Innovation Workshops Planning

🎡 How To Run UX Workshops With Users (Scripts + Templates) (https://lnkd.in/evqDZSFe), a helpful overview of practical techniques to turn a verbal-only interview into a collaborative UX workshop — with sticky note mapping, solution drag’n’drop and voting. Put together by Laura Eiche-Laane. 👏🏽 🤔 Users and designers often a speak a different language. ✅ Insights are clearer when you see users performing tasks. ✅ Switch question-answer sections with small visual tasks. ✅ Sticky note mapping: for user flows, journeys, org maps. ✅ Card sorting: organize data, filters, menu items into groups. ✅ Feature location: ask users where they’d expect a new feature. ✅ Drag’n’drop: ask users to design their own UI or page layout. ✅ Solution voting: get feedback on many design directions. ✅ When explaining a task, show what you’d like them to do. ✅ Track where users are undecided, and follow up in a debrief. When I jump in a new project, I like to run walkthroughs with actual users as a way to understand the domain and the product. I simply ask them what the product does and how it helps them in their daily work. And then I invite them to show and explain it to me. I ask them to show how it works, the features they use, the quirks they’ve discovered and the shortcuts and loopholes they rely on daily. Perhaps there is something where the product fails on them, or something they wish was better, or something that is too fragile, confusing, complex or irrelevant. That’s when insights emerge, and that’s when you might notice that the things said and the things done are not necessarily the same thing. Of course users sometimes exaggerate their struggles, but they rarely complain lividly about something that isn’t really an issue for them. 🗃️ Useful resources: How And Why To Include Users In UX Workshops, by Maddie Brown https://lnkd.in/eKdd5GXp UX Workshop Activities With Users, by Jonathon Juvenal https://lnkd.in/eJjpcibR Remote UX Workshop Activities, by Jordan Bowman https://lnkd.in/e8wSMVwC Usability Testing Templates (Scripts), by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/gZyBtK6u UX Workshop Scripts + Templates https://theuxcookbook.com UX Research Templates, by Odette Jansen https://lnkd.in/eqpXyGHH --- 🧲 Miro and Notion templates: UX Research Templates (Miro), by ServiceNow https://lnkd.in/e48nKzKA Miro Templates For Designers https://lnkd.in/e8Hkp-ws Notion Templates For Designers https://lnkd.in/en_VBc6r #ux #design

I have had an amazing internal discussion today and am putting it here so you can make use of it in the week to follow. As a corporate trainer, deep work has evolved into my seasoned ally, a silent force shaping impact and deep learning in my workshops. As a corporate trainer and L&D practitioner, I often find myself navigating the intricate balance of delivering workshops that not only educate but inspire lasting transformation. Today, I invite you behind the scenes to witness how the principles of Deep Work by Cal Newport have become key for my workshop design. 1. Distraction-Free Learning Zones: Creating an environment conducive to deep work is paramount. Before each workshop, I meticulously set the stage—a distraction-free zone where minds can immerse deeply in the learning experience. From silent zones to minimizing digital interruptions, every detail is curated for optimum focus. 2. Time Blocking for Engaged Learning: Time blocks as a balance for flow are a key element of my workshop agenda. Each segment is a deliberately carved block, dedicated to a specific skill or concept. This ensures not only an engaged audience but also a collective deep dive into the subject matter. 3. Prioritizing High-Impact Content: The essence of deep work lies in prioritizing high-impact tasks. When designing workshops, Newport's perspective guides the selection of content—ensuring that every concept explored is not just informative but has a profound, enduring impact on the participants' professional journey. 4. Engaging Deep Work Exercises: Workshops aren't about imparting information; they're about creating experiences for learning and deep thinking on the subject. Participants engage in exercises, creating an immersive space where they can apply newly acquired skills, fostering a deeper understanding that transcends theoretical knowledge. A challenge that I am taking and extending to you too- This week, experience a focused, distraction-free learning environment where every moment is crafted for maximum impact. Try to churn out the learning from the various tasks/ projects you work on. Get deep, that's where innovation happens. Priya Arora #deepwork #thinking #metacognition #learninganddevelopment #softskills #corporateculture #culturematters #workshop #facilitators #facilitation #traininganddevelopment #training The Female Story

