2019 - How to Run a Workshop People Won't Hate

UX Y'all 2019 Session by Erik Johnson

Transcript

1. ACTIVITY:
 
 On your white index card, write 
 YOUR ONE BEST TIP for running an effective workshop
2. = Erik Johnson
 erik@purposeux.com
 medium.com/@ejohnson99
 @ejexpress (twitter) www.purposeux.com HOW TO RUN A WORKSHOP
 PEOPLE WON’T HATE
3. What we’ll cover… 1. Facilitation 101 2. Designing effective and inclusive activities
 3. ONE SIMPLE TRICK to avoid workshop failure
 4. Using your skills to save money (and the environment)
4. 1. Facilitation 101
5. IS THIS GOING TO BE A WASTE MY TIME?
6. RULE #1 have an opener (and an agenda)
8. “Let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves” Worst possible opener
9. Write down THREE THINGS: 1. Your name 2. Your role on this project 3. One thing you hope we accomplish today Good Opener
10. RULE #2 always be mindful of status
11. https://rework.withgoogle.com Five Keys to a Successful Team
12. “non-threatening, yet competent”
13. Passive/ Permissive Aggressive/ Authoritarian EFFECTIVE FACILITATION Clear purpose and clear plan
 Outcome is co-created by all
 Structure exists, but is flexible Conflict does not lead to power struggle All empowered to participate … comes from showing everyone proper respect Assertive
 “just right”
14. try not to wear two hats
15. RULE #3 you can’t make people participate
16. RULE #3 (continued) … but if you use inclusive activities, they will
17. 2. Effective and Inclusive Activities
18. People with great ideas People eager to talk
 during meetings WHY THIS MATTERS
19. Effective and inclusive activities… 1.Have clear instructions 2.Use appropriate constraints 3.Give people time to think 4.Are focused on the contribution, 
 not the contributor
20. “they’re not doing it right!!”
21. ACTIVITY:
 
 On your white index card, write 
 YOUR ONE BEST TIP for running an effective workshop
22. Task Trifecta 1.Tell people what to do 2.Tell people what NOT to do 3.Model the activity
 (do ONE TASK at a time)
23. ACTIVITY:
 
 On your white index card, write 
 YOUR ONE BEST TIP for running an effective workshop
24. Like this Not like this Like this
25. Other Inclusive Activities: 1. Write + Share 2. Post-it Dump 3. Silent Grouping 4. Dot Voting 5. Silent Ranking 6. Gallery Walk
26. 2. Post-It Dump 1. Clear instructions 2. Appropriate constraints 3. Time to work 4. Focused on the contribution *Write ONE activity per post-it!
27. 3. Silent Grouping 1. Clear instructions 2. Appropriate constraints 3. Time to work 4. Focused on the contribution
28. 4. Dot Voting 1. Clear instructions 2. Appropriate constraints 3. Time to work 4. Focused on the contribution
29. 5. Silent Ranking 1. Clear instructions 2. Appropriate constraints 3. Time to work 4. Focused on the contribution
30. 5. Silent Ranking, again 1. Clear instructions 2. Appropriate constraints 3. Time to work 4. Focused on the contribution
31. 6. Gallery Walk 1. Clear instructions 2. Appropriate constraints 3. Time to work 4. Focused on the contribution
32. RULE #4 plan backwards
33. EX: Journey Mapping Workshop End product: Map of the Customer Journey
 
 … we need to focus on high-priority scenarios for main customer types … we need to identify scenarios for each customer type … we need to understand the different types of customer … we need to know the customer needs our product addresses
 … we need to understand the business context for the product
 … we need to know what success looks like for this product
 beginning of workshop end of workshop
34. …and of course, the basics •Start and end on time
 • Give people breaks
 • Keep device use to a minimum
 • Stop talking when people are thinking
 • Have a “Parking Lot” problems we won’t solve today
35. 3. ONE SIMPLE TRICK to avoid workshop failure
36. PICK UP THE PHONE! Single best idea in the talk, please steal it Schedule a 15-20 minute “pre-interview” with every participant
 (or however many you can easily get) RULE #5
37. WHY DO THIS? 1) More context for your workshop design
 
 2) Know what the “hot button” issues are ahead of time
 
 3) Get perspective from people who might not speak up, attend, contribute, etc. otherwise
 
 4) Eliminate “problem” behavior
38. PEOPLE WANT TO BE HEARD AND FEEL VALUED you can meet those needs with very little effort (big trade secret - shhhhhhh!)
39. “so tell me more about…”
40. 4. Using your skills to save money 
 (and the environment)
41. DON’T MAKE PEOPLE FLY RULE #6
42. “Partial Remote” (a few people are remote, most are in-room) “Full Remote” (most people are remote) vs. Use a scribe Put everyone on a device
43. FACILITATING FULL REMOTE 1. Avoid undirected questions - explicitly structure participation (use an attendee list + random.org if you hate “calling on” people)
 2. Set up an official backchannel
 (you’ll want a two-monitor setup) 3. Get comfortable with “dead air” (and with cutting people off) screen share workshop backchannel
44. Slack messages = writing + voting (one idea/concept per message) Use “reactions” as dot votes for prioritizing, etc.
45. Trello cards = sorting, ranking, mapping (one idea/concept per card) (there’s also a voting “powerup” you can turn on)
46. TROUBLESHOOT AHEAD OF TIME 1. Do a tech dry run PRIOR to the workshop 2. Give participants a task to do PRIOR to the workshop that requires creating an account, joining the channel, etc.
 (then annoy them relentlessly until they do it)
 step 1 step 2 step 3
47. ALL THE RULES 1. Have an opener (and an agenda) 2. Be mindful of status 3. You can’t make people participate… 
 …but they will if you use inclusive activities 4. Plan backwards 5. Pick up the phone! (do pre-interviews) 6. Don’t make people fly
48. THANK YOU! www.purposeux.com Erik Johnson
 erik@purposeux.com
 medium.com/@ejohnson99
 @ejexpress (twitter)