know one another), and can plan a workshop that speaks
to common concerns.
Will they come in with a particular attitude toward the workshop? They will if you're offering
material that flies in the face of what they think they know is true. Are you introducing a new
concept or method that conflicts with what they've already been doing or with their previous
training? If so, the first thing you have to address may be their hostility or skepticism. On the other
hand, they might also be biased in your favor if you're offering what seems to be a solution for a
difficult problem.
This is not to imply that intentionally challenging people's beliefs in a workshop is a bad idea. Assuming
you can do it without being disrespectful, like telling them they're stupid, this kind of workshop is often
the most powerful, and results in the most significant learning for participants. Most people find change
and new ideas uncomfortable to deal with, but are stimulated by them as well. If you can present
something new so that participants will consider it, you've more than done your job.

Under what circumstances are they attending this workshop? Did they choose it from among
several possibilities (as at a conference)? Did they request it? Is it a requirement of their job, or to
fulfill requirements for certification, licensure, or some other credential? Is it part of their job
(training, retraining, or staff development, for example)? Is it to learn something they absolutely
need to know to do their job properly? Each of these reasons implies a different attitude, a different
level of interest and commitment, and a different approach on the part of the presenter.
Consider the workshop size. If the group is an ideal size for most purposes (about 8-12) you can arrange
activities that involve participants as individuals, in small groups (2-4), and in the whole group. If the
group is larger than about 15, you'll probably want to split it up for many activities. If it's smaller than 7
or 8, you might be better off having the whole group work together for most of the workshop.
The reason 8-12 is an ideal size is that it's small enough so that everyone has an opportunity to have his
questions answered and to get some individual attention from the presenter, but still large enough to
generate some lively discussion. If the group is larger than 15, the voices of some people, usually those
who are quieter, tend to get lost; if it's smaller than 6-8, there may not be enough opinions, questions, and
ideas flying around.
Consider the time available. Workshops can run from as little as an hour or less to as much as a day or
even longer. It 's important that your goals for the workshop match the time available. This means not
only planning out your presentation to fill the time appropriately, but also matching the amount of
material you'll cover to the time available. Especially if it's all new to participants, they'll need lots of time
for clarification, questions, etc. in order to understand it.
A general rule about time is that you should try to block out the time for each part of the workshop in
advance. Rehearse different parts to see how long they'll take, or how long you want them to take (e.g., if
you're going to ask people to write about something, try it yourself and see how long it takes you). You'll
seldom be 100% accurate, but you can come close, and you'll then have an outline of the workshop and a
reasonable sense of what you might expect to do in the time you have.
Short workshop: 45-90 minutes. A workshop this short is even shorter than it seems. People may be late
by between five and fifteen minutes, and you'll lose more time if you're distributing materials, using
equipment, etc. That means you'll have to ruthlessly pare the material you want to present down to what's
actually important. Although it's always wise to overprepare (see Preparation, below), the reality is that
you seldom get to everything you expect to do. A workshop of this length is probably best used as a
means of introducing and discussing a new concept or an issue of concern. It makes little sense to try to
teach a specific skill unless it's very limited. If it can be learned in five or ten minutes, and practiced in the
same amount of time, it's worth a try. If it's any more complicated than that, you need a longer workshop.
If a particular skill or technique or method is really important for participants to learn in order to do their
jobs, or - especially - if its incorrect use will have serious consequences (as in the case of many
emergency medical procedures), it is probably unwise to present it in a workshop this short. That could
lead to participants believing they know more about the topic than they actually do, and causing real harm
as a result. Use your common sense and be guided by what's really possible.
Medium-length workshop: 90 minutes to 3 hours. At this length, a workshop can begin to address ideas
and concepts in some depth, and teach some skills. Some considerations about a medium-length
workshop:
Vary activities. This type of workshop is more than long enough for participants to get bored or
overwhelmed. Two or three consecutive hours of a talking head can send many people out the door
screaming for fresh air. Breaking up the time by involving participants in a number of different kinds of
activities is far more conducive to their learning than asking them to sit still and do one thing for the
whole time.
Attention span: Studies have shown that most people start to lose concentration after 20 minutes to half an
hour. By the end of an hour, their level of attention has fallen by more than 50% (and in some cases by a
great deal more than that). Attention can be renewed by changing activities, changing topic, changing
methods of presentation, etc. Even the short pause in the workshop caused by moving from one activity to
another is enough to refresh people and keep them interested.
Vary the seriousness of the material. Interspersing activities and ideas that are fun or humorous with
others that are more serious can not only keep participants awake and on their toes, but can aid learning as
well.
Plan a break. This will speak to the attention-span issue and allow participants a chance to get coffee, go
to the bathroom, etc. without disturbing the flow of the workshop. But also be aware that breaks always
take longer than planned. Add another five or ten minutes onto the time that you ask people to take? you
can be sure that by the time everyone wanders back into the room and settles down, they'll have spent at
least that much extra time.
Even a long workshop isn't as long as you think, carefully reflect on the amount of material you can
presentadequately in this length of time, and on the amount that people can actually absorb. You might
use the time to present a relatively small amount of material in a number of different ways, so that
participants will leave with a clear understanding of it. Or, you might select what people really need to
know about your topic and concentrate on that, trying to give them enough so that, even if they don't fully
comprehend it, they will be intrigued enough to follow up on their own and learn more.
In addition to considering how much is appropriate for the amount of time you have, think about how
much you know about the topic. Sometimes, the most successful workshops are conducted by presenters
who know only slightly more than the participants. In those circumstances, presenters aren't as apt to try
to fit in too much or get too technical. Remember how long it really took you to learn this stuff, and to
become comfortable with it: it may have been months, or even years, before you understood it
completely. Try to recall your introduction to the topic and what you really absorbed, then plan your
workshop.
Participants need time to talk and connect with one another. The opportunity to get to know others
and to exchange ideas is one of the main values of a workshop for many people, and shouldn't be
shortchanged.
Long workshop: over 3 hours. A long workshop has some drawbacks, but it does allow you to present
material in some depth and to conduct a number of activities. Six concentrated hours of work a day is
about as much as most people can deal with. Be sure to allow for plenty of breaks, both because of the
need to stretch and use the bathroom, and because of attention span. Some thoughts about long
workshops:







