Most conversations are not going to be face to face, and we need courageous facilitators to broker dialogues between a widening range of stakeholders.
As facilitators, we work to create conditions where vital dialogues flourish. We’ve all come to wield an astonishingly clever range of tools and materials to unleash team potential. But as the circumstances of work evolve, so too must our mastery of new venues for facilitation. Where these lessons happen is the focus of this book. We aim to show you how, with forethought, conducting remote workshops can be as productive as running them in person.
How? By going digital first.
This requires a mindset shift. Make digital collaboration your starting point, not an afterthought. This takes practice and patience, as Doug Powell, Distinguished Designer at IBM, told us: “Changing team behavior doesn't happen in a single meeting. Give it some time. Learn and adapt."
Solving creative problems isn't the same as facilitating groups who are solving creative problems. This is true for disciplines like engineering and product management as well. Getting others to actively participate in the conversation requires talented, enthusiastic facilitators. We must look beyond the limits of the room to involve key voices in the discussion - no matter where they are located.
It’s taken us hundreds of remote sessions with scores of dispersed teams to tease out what works best in remote workshops. In one case we ran three experiments with Jeff Gothelf, the author of Lean UX, just to focus on making his curriculum remote-friendly. In turn, those insights helped FanDuel build products while working across multiple continents. (Read about the FanDuel case at http://mur. al/leanux).
When we surveyed our collective experiences we were able to identify three key considerations that underpin all effective remote workshops:
TEAMS: Teams have a shape, and your strategy needs to take that into account.
TOOLS: Get agreement on the essential technologies.
TECHNIQUES: Rethink your methods to be remote-friendly.
With these factors sorted, you’re ready to clearly define the team’s target outcome and work towards that objective.
This book assumes that the reader has some experience developing and delivering workshops. However, if you have no facilitation experience you will still find this book helpful. In the end, remote collaboration is a group activity. This book is also instructional for remote workshop participants desiring to improve their interactions.
Your teams are moving into a future filled with remote collaboration, and everyone has a role in the success. Consider what Rachel Smith*, facilitator with The Grove, told us: “Remote facilitation is making it easier for people to do work without being in the same room they are in. Although there are professional facilitators, there are lots of ways to be facilitative that anyone on a remote team can employ.”
Most conversations are not going to be face to face, and we need courageous facilitators to broker dialogues between a widening range of stakeholders.
As facilitators, we work to create conditions where vital dialogues flourish. We’ve all come to wield an astonishingly clever range of tools and materials to unleash team potential. But as the circumstances of work evolve, so too must our mastery of new venues for facilitation. Where these lessons happen is the focus of this book. We aim to show you how, with forethought, conducting remote workshops can be as productive as running them in person.
How? By going digital first.
This requires a mindset shift. Make digital collaboration your starting point, not an afterthought. This takes practice and patience, as Doug Powell, Distinguished Designer at IBM, told us: “Changing team behavior doesn't happen in a single meeting. Give it some time. Learn and adapt."
Solving creative problems isn't the same as facilitating groups who are solving creative problems. This is true for disciplines like engineering and product management as well. Getting others to actively participate in the conversation requires talented, enthusiastic facilitators. We must look beyond the limits of the room to involve key voices in the discussion - no matter where they are located.
It’s taken us hundreds of remote sessions with scores of dispersed teams to tease out what works best in remote workshops. In one case we ran three experiments with Jeff Gothelf, the author of Lean UX, just to focus on making his curriculum remote-friendly. In turn, those insights helped FanDuel build products while working across multiple continents. (Read about the FanDuel case at http://mur. al/leanux).
When we surveyed our collective experiences we were able to identify three key considerations that underpin all effective remote workshops:
TEAMS: Teams have a shape, and your strategy needs to take that into account.
TOOLS: Get agreement on the essential technologies.
TECHNIQUES: Rethink your methods to be remote-friendly.
With these factors sorted, you’re ready to clearly define the team’s target outcome and work towards that objective.
This book assumes that the reader has some experience developing and delivering workshops. However, if you have no facilitation experience you will still find this book helpful. In the end, remote collaboration is a group activity. This book is also instructional for remote workshop participants desiring to improve their interactions.
Your teams are moving into a future filled with remote collaboration, and everyone has a role in the success. Consider what Rachel Smith*, facilitator with The Grove, told us: “Remote facilitation is making it easier for people to do work without being in the same room they are in. Although there are professional facilitators, there are lots of ways to be facilitative that anyone on a remote team can employ.”
.webp)