The survival guide to your first workshop

Leading teams through transformative work is a big job. You need to be organized, prepared for surprises, hold the room, all while trying not to sweat through your shirt.

If you’re new to leading workshops, this survival guide is for you. It also has a few good reminders and nontraditional suggestions for facilitators who have been at it for a while.

I know it can feel like a high-stakes game, but there are specific actions you can take to manage the experience for yourself and your participants (whether you’re leading your first or fiftieth workshop).

Here are my top nine tips for a better workshop:

1. Set yourself up for success

Design your agenda and have a plan for the day. Know which formulas, templates, and activities you’ll need to guide the session. To inform this, always do prep work to orient yourself around the problem at hand, expected outcomes, attendees, and other logistical matters. I even created my own worksheet template to cover these bases, which you’re welcome to borrow.

2. Rest and refuel

This one goes without saying. Block plenty of time for a good night of sleep, and make sure to nourish your body throughout the process. This is especially important if you’re leading a multi-day session. Have a plan for snacks, proper meals, hydration and breaks. You do not want to be tired or hungry (especially at the same time) when you’ve got a team of people relying on you.

3. Say “no” to extracurricular activities

This tip is two fold. First, I always discourage the client team from organizing post-workshop dinners or happy hours (whether we’re meeting for one day or five days). Why? Because people are drained after a full day of brainstorming, prototyping and collaborating. They need time to rest, especially introverts, and if you need the team feeling refreshed for another full day of work, it can be a lot to ask them to add a mandatory dinner to their calendars. If your client is insistent on scheduling something, encourage them to make it optional so attendees can decline in order to recharge.

On a similar note, I also recommend that you (as the facilitator) opt out of extra-curricular activities. You’ll need time to recharge! Additionally, saying no to post-workshop functions helps me remain a neutral party (which can get squishy when spending time outside of the professional environment).

If you want to try this, set expectations up front by communicating your recommendations to the client so they know where you stand and can plan or adjust the extracurricular schedule accordingly.

4. Dress for your day (and don’t sweat the sweat)

Whether it’s nerves from your first workshop or you just end up in a hot room, the last thing you need is to feel self conscious about sweating through your clothes. When in doubt, wear black, breathable clothing. It will hide any potential moisture so you can focus on the team rather than your appearance. I also recommend wearing comfortable shoes that you can move in. There are plenty of functional options that allow you to be on your feet for hours or days at a time while still looking professional.

5. Learn to manage your energy

This is a subtle tip, but I promise you it’s a life saver. When you head into a workshop you’ll come up against different personalities, team dynamics, conflicts and sometimes even tensions. There’s only so much you can control about external factors, but there’s a lot you can control about your own personal energy. Make sure you’re following some rituals before, during and after a workshop to help stay balanced. I wrote a post with tips for navigating this important dimension that you can check out here.

6. Always bring back-up supplies

Even if the client says they’ve got the supplies covered, show up with your own arsenal. Just the other week I facilitated a workshop only to find that the large sticky notes the client said they’d provide were not sticky! Luckily, I had my supply kit, which always includes masking tape, so I was able to make those big pieces of paper stick to the wall after all. Some staples to add to your bag include: working whiteboard markers, sharpie pens, yellow post-its and big sticky notes, sticky dots (for voting), scissors and masking tape.

7. Remind yourself why you’re here

It’s so important to continuously orient yourself around the problem you need to solve and questions you need to answer along the way. In a room with many personalities, ideas, possibilities and outcomes, be sure to remind yourself and the group (if necessary) what you’re there to accomplish.

8. The swirl will happen, but don’t fall in

Sometimes there are topics that need to be covered and conversations that need to happen in order for a group to move forward. Outwardly, they might seem a bit off-topic or tangential. Your job is to be sure that the topic or question being explored is clear (and that it actually needs to be explored). If it does, keep the group focused on answering that question, or help them find a shared understanding before moving onto the next thing. By simply re-stating the topic or question at hand and holding the group accountable for completing that thread, you’ll help avoid deep swirling dialog that’s without clear purpose or benefit.

9. Believe in yourself!

There’s a reason you’re doing this: either someone asked you to step up because they believe you’re capable, or you volunteered because you believe you’re capable. Regardless, show up prepared and confident, and don’t forget to have faith in yourself. You can do hard things!

These tips aren’t meant to simply help you survive; they will help you thrive. And above all, don’t forget that facilitation only gets better with time, so be gentle with yourself and remember that you don’t need to have all the answers.

For additional reading, check out my post: How to be a great facilitator.