You can go into more detail on specific issues. Here's where you have the opportunity to follow
group interest, to explore ideas that are relevant to participants' particular situations, or simply to
present ideas in greater depth.
You can allow longer blocks of time for activities and single topics. It's important, however, to be
aware of the need for breaking up long segments of the workshop. You have to be aware if
participants' eyes start to glaze over, and be prepared to switch quickly to something else
(particularly something active and fun) if that happens.
You can allow more time to practice new skills and more time for discussion about activities.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of a long workshop is that it can allow participants the time to
reflect, both individually and with others, which is a crucial part of the learning process.
You can allot more time to and follow up on participants' questions. (It can be tempting, on the
other hand, to get into a conversation with one participant about her interesting question while the
rest of the group goes to sleep. Be careful to guard against that tendency.)
You can present both the context and the specifics of the topic (e.g. characteristics of the HIVinfected population and techniques of community AIDS prevention).
You can provide or encourage food and drink. It helps keep people alert, sets a relaxed and
friendly tone, and sustains interest over the long haul by eliminating the need to think about being
hungry or thirsty.
It's harder to estimate how long workshop segments will take in a long workshop because
presenters tend to let activities go on if they're going well (after all, there's plenty of time), and often
find that they can't get to much of what they planned. You need to decide whether you want to stick
to your plan and, thus, limit activities to approximately the time you planned for them, or to go with
the flow, and let things go on longer if participants seem to find them important. Neither of these
options is the "right" or "wrong" way: it depends on the needs of the group and the presenter.
Checking in with the group is usually a good way to decide which way to go.
Consider the purpose of the workshop. Workshops are given for many purposes, and each implies
some specific methods of presentation and other details. Some common purposes and their implications:


Teaching participants a skill which they then might have to use or will use in the future (a first aid
workshop for child care workers, for instance). This kind of workshop will generally be light on talk
and heavy on activity. If people are going to use what they're learning, it's obviously important for
them to practice it, and that is probably what you'll want the workshop to focus on.
Giving participants a chance to practice and receive feedback on techniques and concepts they
already know. Again, the emphasis here is likely to be on action, on actually doing whatever is






under discussion and getting advice and reflection on their performance from the presenter and
others in the group.
Enhancing participants' current knowledge of concepts, techniques, and methods (new research,
improvement of techniques, etc.). A new technique will have to be practiced; a fresh take on a
familiar concept might involve only discussion.
Teaching participants a new concept that they can then apply to their work (for instance, a
workshop for street outreach workers about how gangs act as substitute families for their members).
The presentation here might be more discussion oriented, since people will need to assimilate the
new ideas and talk out how they connect to and might affect what they do.
Familiarizing people with material important for, but not directly connected to, their jobs
(Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA] regulations, for instance, or privacy laws). A workshop of
this type will probably involve direct presentation of information, with perhaps some problem
solving practice and discussion (Person X comes to your organization with this issue; how do you
handle it?) It may end up as a question and answer session, partially because laws and regulations
are often confusing, and partially because they cause so much anxiety.
Providing, or helping to provide, a job-related credential for advancement or initial employment,
for instance or for some certification or licensure. This category could include anything from CPR
instruction to cultural sensitivity training, and thus might include any number of activities or
methods of presentation.
Using a workshop as a way of helping participants feel comfortable with one another and/or their
situation. Often used in college orientations or in employment-related team building, workshops of
this type usually consist of a large number of rapid-fire activities, often eliciting laughter or
cooperative problem solving, or both. Any talk is usually beneficial to understanding the activities
and their effects on participants.
Introducing people to a way of looking at the world, either as an adjunct to their jobs or volunteer
situations, or as public education (a workshop on theories of moral development, for example). This
kind of workshop can allow for tremendously varied activities: direct teaching, discussion of
hypothetical situations, trying to solve moral dilemmas, role playing, etc. In general, the more
different ways people can experience the concept, the more likely they are to understand it.
Consider your presentation. The style of your presentation both your personal style and the actual
methods of presentation you employ will do much to determine the effectiveness of your workshop. Some
of this will depend on your own personality and experiences, but there are some general guidelines that
can be useful:

Facilitation. Workshop presenters are often referred to as facilitators. A facilitator (from
Latin facile, which means "easy") is someone who smooths the way for others. She's not a leader,
exactly, or an authority figure, but more of a guide: someone who walks beside you and helps you
figure out which way to go. In general, facilitation is more useful in a workshop than "instructing."
It's called a workshop because participants generally get a chance to do something, to actually
interact on their own terms with what's being presented. A facilitator can help make it easier for
them to have that experience, where an instructor might be more apt to tell them about the
experience, or to structure it for them.
The author's prejudice is undoubtedly apparent here. Virtually all good teaching is really facilitation, at
least to some extent. In order to learn anything, and especially to learn it at the deepest level, one has to
experience it, wrestle with it, reflect on it, live with it. A good facilitator makes it possible for each
participant to relate to new learning in his own way and sort it out for himself, rather than telling him
what he's supposed to think or how to approach a concept. Participants are far more likely to stay tuned in
throughout the workshop if you act as a facilitator and if you're personally accessible.
This is not to say that there's never a place for leadership in teaching, as long as it doesn't dominate the
workshop. If the presenter is a "star" in her field, participants may in fact want to hear what she has to
say, more than to be facilitated.



