What are Workshops?
A workshop is a meeting in which the attendees explore solutions to problems or ways for improvement within a present and specific environment or situation, often by applying earlier acquired knowledge, behaviours, skills, values, and preferences.
A workshop can last from several hours to several days.
Every workshop has…
- …a name and a description of the overall theme of the workshop,
- …a goal to aim at, so that all attendees are focussed during the workshop, such as an improvement ("Find out how to start with Agile.") or a problem ("Reduce the product's lead time."),
- …actionable outcomes at the end of the workshop, and
- …a workshop facilitator as a moderator and guide through the workshop.
A special form of workshop is an Agile retrospective.
What is a Workshop Facilitator?
The workshop facilitator's role is to create a safe, engaging, and creative environment by…
- …offering knowledge, behaviours, skills, values, and preferences in the workshop's domain in a clear and entertaining way on demand,
- …facilitating the attendees problem solving or solution focussed process with techniques for visualisation, interaction, and information exchange,
- …mediating in case of conflicts in a empathic and understanding way, and
- …challenging and criticising the current preferences and beliefs held by the attendees in a respectful but clear way to offer an outside view.
