What Makes a Good Workshop

 

Why I love Workshops, but only good ones! Obviously, the workshops I’m talking about here are mostly writing related ones, but some of what I write here applies to many kinds of workshops. A good workshop involves someone who knows things about something, teaching what they know to interested people. It’s that simple, but so easy to get it wrong. If the workshop presenter isn’t happy to be presenting their workshop, a good number of those present will know, and the workshop won’t have an interested audience, and things could go very wrong. I love to listen to a presenter who knows their topic, and who speaks I interestingly about it. But even if their topic knowledge is a bit scratchy, they can still do a good presentation, by going on a learning journey with their audience. But with this kind of presentation, the material must be put forward in an inspiring way, and with total honesty. Pretend knowledge can be found out, and then you’ll lose the respect of your audience And if the audience is an uninterested one, unless the presenter can turn that around, quickly, things could go wrong in this one too. How to turn the audience from uninterested to eager to hear more? Tell them a shocking and honest story about yourself. If you can get the audience feeling sorry for you, and emotionally connected with you, they are now an interested audience. Another way to go is to shape your material so it becomes more about people like those in you audience. If you know the demographic of your audience, talk about how your whatever your topic is, can or could relate to them. Keep your eye on the media headlines too, and talk about something there, that relates in some way to your topic. Don’t be afraid to look vulnerable, but always remain in control, as though you’ve faced trouble, but won through. After all, we all love winners, don’t we, as long as they have at least some level of humility. No-one wants to be lectured by an arrogant person, who looks down on others, do they? So a good workshop presenter is relevant, humble, in touch with what’s happening, knows their subject, isn’t boring, and treats their audience respectfully, as peers. Even if the idea of giving a presentation frightens you, as it does with most people, take comfort in the fact that the people in the audience want you to do well, they are definitely on your side.