Consistency of presentation and the workshop's theme. Your method and style of presentation
should, to the largest extent possible, mirror the topic. If you're conducting a workshop on
experiential education, for example, it should be experiential, not a lecture. A workshop on ADA
regulations should be held in a physically accessible space and demonstrate sensitivity to the
concerns of the disabled. A technique being introduced should be practiced in presentation as well
as in activities. In a well-presented workshop, participants learn as much from methods and style of
presentation as they do from workshop contents.
Direct involvement of participants. Workshops are much more effective and enjoyable if they
involve participants in activities, discussion, and interaction with others, than if they merely shower
people with information. There are many opportunities for practicing skills, small and large group
discussions, reporting out of discussions, problem solving as individuals and as small and large
groups, etc. that will give everyone in the group an opportunity to take an active role.
Variation of methods and activities. As mentioned several times, varying methods of presentation
and activities will help keep people focused, will speak to different participants' learning styles, and
will make the workshop more interesting and fun for the presenter as well as for participants. Some
possibilities to consider:
o
Include some sort of hands-on activity where people can be physically active.
o
Include both group and individual activities.
o
Activities should be entertaining and interactive. Avoid being a "talking head" as much as
possible.
o
Include various kinds of audio-visual material, such as video, motiongraphics, and audio
recordings
o
Include innovative ways of presenting material directly: a play, an interactive skit, a song,
a cartoon, etc.
o
Always include practice of a particular technique or method that's being presented, even
if only for a short time, to give participants the chance to see what it feels like.
The more creative you can get here, the better. Activities in which participants work with physical objects
are often great learning tools. There are the obvious ones (workshops for teachers include lots of
"manipulatives," objects to demonstrate concepts with), but there are an infinite number of options. The
author attended a terrific workshop on multiple intelligences that involved small groups designing and
building villages out of legos and other blocks. Think as outrageously as you can.



Things to take home. Make sure participants get print copies of any overheads or slides that
contain important information, as well as some summary of the main point(s) of the workshop, and
anything else you think might be important. It will help them to remember later what the workshop
was about, and will assist them in passing the ideas on to others.
Reflection time. Reflection is the key to learning. If part of the style of your presentation is to ask
participants to reflect on or discuss each activity, you 'll help them learn in two ways: by giving
them the time to reflect on the activity and talk about it with others in the group, and by
demonstrating how important it is to reflect on what you've done and learned.
Time to talk to, socialize with, and get to know the other participants. Much of the value of a
workshop is in the experience of forming a community of learners. The shared experience can lead
to professional collaboration and can enrich the learning that goes on.
PREPARATION
Now that your planning is done, you need to prepare for the workshop. Planning is about the delivery of
the workshop itself; preparation is about logistics, making sure you have the actual stuff and time you
need to make the workshop a success. That means both putting together whatever materials you'll be
using and getting whatever information is necessary for you to do the best job you can.
Find out about the space you'll be using, if possible. If the space is your own, you can choose the room
or place that would be best and set it up beforehand. If you're being assigned space in another facility, you
may be able to request a particular type or size of room, or may be able to get it set up in a certain way
(chairs in a circle, comfortable furniture, etc.). You need to think about how you'll use the space: Will
people need to move around a lot? Will there be bulky equipment to move around? Do you need a screen
or a blackboard or whiteboard? The more you can learn about the space and the more you can set it up for
your needs before participants arrive, the smoother your presentation will go.
If the role you intend to assume is that of facilitator rather than authority figure, you'll want to make the
space as welcoming and informal as possible. Sometimes that simply can't be done; a school classroom
with desks bolted to the floor (yes, they still exist, although there aren't many of them) isn't particularly
flexible, for instance. But where you can, arranging chairs in a circle or similar configuration, where
everyone can see everyone else and there's no head of the table, can do a lot to set a tone as soon as
people walk in.
Bring everything you need. Don't assume any of it will be there unless you've specifically arranged for it
(see no. 3 below). Even then you can't be sure.