Thought I had workshop design down to a T. Turns out I was missing a mindset beginning with T. I used to think it was all about engaging content and dynamic activities. I quickly realised it was about designing for outcomes and objectives. All of which are important. But it wasn't the full picture. I was skipping a critical step. Acknowledging where participants started from. And designing from there. It's like planning a journey without knowing the starting point. Absurd, right? Enter: T for TRANSFORMATION It hit me. Every workshop is about guiding attendees FROM a problem TO a solution. , Whether on leadership development, team dynamics, or innovation... it's a transformation journey. So simple, yet so overlooked. Here are two levels of transformation to consider: 🦋 Macro-level transformation ↳ What do the participants want? • FROM: What problem are we tackling? • TO: What's the transformation they want? 🦋 Micro-level transformation ↳ What we can offer in the workshop?p • FROM: How will they show up? • TO: How will they leave? When I started designing for transformation 13 years ago it not only revolutionised my workshop design but also made it a breeze to communicate their value. Talk about a win-win! Next time you're planning a workshop, remember to start with the transformation. The rest will follow. What transformations do you offer in your workshops? #FacilitationByDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingAndDevelopment #CurriculumDesign #Facilitation #Workshops

Next time you plan to run an innovation challenge, 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆. Are you planning to run an innovation contest or challenge in your organization? Do you want to get the best ideas from your employees and turn them into reality? If yes, then you need to think beyond just offering prizes and rewards. You need to design the whole journey for the participants and show them how their ideas will be evaluated, developed, and implemented. Think of this journey as a treasure map where the participants are the explorers. An innovation contest or challenge is like embarking on a treasure hunt, and the innovation funnel is the map that guides them through the various stages of discovery, from ideation to implementation. Each stage on this map holds its own clues, challenges, and rewards, and by navigating it effectively, participants can uncover the hidden gems of innovation within your organization. But designing an innovation funnel is not enough. You also need to make it visible and transparent to the participants. You need to show them how their ideas will move through the funnel, what feedback they will receive, what support they will get, and what rewards they will earn. You need to create a sense of progress and achievement for the participants, as well as a sense of recognition and appreciation. By doing so, you can increase their engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. Here are some ways you can do that: 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 to display the innovation funnel and the status of each idea. Provide timely and constructive feedback to the participants at each stage of the innovation funnel. 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 to the participants depending on the stage of the innovation funnel. 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 for the participants throughout the innovation funnel. To get the best results from your innovation contest or challenge, you need to: 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 an innovation funnel with decision stages that match your strategic goals and criteria. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 the innovation funnel to the participants and explain how their ideas will be evaluated, developed, and implemented at each stage. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 the participants feel that their ideas matter and that you are committed to making them happen by providing them with feedback, support, and rewards throughout the journey. #InnovationJourney #IdeasThatMatter #TreasureMapInnovation #EmployeeEngagement #InnovationContest

[Steal this] Recently, I ran a hands-on "Building with AI" workshop that walked our Duolingo Product Managers through spinning up brand-new language-learning challenges using the latest AI-powered prototyping tools. Here's the exact workshop guide that you can use with your team. ⬇️ Why we did it: Great PMs ship fast and learn fast. The session let the team: → Practice modern visual-to-code tools (we used Lovable and imported real Figma files with Builder.io) → Stress-test AI chat interfaces for real product work → Walk away with a functional prototype they could show (or lovingly roast) in front of their peers What we learned: → AI tools aren't replacing PMs, but they are giving them a new storytelling tool → The barrier isn't the technology. It's giving people permission (and carving out time!) to experiment → Our team is creative af - we saw games, creative lessons, roasts, you name it! Try it with your team:  We're open-sourcing the entire workshop guide. Why? Because when more PMs can prototype at the speed of thought, better products get built. Period. Your PMs are sitting on massively creative ideas! This workshop unlocks them in one afternoon. How are you experimenting with new AI tools? 👇

