What to consider before preparing for a workshop or offsite

August 4, 2017

To download PDF click here.

When preparing for a workshop or offsite, it is important to define what you hope to achieve. Considering these ten questions will enable your team to have a shared understanding of the objectives and assist your team in working towards them.

 

1. What are your objectives for the event/workshop?

  • Create an engaging and compelling new mission and 5-year vision for our organisation
  • Clarify five year goals and corresponding strategic initiatives
  • Align the senior management team and its work with the new vision and goals
  • Identify two to three big growth ideas for our organisation
  • Involve leaders in developing our business plan for the next planning period
  • Refresh and confirm the environmental forces impacting our organisation
  • Review our performance in the previous financial year
  • Review our decision-making framework and develop and prioritise strategic initiatives

2. What are the deliverables for the workshop/offsite?

  • An outline of a strategic plan that is supported by staff, including a statement of purpose and clear strategic objectives for the organisation
  • Agreed list of potential merger candidates and a calendar of activities to advance discussions with candidates over the next six months

3. How will you know when you are successful?

  • Unsolicited feedback from staff that their contributions have been considered

4. Who are the participants and how many will be attending? What are their wants and needs?

  • Board members
  • Executive team
  • Project team
  • Staff
  • Feeling anxious about change but enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute to strategic decision making.

5. Are there any process issues that are important to you?

  • We want to have all discussions in a large group – no break-outs
  • We want long breaks between sessions to promote reflection
  • We want to use digital technologies to increase participant engagement

6. What is in scope/out of scope for the workshop/offsite?

  • In scope: the event, strategic plan including mission and goals
  • Out of scope: Detailed discussion on measurement and resourcing

7. What are the key dates?

  • Kick-off meeting with project team: <date>
  • Workshop date: <date>
  • Board member pre workshop interviews: to be completed by <date>

8. Who will be on the client project team?

  • E.g. CEO, CEO’s personal assistant, two members of the executive team and Strategic Facilitators

9. What type of venue will help you to achieve your desired outcomes?

  • An overnight venue with a room that has capacity for 45 people
  • A venue with multiple break out rooms

10. What will happen after the workshop

  • A small internal team will develop and draft the strategic plan
  • We will re-engage with the participants in a month to review progress against actions

 

The information contained in this website is indicative and for general information purposes only. For full advice on running a workshop or offsite that will suit your individual requirements please contact Strategic Facilitators on 03 9428 8817.

To download PDF click here.

Posted in