If you're going to ask people to write something, or if they might want to take notes, make sure
you bring enough pencils and paper for everyone.
Make and collate at least twice as many copies as you think you'll need of any printed material
you want to hand out.
Bring easels, newsprint, and markers for recording ideas, questions, comments, or for
documenting what goes on in small groups.
If you're making overheads, lists, an agenda, etc., do it well beforehand, not the night before your
presentation.
If you have to take it all somewhere (i.e. if your presentation is anywhere but in your own space)
put it in your car the night before. Make and use a checklist to be sure you don't forget anything.
Don't forget about food, coffee, etc., if you're providing them or having them provided. You either need to
arrange beforehand to have what you need in the room when you get there, or your coffeemaker, coffee,
creamer, paper cups, etc. should be in your back seat along with everything else the night before. (Get the
doughnuts fresh in the morning.)
Arrange well beforehand for any equipment you'll need (overhead projector, VCR and monitor,
computer, etc.) or plan to bring it yourself. (If you're bringing it, make sure you have a backup in case the
one you're planning on isn't working.) Make your arrangements well beforehand (in writing as well as
verbally, if possible ), and check a day or two before the workshop to see that everything is in order. Get
there early enough to check on it on the day of the workshop. Assume that if anything can go wrong, it
will, and that, even if it's not your responsibility, you'll have to fix it anyway.
Make materials and hand-outs as attractive and interesting as possible so that participants will
return to them.


Use color where you can.
Easy-to-read charts and graphs are useful for a lot of people (although not everyone), as are
pictures.



If it's appropriate, organize printed material so that it's easy to read and digest. Outline form,
bullets, and the use of color or pictures can all be helpful here.
Try to keep the amount of material you hand out under control, unless it's a situation where
people really need and want a lot of information (state regulations, for instance, which they may
need as a reference over time). It can be helpful to print different handouts on different colors of
paper so that both you and participants can easily keep track of them ("Turn to the blue sheet?").
Actual "things" people can take home (AIDS ribbons, miniature model breasts for practicing selfexamination) can serve to keep the learning of the workshop in their consciousness.
Be overprepared. If you think a block of the workshop will probably last 30 minutes, be ready with at
least an hour's worth of material for it. In some groups, you may only use what you thought would take 15
minutes; in others, you may use all of it and wish you had more. It's far better to be overprepared than
underprepared: the longer the workshop, the more important this becomes.
Without knowing the individual participants beforehand, and often even then, you can't really make
accurate assumptions about time or the reactions of the group. If they're already a group (a program staff,
for example), they'll already have their own leaders, assumptions, and norms, and those will determine to
some extent how they'll react (verbal or nonverbal, engaged or unengaged, etc.) If they're a random group,
leaders may emerge, but also may not. As discussed earlier, why they're there, what their background and
training are, and simply who they are as individuals will determine how they respond to your
presentation. With some groups, no one may speak for the first hour or more, or at all. With others, you
may have difficulty getting a word in after the first five minutes. No matter how many times you've
presented a particular workshop, it's best to be prepared for anything.
Make up an evaluation form that people can fill out quickly at the end of the workshop, but that covers
the areas you really want to know about. (Many conferences prepare evaluation forms for each workshop,
in which case you don't have to.) The standard for this sort of thing is usually a multiple choice form that
either asks participants to rate each area from 1 to 5, or to check off one of 5 choices ranging from
"strongly agree " to "strongly disagree." Some areas you might want to cover include:







The clarity of your presentation.
The usefulness of each of the various kinds of activities you included, especially in the context of
the participants' jobs or lives.
How interesting and relevant the content was to participants.
Your command of the material (i.e. how well you knew your stuff).
How well the workshop kept people's interest.
How well you were able to set and sustain a comfortable tone.
General comments, if any.
There may be other specific questions you have about your particular workshop. Just be sure to keep it
short enough so that people will actually fill it out.
Finally, get a good night's sleep the night before and allow yourself plenty of time to get where you're
going, so you don't feel rushed and frazzled. If the workshop is far from home, and you have the option of
staying somewhere near it the night before, take it. If you have the time to relax before the workshop,
you'll be more relaxed in the course of it as well.
IMPLEMENTATION
Planning and preparation are done. You're incredibly organized; you have all your handouts color-coded
and arranged in the order you want to distribute them; you have activities planned down to the second,
with plenty of extras if they don't fill the time completely; you have the room arranged so it will welcome
participants and work for the activities you have planned. Now all you have to do is actually pull it off.
A workshop, especially a longer one, has distinct phases. There is the introduction, which covers the time
from when the first participant walks into the room to when the first topic-related activity begins; the
substance of the workshop includes the presentation and activities; and closure involves review,
reflection, evaluation, and ending. We'll discuss each of these, with some ideas about how to make them
go smoothly.
Introduction
This part of the workshop will let people know what their experience is going to be like. By the time the
workshop actually starts, participants often have a strong inkling about whether they're going to like it or
not. Thus, it's important to set a positive tone and to make people feel comfortable and interested; to give
them some familiarity with you and with one another; and to make sure that they know what 's coming in
the rest of the workshop.
Setting the tone. There are some steps you can take to make participants comfortable as soon as they walk
in, and to establish the workshop as a community of learners.



