Tool Workshop storyboard Tool Workshop storyboard Purpose and

Tool: Workshop storyboard

Tool: Workshop storyboard Purpose and yield The purpose of the workshop storyboard is: • • • to ensure the desired impact of the planned meeting or workshop to make a good connection between the five dimensions, a good staging and facilitation includes that the purpose and results of the workshop are clear that the right people participate and the right environment is created that the process is designed appropriately and supported by the right methods and materials When is the tool used in the project? • The storyboard is used every time a meeting, workshop, hearing, review, etc. is to be prepared. • The documentation in the storyboard allows you to collect a stock of meeting types and parts that can be reused. • The storyboard describes the staging. Then, the facilitation of the meeting consists in following the storyboard. Pitfalls and restrictions • Use the storyboard to create variation in the meetings. Don’t develop just one standard project team meeting and then repeat it indefinitely. • When there are many participants, everyone cannot talk. Therefore, it is a good and effective principle that instructions go directly from the speaker to the relevant person and are then discussed in groups. • Some employees don’t favor expressing themselves in large assemblies. Therefore, assign tasks to groups that discuss the topic. Then the group returns to plenary. Everyone has then expressed their opinion in the group without everyone having to hear every person. It gives them a better opportunity to express their views in a smaller forum. • Think of variation. A regular 15 -minute break every 90 minutes. • Use the breaks. The participants can easily gain a lot from them. Use small disturbances which simultaneously challenges the brain. For example a riddle, a joke, five minutes of gymnastics and a refreshment. • Consider whether you are the right person to facilitate the meeting. • You cannot simultaneously be a facilitator and participate in the discussions. Either you participate or you facilitate.

Approach Who should participate? The workshop storyboard is prepared by the project manager or the person who is to facilitate the meeting – perhaps in collaboration with those who need to complete the meeting or workshop, for example. table chairman if there are several groups (cafe tables). How to do! The workshop storyboard consists of two templates. • Template 1 describes in the top line which meeting or workshop is involved. Who the participants are and what the desired impact of the meeting is. Below, the storyboard consists of five columns describing: The time for the particular program item and the selected process. Then the room and the desired environment are described. Finally, the methods and materials to be used for that point are described as well as who is responsible for the point. • Template 2 contains only the five columns and can be used as a second page to template 1, if it’s a very detailed storyboard. The following is described in the storyboard: • Desired impact: That can be acceptance of proposals, agreement on solution, developing proposals, knowledge of problem, change of attitude, updated plan, acceptance of changed behavior etc. • Participants can e. g. be a homogeneous group, interdisciplinary group, cross-organizational group or employees from different organizational levels. • Time of that specific part of the meeting. Create variation and divide the meeting into blocks of 20 minutes. There must be a 15 -minute break every 90 minutes. • Program point and process: The process is the timetable for this program item during the meeting or workshop with time intervals and stops along the way. It describes how the individual sessions proceed and the connection to other parts of the program part. There is also an overall process for the entire meeting or workshop. • The room and the environment include all physical elements such as sound, light, temperature and table setting. Emotional elements such as motivation, empathy, persistence, structure, etc. Sociological elements that include working alone, in pairs, as a group and in plenary. Finally, there are physiological elements: meals and snacks, energy intake, need for movement, breaks, time of day. • Methods and materials: The methods must ensure involvement. It can e. g. be post-it notes, cardboard cards, boards, flip charts, big screen etc. Creativity techniques such as brainstorming, reverse brainstorming, use of random words, pictures etc. It can also be openers, closers, icebreakers, energizers and other small tasks. • Responsible: It is agreed and noted who is responsible for that point in the program.

Staging of the meeting or workshop Staging includes five dimensions that you must relate to when planning any meeting, workshop or the like. The purpose of the event, the people who participate, the environment where it takes place, the process course and the practical methods you want to use during the process. It is the combination of the five elements that provide the framework for the event and it must be designed in the most appropriate way. It is these five elements the facilitator must have an overview of when the process rolls. Which "buttons" are there to be adjusted? The five elements are illustrated in the staging star. The purpose of the meeting or the workshop The most common reason for meetings and workshops running off track is that the track is not clear enough. Therefore, the first step is to clarify: PEOPLE: Involving the participants in an optimal way with respect to their preferences, relationships, context and learning styles PROCESS DESIGN: Designing the process THE TASK AND I before, during and after, so there is the right Purpose, success criteria, interaction between deliveries, framework and calm and pace, group plan and individual, break and hard work. METHOD: Use the optimal facilitation methods and use a facilitator who can manage the task ENVIRONMENT: Creating the appropriate physical and mental environment for the event What is the purpose? What is the task? What results are expected? What is the meaning and value of the event? Are there any particular expectations for the framework, form and process? • How much time do we have and what can we actually do? • What are the success criteria for the meeting? • • • The next question is who will be the right person to facilitate this event. Many project managers perceive it as their task, but it may be more appropriate to let someone else facilitate the meeting. The purpose or desired impact of the meeting is noted at the top right of template 1.