Before designing a workshop, I always ask myself: Where does this group need to go 'from' and 'to'? Understanding their starting point helps me define how I want them to leave the session and what success looks like. Take the Work on Climate community workshop I facilitated a few years ago as an example. This vibrant community—tens of thousands connected via Slack—shared similar goals: transitioning their careers into climate work. Yet many hadn't, yet, developed personal connections in the community. Once I pinpointed their journey's start and destination, I broke down the session using the Kaos Pilots 5E model (guide in the comments 👇🏼). Designing a session that instilled pride in being part of a global movement while fostering personal connections in breakout rooms. With over 200 participants, the energy was palpable. And, I knew the workshop was a success when one participant, inspired by our discussion on how they could continue to support one another, took the initiative to form smaller accountability groups to keep the momentum going. How do you start your workshop design process? Picture: a piece of paper with hand written 5E process outlined with the description FROM Group of passionate individuals committed to finding climate work but not connected to each other. TO a community of individuals who are connected to a handful of others who are on similar paths & feel they belong to a wider movement.

Why most workshops fail before they start. It's not the facilitator. It's not the content. It's not the activities. It's what happens before anyone walks in the room. I've seen brilliant facilitators deliver perfect sessions that changed absolutely nothing. And I've seen average facilitators run simple workshops that transformed how a team operates. The difference was never the day itself. It was the design flaw that most people don't think about. Most workshops are designed like this: → Pick a topic → Build an agenda → Choose activities → Deliver the session → Hope something sticks That's an event plan. Not a change plan. The flaw is that the workshop gets designed in isolation. Nobody asks these three questions that determine whether it works: Question 1: "What specific problem are we solving?" Not "team communication" or "leadership development." Those are themes, not problems. → Vague: "We need to improve collaboration." → Specific: "Decisions that should take 2 days are taking 3 weeks because nobody knows who has final sign-off." If you can't describe the problem in one sentence with a measurable symptom, you're not ready to design a workshop. You're ready to design a survey. Question 2: "What will be different on Monday morning?" → Not: "People will feel more aligned." → Instead: "Each team will leave with a written decision-making protocol that names the decision owner for their top 5 recurring decisions." If you can't describe what Monday looks like, the workshop won't work. Question 3: "What happens on Day 15?" The workshop is not the intervention. The workshop is the launchpad. → Who checks in on the commitments made in the room? → What's the structure for accountability? → When is the first follow-up session? If the answer to all three is "we haven't thought about that yet," you're about to spend thousands on something that evaporates by Monday. Here's what a properly designed workshop looks like before Day 1: → A specific, measurable problem to solve (not a theme) → A clear picture of what changes on Monday → A follow-up system designed before the session, not after → Pre-work that gets participants thinking about the problem in advance → A sponsor who owns the outcomes, not just the budget The session itself is the easy part. Anyone can fill 3 hours with activities. The hard part is making sure those 3 hours actually matter 3 weeks later. That's the difference between a workshop and expensive theatre. ___ Save this for later (three dots, top right). Share with friends → ♻️ Repost. Get consultant-grade workshops every Sat → https://lnkd.in/eSfeUapJ