The space. We've already discussed setting up the room so that people face one another, so that
there's no obvious place of authority, and so that the environment is as comfortable physically and
psychologically as possible.
Music. Depending upon the nature of the workshop, you might consider having music playing as
participants enter, either to establish calm or to generate energy. Music also tells people that this is
likely to be a relatively informal experience. (The concern here, of course, is that people's tastes in
music vary widely. Music that you play as a calming influence may set some participants' teeth on
edge. Music you play to generate energy may just annoy some people. It's a risk you take, unless
you know the group well.)
Greeting. As participants enter the room, a process which may cover 15 minutes or more, there is
a period when, often, no one quite knows what to do. The presenter may smile and nod as people
come in, but the workshop hasn't started yet, and "there isn't anything to talk about." One way to
eliminate this awkwardness is to introduce yourself to people as they come in, hand them materials
and an evaluation form, and ask them about their backgrounds, or about why they're interested in
the workshop. New arrivals can be pulled into the conversation as they come in so that no one feels
shut out. By the time everyone is in the room and the workshop is about to start, participants will be
talking to one another and to you, and the awkwardness will have given way to conviviality.
There may be circumstances under which you might not want to make people comfortable. At a
conference, a workshop called "Separate Tables" divided participants up as they came in, with the
majority asked to sit on the floor. A small number were seated at an elegantly appointed table and served
an appetizing meal. The others about 20? were given a loaf of bread and told to divide it up. The
workshop continued in this vein, with the floor sitters eventually protesting their treatment. The point, of
course, was to call attention to the lack of comfort that most of the world's population experiences every
day, as compared to the position of those in the developed West.
Personal introductions. Especially if your workshop involves a lot of hands-on and group activities, it
will go better if people are comfortable with one another. If you've started a conversation as they walked
in, many participants may already have talked to others that they didn't know, but it still makes sense to
introduce yourself and everyone else.
You might start by introducing yourself with a (very brief) explanation of why you're conducting this
workshop (experience you've had, your familiarity with the topic, etc.). This shouldn't take more than a
minute or so. Then, you might use a technique or game to introduce the members of the group to one
another (you can also take part in this activity, if you think it will be helpful to your purpose).
Agenda and plan for the session. It's helpful to either hand out, or to have visible in the room, and to go
over with participants, an agenda for the workshop. If the workshop will be interrupted by meals, breaks,
etc., a plan for the session or day would be helpful, as well. Previewing the agenda and asking for
feedback on it ("Can we spend more time on actually using the materials?") serves several purposes:



It includes participants in the management of the session, rather than making them passive
receptors of information.
It gives participants a sense of anticipation, so they're interested in what comes next.
It lets participants know what will happen when lunch is (at 12:30, for example) and eliminates a
certain edge of antsiness and anxiety that they often have when they don't know the plan.
This is also the time to ask people for their expectations for the workshop, which can be recorded on
newsprint or in some other way, and reviewed at the end of the session. If most participants' expectations
are significantly different from the presenter's, there may be room for some adjustment at this point as
well.
If it's necessary for participants to reveal details of their personal lives, for instance, or if the topic of the
workshop is particularly controversial, after previewing the agenda would be the time to ask the group to
develop ground rules for the session. A few simple norms, such as keeping disagreement away from the
personal and respecting confidentiality can make all the difference in participants' willingness to engage
with others, and with the ideas under discussion.
SUBSTANCE OF THE WORKSHOP
This is the real meat of what you're doing, the reason why you showed up this morning. What you
actuallydo depends on your own planning, of course, but there are some general guidelines, some of
which have already been mentioned, that can make your workshop more effective and enjoyable.

