Research Based Improvements to the Value Workshop Industry – Part 2

Facilitation Best Practices, Processes, and Physical Tools

The world of facilitation has drastically evolved within these post-pandemic days. Going from face-to-face, in-person workshops, to stumbling through entirely virtual environments and back, the realm of facilitation has grown beyond any limit we could have placed upon it.

And as with all growth, we too have had to adapt. In “Research Based Improvements to the Value Workshop Industry”, we discussed the call for change that COVID-19 forced upon the industry; the emergence of newfound research exploring the effectiveness of virtual versus in-person facilitation; and the rise of facilitation tools such as virtual whiteboards, large group brainstorming techniques, and production blocking awareness.

Although the world has begun to spin again, and in-person and hybrid facilitation is back in full swing, virtual workshops are also here to stay.  Discussed in this article are lessons learned, that propel facilitation techniques forward, irrespective of what environment it is being used.

Here at VMS, we leverage the use of virtual technology and collaboration tools to engage and motivate participants to create and innovate both in a virtual environment and in person. Through trial and success, we’ve compiled our favorite methods to share with you. We’ll also walk you through some of our favorite physical tools to use for facilitation for all workshop environments.

The Virtual Space:

Using Electronic Brainstorming (EBS):

Utilized with both virtual and in-person workshops for simultaneous idea generation. EBS is any electronic format that enables collective, multi-user interaction. EBS allows for the group to have a co-location of referable project information; this allows for more informed participation and reduces assumptions. All this contributes to more acceptable ideas presented at the end of each workshop. EBS also allows for visual representations of ideas, making complicated ideas easier to understand from other participants’ perspectives and reducing the likelihood that a valuable idea is neglected due to a misunderstanding. EBS is even more crucial in hybrid settings where some participants are in person, and some participants are online. Collecting ideas on a collaborative whiteboard allows for participants online to participate simultaneously with those in person as full fledge members instead of merely being a supporting role. Without a place for online engagement, participants disengage from the process and social loaf.  Moving this space online through collaborative whiteboards shifts the focal point to an even playing field for both online and in-person participants, which reduces the likelihood of disengagement and contributes to more diverse ideas.

Brainwriting:

Brainwriting is a group creativity technique where participants write down their ideas first and then add them to the collection of ideas either immediately or in delayed increments. In settings where internet is not readily available, brainwriting can also be used to help alleviate production blocking issues (read more about this in “Research Based Improvements to the Value Workshop Industry”).

The facilitator collecting ideas in the front of the room is great for tending to others’ ideas; however, creates a bottleneck of creativity, leading to production blocking through reduced Long Term Memory Recall (LTM). Sticky notes can be used to separate ideas and then placed on the physical board in the front of the room and copied onto the virtual whiteboard to keep everyone engaged and informed.

It is recommended that the categories are done in small batches, as it will force participants to generate ideas in categories they normally would not focus on if they were given full range. After the first collection of ideas, the group should go over those ideas to help inspire new ideas and directions they may have not considered.

Implementing In-App Voting and Feedback Mechanisms for EBS:

You’ve got the ball rolling with ideas, and the whiteboard is collecting everything, but with many voices come many ideas. How do you keep up with everyone’s opinion when working virtually?

Simply utilize in-app voting tools, stickers, or emoticons for idea evaluation to engage, provide immediate feedback, and track what participants think about each idea. This can help maintain engagement while reducing the chance of missing a great concept. “Old School Stickers” can help mimic the process of using physical dots or stickers that we use for in-person studies while eliciting the same implicit emotions. We recommend using in-app voting to weigh which ideas garner more attention and potential than others. In-app voting may not fully encapsulate everything but might provide an easier method than moving and tracking stickers.

It is important to note that this voting method is designed to be a discussion tool to help manage time within the workshop. The ideas that have the most votes should then be discussed further to analyze potential drawbacks or critical failures. Evaluation is the first process on the convergence of ideas, and it is the goal of the facilitator to elicit dissenting opinions to find the most valuable ideas. The evaluation process is just as important as the creativity process, in that if a valuable idea is not picked, the generation of that idea is moot. So even low scoring ideas should be reviewed and at the very least looked at again to make sure no valuable ideas were missed.

A voting strategy will be discussed in the next article, Facilitation Best Practices and Mental Tools, which will discuss a two-phase voting approach.

Working with CUI Projects:

The virtual world is great for facilitation, but how do you collaboratively work if certain information should have limited access? For projects (both online and face-to-face) involving Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), we recommend the use of CUI-compliant collaborative whiteboards, like Bluescape. This virtual whiteboard can be used for the brainstorming and evaluation process or for the entire study from Prestudy to Implementation. This tool, and other tools like it, enables an easier environment to perform CUI workshops virtually or in person while allowing for seamless document control and maximum team collaboration. Documents can be shared and stored within this environment which simplifies the process and helps to track progress on development.

Conclusion:

In the dynamic world of facilitation, the post-pandemic era has presented unique challenges and opportunities. As we navigate through this evolving landscape, it’s clear that both virtual and in-person workshops have distinct advantages that can be harnessed through the right tools and techniques. By integrating EBS and brainwriting, we can foster a collaborative environment that enhances idea generation and minimizes productivity loss. CUI-compliant tools ensure secure and efficient collaboration for sensitive projects, while in-app voting and feedback mechanisms keep participants engaged and invested in the process.

Developing ideas directly on a whiteboard not only improves real-time accountability but also reduces social loafing, ensuring that every participant remains actively involved. These strategies collectively contribute to more effective and inclusive facilitation, regardless of the setting.

As we continue to refine our approaches, the key takeaway is adaptability. Embracing new technologies and methods allows us to stay ahead in delivering high-quality, innovative solutions in any workshop environment. By leveraging these research-based improvements, facilitators can drive meaningful outcomes and elevate the overall value of the workshops they lead.

Stay tuned for Part 3, Mental Tools, which dives into the psychological aspects of the group facilitation process. These are important to leverage concepts such as psychological safety, mitigating the illusion of group productivity, and priming for phases of the workshop.