Planning a better training workshop doesn’t have to be complicated.
This article is part of our Craft of Training & Speaking Series — tools and techniques for anyone who teaches, facilitates, or speaks to move people to think and act.
Planning a Better Training Workshop
Over my 25-year career as a Trainer, I’ve learned a set of practical choices that help workshops become more effective and more valuable for Participants.
Here are six tips you can use to plan a better workshop.
1. Write a clear mission statement for your workshop
As with any important project, start with a Mission Statement or a set of clear objectives.
This lays the foundation for every decision — from selecting content to designing activities to arranging seating.
Your Mission Statement doesn’t have to be perfect from the start. It can evolve as you gather more input.
Having one early on is critical — especially for any Trainer you bring in to conduct the session.
Here are some examples of effective Mission Statements:
- “By the end of this workshop, Participants will better understand the reasons for our organizational change and feel equipped to navigate through the stages of change.”
- “This workshop will foster stronger integration and bonding between new hires and long-term Team Members.”
- “Participants will leave with a clear understanding of Customer Experience, how it works, and how to bring it to life in their roles.”
Whether the Trainer is the main Speaker or part of a larger event, understanding the mission ensures their alignment and focus for the session.
2. Know your audience before you design the workshop
The composition of your audience directly influences your workshop content and approach.
For example:
If the audience includes both frontline staff and managers, management-only topics (like “how to motivate employees”) may not fit. Instead, focus on universal topics such as stress management or communication habits.
Be as specific as possible. For example: “The audience will include 10% senior leaders, 30% middle managers from Sales & Marketing, and 60% frontline team members split evenly between Shops and the Contact Center.”
This level of detail helps your Trainer(s) tailor their content and delivery effectively.
3. Plan the seating approach thoughtfully
Seating arrangements can significantly impact the success of your workshop.
- Lecture-style seating supports one-way presentations (think TED-style).
- Table seating supports collaboration, discussion, and activities.
With that said, a good Trainer can make lecture-style seating work, by breaking a large audience into small groups. After all, an audience of 100 is really 20 groups of 5.
If your goal is to build connections across teams, avoid seating plans where Managers cluster together, isolating themselves from the rest. Though there may be resistance, mix them up.
Whether you pre-assign seats or let the Trainer organize them, communicate your seating strategy in advance.
I also suggest allowing the Trainer to use respectful strategies to rotate seating when it supports the learning.
In longer duration workshops, I’ve had Participants tell me they want to be exposed to diverse viewpoints – not just those at the table they were assigned to.
That’s meaningful feedback.
4. Define the role of the senior leader
Senior leadership can enhance a workshop — or derail it. Clarify their role with them in advance.
Common roles for the most senior leader include:
- Welcoming Participants and outlining the workshop’s objectives
- Sharing organizational updates or reinforcing the Organization’s direction
- Introducing the Speaker(s)
- Observing Participant input and engagement
I’ve found some leaders are remarkable at welcoming participants. They are clear, effective and motivating.
They worked at it and became pros. That isn’t universal. Even the most experienced senior leaders benefit from a short pre-workshop briefing.
In one event, a senior leader’s unprepared and rambling introduction created tension among Participants and took 20 minutes away from content delivery.
5. Set clear time parameters, early
Good Trainers work to the time they’re given. It still helps to know the time parameters early.
Including:
- start and end times
- breaks, meals and networking time
- the actual content delivery window
For example, a workshop scheduled on a weekend may end earlier than usual.
And while it may sound overly precise, if you normally deliver a 6.0-hour day and on a weekend you have only a 5.0 or 5.5 hour day, the Trainer needs to adjust the content accordingly.
6. Share the evaluations and feedback with your Trainer
Successful Trainers learn from every session – whether its the 5th time or the 50th.
They appreciate the formal feedback from both Participants and the Client.
Share the feedback quickly, highlight the themes that matter most, and discuss what you want to keep, adjust, or remove next time.
A well-planned workshop can influence, inspire, and create real value.
Help Make Your Workshop a Success
Focus on clear objectives, understand your audience, and align the details that shape the experience — and you’ll dramatically improve the odds of success.
Related reading: Where’s the Beef?A CX Lesson Customer Value
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this resonates, I’d love to stay connected.
You can drop me a line anytime, or subscribe on our site.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