Keep track of time. This doesn't mean that you should be a slave to your agenda, but rather that
you should be aware when you're deviating from it. In a lot of instances, it might make sense to ask
the group how they'd like to use their time: "We're running way over on this activity. Is that OK
with you, or are there other things that are more important to you that we should get to?" If you
think what's happening is really important and shouldn't be interrupted, don't be afraid to say so.
Giving time markers every once in a while ("In 20 minutes, we'll be stopping for lunch") can keep
participants going ("I'm hungry, but I can certainly wait 20 minutes"). It will also help you be aware of
where you are in the session so that you can, in fact, get people to lunch on time (this may be a major
concern, depending upon the facility where the workshop is being held) and conclude the activities with
enough to time to close out the session properly.


Match the presentation to the content and philosophy of the workshop. As discussed earlier in this
section, participants learn both from the content and the style, as well as the methods of your
presentation. It's tough to convince teachers to encourage student participation by lecturing to them.
If you believe in what you're presenting, you should be demonstrating that by practicing it. People
are much more liable to understand and accept what you're trying to convey if it's obvious you
believe in and use it all the time.
Try to present material in a number of different ways. This variation is important for two reasons:
First, it helps to keep participants involved. There are many studies showing that human beings are
intrinsically interested in and respond positively to variety, and it makes sense to take advantage of
that trait. Second, variation speaks to differences in learning styles, and thus makes it more likely
that everyone in the workshop will be able to grasp the material.
Although researchers have come up with a number of models for the ways in which people absorb
information, none would disagree that individuals differ in their preferred methods of learning. Some
people take in new information better through their eyes, others through their ears, others through their
fingers (i.e. by doing things with their hands). Some people like to deal with the details of an idea, others
with the overall concept. Some learners are systematic and logical, others are intuitive leapers. Still other
differences include individual vs. group learning, and fast processors vs. slow and thoughtful ones.
Varying activities in a workshop lecture /slide presentation, group problem-solving, building models, etc.
can speak to at least most of the learning styles of participants, and create a more nearly complete
learning experience for everyone.

Try to be, and to make your activities, entertaining. Humor is an extremely important tool, even
when your topic is not humorous at all. (The TV show MASH, about Korean War surgeons who
dealt with horrible deaths every day, illustrated how black humor could help to keep people sane in
an intolerable situation.) It can not only set a tone that makes learning more fun, but can serve to
underscore important points as well.
A college geology instructor on a field trip with his students pointed out a formation and stated, "This is
called a pluck." Then, tripping lightly over to a dead crow on the ground, he pulled out a feather, and said,
"This, too, is called a pluck." No one in the class ever forgot what the geological term "pluck" meant.



Be enthusiastic. If you really believe in what you're presenting, show it; it will help make
participants more enthusiastic as well, and can have a huge effect on the success of your workshop.
Encourage participants to relate the workshop content to their reality. How can they use these
ideas or methods in their jobs, or in their lives? How would their colleagues react? They need a
chance to think about and discuss these questions. You might ask everyone to make a commitment
to use something they've learned in the workshop at least once, or to apply new concepts to a
particular facet of their work or home life. The real questions that both presenters and participants
should be asking themselves about the topic of a workshop are"How does it fit into the world?" and
"How can it be used?"
Allow ample time for reflection and discussion in all activities. People often need to think and
talk through their experiences or new information in order to understand them. It's also important
that participants have a chance to be heard about what they think and what they've learned. If they
can share it aloud, it gains more importance and legitimacy for them. Even if the workshop content
has been understood, it hasn't really been learned until it's been assimilated into the learner's
understanding of the world. Reflection provides the vehicle for this assimilation.
CLOSURE
In the final phase of the workshop, you'll need to wrap things up and give participants a chance to react to
what they've just been through. You may want to go through some formal activity for this purpose, or you
may want to just throw out some questions and listen to what people have to say.