Innovation is emotional. People get attached, defensive, or scared to look foolish. A good facilitator knows how to hold that space, without killing the spark. Here’s how to facilitate innovation workshops. 1️⃣ Start with safety, not structure. Before asking for “big ideas,” create an atmosphere where people feel safe to share half-formed thoughts. The guide suggests beginning with low-stakes activities that build trust and shared purpose, like asking teams to define why the problem matters before they try to solve it. 2️⃣ Design for divergence and convergence. Most workshops fail because they only do one. They either stay in endless idea-generation mode (divergence) or rush too quickly to solutions (convergence). Effective facilitation moves between both... Opening up possibilities, then narrowing with focus. The guide even gives a simple structure for this rhythm: Immerse → Share → Diverge → Converge → Plan. 3️⃣ Manage energy, not just time. You can sense when a group’s energy dips or when debate turns defensive. The best facilitators adapt in real-time, switching activities, reframing questions, or simply taking a pause. The guide recommends using visual tools and timeboxing to keep momentum while giving every voice space. 4️⃣ Make insights visible. Innovation dies in invisible notes and forgotten Post-its. Capture thinking on walls, canvases, or digital boards where everyone can see the patterns forming. When people see their ideas connecting, it builds ownership and confidence. 5️⃣ End with clarity. Facilitating innovation isn’t about “fun workshops.” It’s about helping teams leave with a shared understanding of what’s next... who will prototype, what assumptions need testing, and what decisions need to be made. Read the documents for more tips. 🔥 Follow me for similar content. #Innovation #FacilitatingInnovation

7 Workshop Tactics That Turn Strategy Into Action: The average company workshop costs $10,000+ in executive time alone. Yet most produce nothing but PowerPoints that collect dust. You've probably sat through a few of these yourself, right? Here's what research tells us about running workshops that actually produce results: 1. Start with Why ↳ Begin with clear, measurable objectives ↳ MIT research: Teams with a clear purpose are 35% more likely to succeed 2. Pre-Work Matters ↳ Distribute reading materials 72 hours before the meeting ↳ Journal of Applied Psychology: Pre-reading improves decision quality by 20% 3. Diverse Voices ↳ Include cross-functional perspectives ↳ HBR study: Teams with cognitive diversity solve problems 3.5x faster 4. Problem Framing ↳ Spend the time to narrow in on the right problem ↳ Stanford research: 20% time on problem framing creates 25% better solutions 5. Cognitive Breaks ↳ Schedule 10-minute breaks every 50 minutes ↳ Cognition journal: Short breaks reduce cognitive fatigue by 40% 6. Visualization Tools ↳ MIT research: Brain processes visuals 60,000x faster than text ↳ Wharton study: Visual aids are 43% more persuasive than text alone 7. Action Commitment ↳ HBR research: 70% of strategic failures come from poor execution ↳ Project Management Institute: Clear task assignments are 37% more successful The difference between a $10,000 conversation and a $10,000,000 breakthrough isn't smarter people. It's smarter workshop design. Which principle will you implement in your next workshop? ♻️ Share this with your team before your next workshop. 🔔 Follow me, Ali Mamujee, for more actionable content.

How I Build Any Class, Course, or Workshop (and how you can too) People often ask me how I design my courses. The answer isn’t magic. It’s a process. One you can steal. Step 1: Start at the End Before slides, stories, or exercises, I define the outcome. • How should they feel when it’s over? • What should they know that they didn’t before? • What should they do next (concretely, not vaguely)? If you can’t answer those three, you’re not ready to design. Step 2: Build from Your Inventory I keep a library of: • Stories (personal + case studies) • Research and data points • Frameworks and lessons • Exercises, challenges, and reflections When a company asks me for a “custom” workshop, I don’t start from scratch. I remix from this inventory by plugging in the right stories and lessons that match the outcomes. Customization ≠ Reinventing the wheel. It’s remixing with intent. (This took me a while to do -- building this inventory -- but once I had it, I realized how powerful it has become for me). Step 3: Sequence for Energy I design like a rollercoaster: • Start with something that surprises or makes them lean in. • Mix moments of listening with moments of doing. • End with action (what they’ll do on Monday). The order matters as much as the content. Step 4: Test + Tighten Every class, talk, or program is a draft. I note what stories landed, what exercises flopped, what moments sparked energy. That’s how I grow my inventory, and why each program gets sharper over time. 💡 Save this for later: Next time you need to build a course, a workshop, or even a keynote, use this checklist: 1. Define Feel → Know → Do 2. Pull from your inventory 3. Design the sequence 4. Test and improve It’s not about creating from scratch. It’s about reverse engineering for outcomes. Curious... what’s the one inventory item you lean on most when teaching or presenting?