A framework for workshop facilitation - UX Ireland 2016

A FRAMEWORK FOR WORKSHOP FACILITATION

• Director of UX at MTT (soon to be Travelport Digital)

• Managing design teams for over 10 years

• Background in research and information architecture

You can get me @matthewovington

WHAT WE WILL COVER• Walk through the agenda

• Conflict, trust and facilitation

• The framework and the 4 flows

• Workshop practice

UNILATERAL vs MULTILATERAL• I am right and have others

interests at heart.

• Others are misinformed or have bad motives.

• Purpose is to convince other to do what I want.

• I have one perspective.

• Others might see things I don’t.

• Purpose is to make informed choices.

THE ROOTS OF CONFLICT

CONFLICT RESOLUTION METHODSLow trust

High trust

High agreement Low agreement

Negotiation

Mediation

Facilitation

Arbitration

FACILITATIONThe art of guiding people through a process to agreed upon

outcomes in a way that encourages creativity and participation from all involved.

BUSINESS VIABILITY

CUSTOMER DESIRABILITY

TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY

VALUE

FACILITATION IS ABOUT BUILDING TRUSTDifferent

experience

Sameexperience

Same values Different values

Multi cultural groups

Cross functional teams

Trust

THE BASICSOutcomes (and Outputs)

AgendaRules (and Roles)

OOARRs

OARs

THE FOUR FLOWS

AttentionEnergy

InformationOperations

OUTCOMESPurpose e.g. Improve interdepartmental processes Outcomes e.g. Shared understanding of issues and solutions Outputs e.g. List of actions for team leads

DEFINING OUTCOMES• Review the expectations of stakeholders

• What do they hope to gain? e.g. an agreed position, a final decision, inspiration

• What concerns do they have?

• What background information or resources can they provide?

• Identify themes

• Echo their words in describing the outcomes

• Write them down

• Check outcomes against the initial purpose

Outcomes

Title of workshop goes here

Outputs

Purpose

EXERC

ISE 1

AGENDA• Clearly communicates the purpose, outcomes (and outputs if

necessary). Important to

• Get people's commitment to the meeting

• Manage expectations

• Flow of meeting

RULES AND ROLES• Are there any roles?

• Depends on the nature of the meeting.

• Are you going to ask ground rules to be observed?

• Participants are self policing e.g. “Don’t jump to solutions”

PLANNING THE AGENDA•What conversations / activities?

• In what order?

•How long will those activities take?

Agenda Outcomes

Outputs

Purpose

OVERALL FLOW

CONVERSATIONS

Title of workshop goes here Duration

Introductions

Know each others names. 5 mins.

ON A POSTIT...

Planning the agenda

Put chunks in order

Add breaks (every 60-90 mins)

Add/remove activities

Review the outcomes

Matches Outcomes?

Estimate timingYes

No

List all activitiesGroup activities

into chunks

A NOTE ON TIMING...Helps to work backwards from an estimate.

Example

If we estimate 45 minutes for 15 people to list ideas and present:• 15 people

• 5 minutes = write 5 ideas

• 75 ideas

• 40 minutes to process 75 ideas

• ~30 seconds per ideas

• 15 people in 3 groups

• 5 minutes = write 5 ideas

• 15 ideas

• 40 minutes to process 15 ideas

• ~3 minutes per ideas

Agenda Outcomes

Outputs

Purpose

OVERALL FLOW

CONVERSATIONS

Title of workshop goes here

EXERC

ISE 2

Duration

RULE OF THUMB3 hours prep per 1 hour of workshop.

Up to 3 days prep for 1 day workshop.

THE FOUR FLOWS

AttentionEnergy

InformationOperations

OPERATIONS

Materials More than just PostIts and sharpies...

Venue Access, room size, table layout, light, cleaners?

Facilities Do we need wifi? Projector? Storage?

Breaks Do I need to feed people? Dietary needs?

Equipment Cables, cameras, batteries, clocks, speakers

INFORMATIONAttention

How long?

What time of day?

Information - clarity and understanding

What will I need to prepare in advance?

How much time do they need to read and prepare?

Am I waiting for any information?

Energy - trust and respect

How well do people know one another

Will they have had time to

Operations - support decision making

Good natural light

Room - table size, chairs, arrangement, projectors or monitors, power points, wifi

Confirm breaks

Lunch - dietary needs, venues nearby, ordering food

What level of knowledge exists?

Is the level of attendee knowledge similar or different?

What information best serves the purpose of the workshop?

How much time do participants need to read and prepare?

Am I waiting for any information?

ATTENTIONAttention

How long?

What time of day?

Information - clarity and understanding

What will I need to prepare in advance?

How much time do they need to read and prepare?

Am I waiting for any information?

Energy - trust and respect

How well do people know one another

Will they have had time to

Operations - support decision making

Good natural light

Room - table size, chairs, arrangement, projectors or monitors, power points, wifi

Confirm breaks

Lunch - dietary needs, venues nearby, ordering food

What can I do to focus the group? • Ask a question • Invite questions • Circulate agenda beforehand, and keep visible

throughout • Re-iterate purpose and outcomes

ENERGYAttention

How long?

What time of day?

Information - clarity and understanding

What will I need to prepare in advance?

How much time do they need to read and prepare?

Am I waiting for any information?

Energy - trust and respect

How well do people know one another

Will they have had time to

Operations - support decision making

Good natural light

Room - table size, chairs, arrangement, projectors or monitors, power points, wifi

Confirm breaks

Lunch - dietary needs, venues nearby, ordering food

Time of day Take into account natural variations e.g. after lunch

Environment Natural light, temperature, food

Activities Breaks, energising games to get people moving

Presentations Rules about length, timed for high energy periods

Interventions Calling out energy killers e.g. laptops

Agenda Outcomes

Outputs

Rules Roles

Purpose

OVERALL FLOW

CONVERSATIONS

Prework and prep tasks

Materials

Title of workshop goes here

EXERC

ISE 3

Duration

WILDCARD 1

One of your key participants has forwarded on your invite and the number of people who are going to attend has more than doubled to 20.

What could you do?

WILDCARD 2

The day before your meeting half your attendees warn you that their department's

Christmas party is the day before the workshop.

What could you do?

WILDCARD 3Some of your attendees are on email and chat before you arrive. Some are making excuses about having to leave before the meeting is

scheduled to end.

What could you do?

ON THE DAY• Arrive early to set up

• Welcome people and give introductions

• Walk through the outcomes, agenda, rules and roles

• Answer any questions

• Confirm if anyone has specific hard stops or travel plans

• If you feel you need it, have a car park*

• Finish early

If you read one book read “How to Run a Great Workshop”

by Nikki Highmore-Sims

VERY LAST THING...

Questions @matthewovington

We’re looking for a Product Designer http://bit.ly/2eLUPSS

OARS OutcomesAgenda

Rules (and Roles)

THE FOUR FLOWSAttentionEnergy

InformationOperations