Sum up and review agenda. Restate the major points that the workshop covered and revisit the
agenda to identify any areas you didn't get to. Depending upon their importance, the group's
interest, and actual possibilities, you could hand out or offer to send people material or a
bibliography on those areas, or to hold another workshop to cover what you missed
Revisit expectations. Take a look at that list of expectations from the beginning of the workshop.
Were people's initial expectations appropriate, and were they met? If not, where were the gaps?


Give participants a chance to sum up. This could be as simple as asking "What did you think?" or
it could involve a more structured exercise. (One possibility: go around the room and ask everyone
to state one thing she liked about the workshop or learned from it, and one thing she would have
changed about it.) It's important to give participants a way to summarize for themselves the value,
or lack of value, of the workshop for them.
Ask for feedback on the ideas, techniques, methods, etc. that you presented. Pay attention to
participants' challenges and concerns about the material. It may be totally new to them, and may fly
in the face of everything they've learned so far. They'll need time to digest it. Don't get defensive if
they don't agree with everything or anything you've been promoting. You may have doubts about
some of the material, too, and it's OK to say so. The purpose of a workshop is learning, and that
rarely comes without some internal conflict.
If you can find a way to record all this review, summing up, and feedback, it will prove extremely helpful
to you in developing other workshops, or in revising the one you just conducted. An audio recorder is one
possibility. Newsprint or something similar is another.

Collect evaluation forms. Make sure you get one from everybody, it should take less than a
minute to fill out, unless people have complex comments (the best kind, because they give the most
specific feedback).
FOLLOW-UP
After the workshop is over, there are still a few loose ends to tie up.



If you agreed to send anything to participants (materials, bibliographies, etc.) you should do it as
soon as possible, both so that you don't forget, and so the material is still fresh in people's minds
when they get it.
If you have notes on the summation and feedback, you might want to type them up and send them
to participants also, if they would be helpful to their understanding of the workshop.
Go through the evaluations and your feedback notes soon after the workshop, so that it's still fresh
in your mind. What do most people think you might have done differently? What areas seemed
particularly strong or particularly weak? This is the moment to think about what you'll change the
next time you conduct a workshop, and there should be a next time. Start planning now!
IN SUMMARY
In order to conduct an effective and successful workshop, you need to address its planning, preparation,
and implementation. As you plan, consider the workshop's audience, its size, its length, its purpose, and
your presentation options. Preparation includes logistics (managing the physical items involved,
materials, equipment, etc.), and preparing psychologically as well. Finally, the implementation of the
workshop includes attending to all three of its phases: introduction, substance, and closure. And don't
forget to follow up, both by fulfilling any promises and using feedback to redesign or change parts of the
workshop so that your next one will be even better.
Online Resources
How to Develop a Workshop and Presentation Tips. Thorough tips complete with step-by-step guide
as well as timing suggestions for one workshop session. Various PowerPoint (.pptx) presentations can be
downloaded.
How To Kit: Facilitating a Workshop, from the N.W.T. Literacy Council. It was developed to help
organizations celebrate National Family Literacy Day, but there is helpful, general information as well.
Twelve Tips for Conducting Effective Workshops by Yvonne Steinhert, Ph.D.
Print Resources
Bobo, K., Jackie K., & Steve M. (1991). Organizing for Social Change: A Manual for Activists in the
1990s. Cabin John, MD: Seven Locks Press. Chapter on "Designing and Leading a Workshop," pp. 124131.
Coover, V., Ellen D., Charles E., & Moore C.(1977). Resource Manual for a Living Revolution.
Philadelphia: New Society Press. Chapter on workshops, pp. 161 ff.
The following items contain exercises and New Games that might be helpful.
Bag of Tricks (quarterly). Available from Karl Rohnke, P.O. Box 100, Hamilton, MA 01936.
The Bottomless Bag Again. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Co., 1991.
Funn Stuff, vols. I, II, and III. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Co., 1996 (vols. I and II) and 1998
(vol. III).
Le Fevre, Dale N. More New Games.
The New Games Foundation. New Games for the Whole Family.
Rohnke, Karl. Silver Bullets. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Co., 1984.