If you’re not familiar with the workshopping way of working, you might be thinking… What even is a workshop? And why would I need one?
Here at Encompass Innovate, we believe that workshops are the diagnosing doctor in coming up with the best possible solution to challenges that you may face.
A workshop (or as we sometimes call them, an Innovation Lab) is a structured organised event where teams come together to collaborate and produce solid outcomes or ideas to take forward. This is usually done through engaging in activities and discussion around a particular subject matter and sharing practical knowledge and experience.
Workshops fundamentally change the way collaborative work happens by replacing unstructured open-discussion and off topic conversation, with practical exercises and activities. They foster structure and uninterrupted ideation.
That’s exactly why we use the power of workshops to help our clients do meaningful work faster and more effectively.
The difference between a workshop and a meeting
Group collaboration is a challenging thing for people to do. Without the right set of tools or practices in place, every meeting inevitably devolves into a frustrating mess.
So how is a workshop different from a meeting:
| Meeting | Workshop |
| Where things get discussed Conversation driven Shallow coverage of a topic Measured in half hours or hours | Where things get done Active participation in group activities In depth coverage of a topic Measured in half days or days |
The difference between a workshop and training
On the other hand, a workshop is not a training session. Training is teaching or developing yourself or others on topics or knowledge that are specific to their job role or industry. Training has a very specific goal of improving capability, productivity and performance and could be something that takes place as a result of a workshop’s outcomes.
So now that you have an idea of what a workshop is…
What do workshops do?
- Get the right people in the room
Workshops get the right people in the room to form a consensus of pain points and learn about specific business processes and operations. - Introduce new ideas
Having a diverse group of people in the room allows for new ideas and ways of working to be brought to the table. - Improve product and service quality
It’s hard to make changes when processes have been in place for years. Workshops have positive effects on business models and improve product and service quality. - Save you time (and money)
Workshops prioritise progress over perfection so that you can focus your efforts and time where it matters. - Outline potential solutions and next steps
Workshops are often arranged because there is a need for a solution to a problem, they allow space for decisions to be made by opening up conversations.
We hope this gave you some insight into what workshops are, and why they are the ultimate tool to move forward (in the right direction). Click here to find out more about our workshops experiences or contact us to have a quick free chat.