Mastering Workshops: The Two-Hour Blueprint for Maximum Impact
Nov 23, 2023
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Leanne Hughes, renowned consultant, speaker, and facilitator, shares invaluable insights into the art of workshop facilitation. She discusses the transformative shift from traditional presentations to engaging workshops and provides practical tips for building rapport and connection with participants. Leanne's expertise offers a comprehensive guide for mastering workshops and delivering impactful, results-driven sessions.
Designing a two-hour workshop can deliver strong results by shifting from traditional presentations to engaging workshops and adapting facilitation skills accordingly.
Workshops can be a valuable tool for businesses, providing opportunities to deepen relationships with clients, expand offerings, and teach participants how to achieve more.
Deep dives
The Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Designing Workshops for Maximum Value
In this podcast episode, Leanne Hughes discusses her book, 'The Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint,' which focuses on designing workshops that are fast, effective, and stress-free for business owners. The key insight is that a two-hour workshop is a sweet spot because it provides enough time to deliver valuable content, run activities, and reflect on the learning. Workshops are different from conferences because they prioritize interaction, conversation, and connection with the audience. Hughes emphasizes that leading a workshop requires a different skill set from inspiring a crowd, and experience and comfort come with time. She highlights the importance of building rapport with participants, setting expectations, and establishing a positive energy at the beginning of the workshop. Hughes also emphasizes the need for effective activities that engage participants and enable them to implement what they've learned during the session.
Expanding the Perception of Workshops: Not Just for Trainers and Coaches
Hughes challenges the perception that workshops are only for trainers and coaches, suggesting that other businesses and professionals can benefit from designing and delivering workshops. She recommends leveraging content strategy and identifying 'how' questions from potential participants as indicators of workshop topics. Workshops can serve as a product or a lead generation tactic, offering value and teaching participants how to do something. Hughes also highlights the potential of workshops for existing clients, deepening the relationship and teaching them how to achieve more. By positioning workshops as a centerpiece, businesses can expand their offerings to include advisory services, retainers, speeches, and one-on-one coaching sessions.
Crafting Engaging Workshops: The Power of Rapport, Metaphors, and Activities
Creating rapport with workshop participants is essential for establishing a comfortable and engaging environment. Hughes suggests using pre-communication, such as videos or surveys, to set expectations and understand the needs of participants. She also recommends being present early in the room to connect with attendees before the workshop begins. Metaphors are powerful tools for explaining concepts and making them memorable. Hughes encourages using metaphors to enhance understanding and engagement. Effective workshops require activities that allow participants to implement what they've learned. Hughes emphasizes the importance of actionable activities and avoiding content-heavy sessions. By focusing on the right amount of content and the right activities, workshop hosts can create impactful and transformative experiences for participants.
In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interviewed Leanne Hughes, a renowned consultant, speaker, and facilitator who specializes in maximizing team potential through influential and contagious work experiences.
Leanne shared insights from her expertise, focusing on her book, the "Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint." Discover how business-owners can design workshops that are fast, deliver strong results, and eliminate stress from the process.
Key Takeaways:
Leanne Hughes shares invaluable insights into the art of workshop facilitation, focusing on the strategic significance of the two-hour timeframe. The discussion delves into the transformative shift from traditional presentations to horizontal, engaging workshops, emphasizing the evolution of skillsets required for effective facilitation. Leanne guides listeners in identifying workshop opportunities by recognizing the telltale "how" questions in various contexts. Additionally, she provides practical tips for building rapport and connection with participants, highlighting the importance of pre-event communication and a thoughtful, engaging kickoff. Leanne's expertise shines through, offering a comprehensive guide for mastering workshops and delivering impactful, results-driven sessions that resonate with diverse audiences.
Questions I ask Leanne Hughes:
[00:49] Why did you choose a two-hour timeframe for your blueprint?
[01:27] What's the difference between a workshop and a conference?
[02:19] Do workshops require a different skillset?
[04:40] How can businesses view workshops as products or lead generation tactics ?
[06:20] What structure do you recommend for workshops to follow?
[07:29] What are the best and most time-efficient workshop strategies?
[10:22] How do you guarantee immense value for workshop attendees?
[11:41] How do you build rapport and get people to contribute during workshops?
[13:26] How does audience size effect a workshop?
[14:32] What is power up?
[16:08] Can you explain the value of metaphors in a workshop?
[16:47] What are the best employee engagement activities?
[20:06] Where can people connect with you and learn more?