Choose the right people and create the right environment Choose the right people for the meeting The group must be composed so that the purpose of the meeting can be fulfilled. If decisions are to be made, the group must consist of persons who can make this type of decision. Should a particular problem be solved, the group must consist of the people who can solve this problem. Select the composition of the attendees: • Homogeneous group. The group is composed with a uniform background within the subject area, organizational location or interests. The purpose is to ensure acceptance or understanding of a particular audience. • Interdisciplinary group. The group is composed to cover the subject areas that are relevant to the task in question. The purpose is to find holistic solutions, or idea generation that is based on interdisciplinary insight. • Cross-organization. The group is composed to cover the departments that are relevant to the task in question. The purpose is to ensure cross-organizational acceptance or understanding and to identify needs, issues and expectations across the organization. • Different organizational levels. The group is composed to cover the hierarchical levels relevant to the task in question. The purpose is to ensure acceptance or understanding at different organizational levels, as well as expectation reconciliation and idea generation vertically in the organization. Create an environment with an appropriate disturbance Participants must achieve common knowledge. Dunn & Dunn has described various learning styles that should be included in our staging to ensure effective learning: • Physical elements: sound, light, temperature and interior design • Emotional elements: Motivation, adaptation, persistence and structure • Sociological elements: Working alone, in pairs, groups, teams, authority and variation • Physiological elements: Perception, energy intake, need for movement, time of day. The environment covers the physical space and everything that covers: • Can everyone see? Are there small tables for group discussions? Is there adequate floor space and light? The decor can create a desired mood. • The general environment inside and outside. • The room itself. Size, floor space, wall space, windows, acoustics and lighting. • Opportunities for interior design: Technology, furniture and facilities. Various table layouts. • Materials: Distribution, logbooks, boards, posters, stickers, cardboard pieces, nameplates, T-shirts. • What to eat and drink. For breakfast and breaks. What's on the tables during the meeting? • How are sound and microphones? Should music be played and which kind? • How is the indoor climate – also late in the afternoon? • Which light sources will you use? The fixed light, small lamps on the cafe tables or candles?

Design the process and support the right methods and materials The right process The process is the road map for the meeting or workshop with time intervals and stops along the way. The following must be considered in connection with the design of the process: • What happens before, during and after the event? • How long does the individual elements take and have you thought of "in-betweens". • How is the balance between the different elements, different moods, pace, energy, reflection, intimacy, concrete and abstract themes? • How long do the different sub-elements and breaks take? Will there be enough time to get from group rooms to plenary? • How do the individual sessions proceed and how is the relationship? • Who carries out the different sessions? Lecturers, illustrators, management, project manager or employees? • Whether you need to design processes for a few or many participants, there are certain basic elements that must always be in place. • Introduction containing purpose, background, program and roles. • Tournament round: Who are we? In large sessions this is done within the groups. • Expectation reconciliation and rules of the game. • The task that the process must work with. • The actual solution of the task. • Conclusion, presentation and discussion. • Think of variation. A break of 15 minutes every 90 minutes. Break the program into blocks of 20 minutes duration. There must be room for both calm and pace, breaks and hard work. The right methods and materials The processes must involve the participants all the way. It is therefore crucial that you use methods that ensure this involvement. It can e. g. be cardboard pieces that allow all participants to record their input. Everyone can see all the inputs and together they can sort the suggestions. It can be a method like dot grading, where everyone goes up and marks the three proposals that they think are the most important. Visual methods such as post-it notes, cardboard pieces, boards, flip charts, large screens, etc. Creativity techniques such as brainstorming, reverse brainstorming, use of random words, images, etc. Which openers, closers, icebreakers and energizers do you want to use? • Energizers are usually an exercise of about 15 minutes, often with a physical element that aims to raise the energy level. Particularly suitable just after lunch and after long plenary sessions. • Icebreakers is an exercise of approximately 15 minutes with the purpose of giving the participants the opportunity to get to know each other better. Particularly suitable for start-up of the course or the day. The purpose is to break the ice and start a conversation among the participants. • Openers and closers are small reflection exercises that put us on track of today's work or close and tie loops. To show a point or create curiosity about today's topic. The purpose is to round off and focus on the main messages. The exercise must make sense in relation to the topic.

Template 1: Storyboard with target group and impact Meeting or workshop Time Participants Desired impact Program point and process The room and the environment Methods and materials Responsible

Template 2: Storyboard Methods and materials The room and the environment Responsible Time Program point and process

References and links Connection to other tools • The project organization : The organization describes who is allocated to the different roles in the project. It gives a good picture of who should participate in steering committee meetings, project group meetings, meetings in working groups, meetings in the reference group or groups. • Stakeholder analysis: The stakeholder analysis describes the various stakeholders and their views on the project. This can be an important source for deciding who will attend various workshops. • The milestone plan: The plan describes who does what and when. Who is responsible for the individual workstreams and milestones. The overall meeting plan must be coordinated with the milestone plan. Links References • The book: Facilitation, 1 st edition, Djoef Publishing, 2017

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