Workshop Facilitation

When is it beneficial to have a workshop facilitated?

The reasons for workshops are diverse. Sometimes processes, tasks, or structures are being reviewed; other times the goal is to strengthen collaboration and team climate. Workshops can also help generate change in mindsets through new perspectives and jointly developed innovations. In addition, company goals and strategic foundations are often developed and communicated within workshops. Top-down decisions frequently lead to resistance and demotivation. This can be significantly reduced when those affected are well-informed and given opportunities to contribute in workshops.

What makes our workshop facilitation effective?

Workshops are often part of a larger process. Sometimes we accompany this process through regular meetings, and sometimes we are brought in only at specific points.

To make the workshop as effective as possible, we always seek to understand at the outset the context in which it is being conducted. In a preparatory meeting, we clarify your wishes, concerns, and goals to create a suitable design.

During the workshop itself, we do not limit ourselves to the role of a neutral facilitator. We provide advice when we have expertise, offer brief inputs, or influence the process as psychologically trained coaches.

In conducting the workshops, we use a broad repertoire of methods:

• Information sequences (e.g., on new strategic foundations or company structures, change initiatives, implementation planning) or short knowledge inputs provide clarity.

• Various analysis models and tools, such as SWOT analyses (for objective assessment of options), the Sailship Model or Team Canvas (for team analysis), and the Golden Circle (Why? How? What? for shared alignment) allow for a deep understanding of the current situation.

• Classical facilitation methods serve to systematically develop shared solutions. This can be done in pairs, small groups, galleries, or plenary sessions. Such an approach is suitable for planned initiatives, decisions, and factual-technical content.

• In emotionally charged, complex, or uncertain situations, we use agile methods that integrate participants’ needs more deeply (e.g., Appreciative Inquiry, Dynamic Facilitation, Open Space) and make pressing issues manageable.

• Creative and experiential elements (e.g., outdoor exercises, walk-and-talk sessions, team exercises, drawing, Liberating Structures) or embedding the entire workshop, including activity phases, in an appropriate narrative (e.g., world tour, hiking adventure) foster connection, deepen relationships, and are highly engaging.

• Results are secured by visualizing all agreements and outcomes during the workshop, which are then summarized in a photo record. We also use goal-achievement models (e.g., success models, ReflACTION® cards), scaling exercises, or digital surveys (e.g., with Mentimeter).

Thanks to our large consulting team and extensive expertise, we can handle group sizes from 3 to 300 participants. For distributed teams, we also offer virtual workshops.