How to Effectively Conduct a Workshop for Employees: Steps and Best Practices

Workshops have become a pivotal part of organizational growth and learning. From employee engagement initiatives to practical skills-based training, companies recognize or should start recognizing the immense value these workshops bring. 

But Why Host a Workshop for Employees?

The reason for starting our chat in this manner is because we truly believe that understanding the "why" behind these sessions is as crucial as the "how." Naturally, the benefits of hosting a workshop are manifold. However, in our opinion, these are the most important ones.

• Skill Enhancement: Development-focused activities can provide targeted skills training and foster professional growth. 

Tip: Look at the latest trend in your domain. Host a workshop on these techniques. 

• Team Cohesion: Employee engagement initiatives can help teams bond, communicate more effectively, and become more invested in company goals.

Tip: A team-building workshop can involve fun activities like group projects, where employees from different departments collaborate. This can help in breaking silos and ensuring better inter-departmental communication.

• Improved Collaboration: Implementing new operational strategies can help employees work more effectively as a team.

Tip: A workshop on collaborative tools such as Trello can help employees learn how to manage tasks better and communicate effectively on projects.

Steps to Conducting an Effective Workshop

Now that we've established the importance of these events let's delve into the roadmap for hosting a successful workshop. So, without any further ado, here’s our take on how to create a memorable, impactful workshop experience.

• Set Clear Objectives: What do you aim to achieve? Whether it's exploring corporate workshop ideas or a unique "Who am I” workshop to boost self-awareness and team dynamics, begin with a goal.

Tip: For instance, if you are aiming to boost team morale, a workshop could be themed around positivity and sharing success stories.

• Know Your Participants: Align your workshop content with the participants' knowledge level and expectations.

Tip: Understand the context of the seniority of the team.. 

• Design Engaging Content: Generate innovative employee event ideas or focus on specific tools and techniques.

Tip: Let’s think of a workshop focused on time management. Introduce a new idea that your team hasn’t used so far. Maybe the Pomodoro Technique?   

• Prioritize Hands-on Learning: It's the crux of how to conduct a workshop for employees. Emphasize practice over theory.

Tip: The workshop should not be just about the trainer talking and trainees taking notes. After a brief theory session, encourage the participants to make and present slides to practice what they've learned.

• Facilitate Open Discussion: Promote dialogue. It could range from feedback on the actual employee engagement workshop ideas to discussing what the team loves or doesn’t love about current processes.

Tip: After introducing a new company process, host a Q&A session to address concerns and gather feedback.

• Choose an Appropriate Venue: The right space can set the tone for learning and interaction.

Tip: Don’t make your employees feel they are back in the classroom. Try to find an open space with movable chairs and lots of whiteboards. A strict conference room setting won’t help the attendees relax and enjoy the workshop.

Best Practices for Hosting Workshops

Quality is key, and that’s why it’s essential to abide by best practices when setting up your event. Therefore, here’s our take on the matter.

• Involve Subject Matter Experts: Their insights can deepen the workshop's impact.

Tip: Regardless of the workshop’s topic, always invite an expert in the field to give an insightful presentation.

• Balance Feedback: Praise good ideas but also guide them towards more effective solutions.

Tip: While reviewing an employee’s project during the workshop, highlight its strengths before suggesting areas of improvement.

• Incorporate Technology: Use digital tools that align with your training workshop for employees to boost engagement.

Tip: Use platforms like Hapkey to point out the improvement opportunities for the team or Miro for collaborative brainstorming sessions.

• Stay Adaptable: Flexibility ensures your workshop can respond to the room's needs.

Tip: If participants are finding a segment too basic, be ready to skip or speed through it.

• Gather Feedback Post-Session: Understand what worked and what didn’t.

Tip: Feedback is king. So, once again, distribute a digital feedback form such as Hapkey to learn how the team feels after the workshop.

• Follow-up: Keep the conversation going.

Tip: Use Hapkey to create an action plan after the workshop. Send out resources or summary notes post-workshop to reinforce learning. Set a date for a follow-up session to revisit the topics.

In Conclusion

Effective workshops are an indispensable tool for fostering employee engagement, development, and overall team success. The key lies in continuous improvement and sustained engagement, which goes beyond the scope of any single event.  

As you embark on your workshop journey, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: 

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." 

This is why involvement is a workshop's true power, propelling both individual and organizational growth.

And last but not least, to ensure your team is continually moving towards success, consider incorporating Hapkey into your development initiatives. This platform provides the actionable insights and tracking features necessary for evolving your sessions over time, making it an invaluable asset for any forward-thinking manager.

By taking these measures, you're not just conducting a workshop; you're laying the foundation for long-term team growth and success.