{"id":1850,"date":"2014-06-12T02:58:48","date_gmt":"2014-06-12T06:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/terrencemetz.com\/?p=1850"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:50:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:50:37","slug":"workshop-documents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/workshop-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"Do NOT Lead Another Workshop Without These Four Workshop Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are four workshop\u00a0documents each facilitator must provide or ensure:<\/span><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Pre-Read<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Annotated Agenda<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Slide Deck<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Output Notes (Deliverables)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/h4>\n

    Workshop Documents — Pre-Read<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Your participants need to show up at your workshop prepared and ready to contribute. Do not assume they will. Lead them. Provide them with a compelling pre-read. First of all, the pre-read should include at least the components shown below. If your pre-read is a large document, provide a personalized cover letter asking each subject matter expert to focus on topics and pages that you have highlighted. Consequently, your courtesy encourages them the obligation to take time to read their parts.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Participants'<\/a>

    One of Four Workshop Documents: Participants’ Package,\u00a0(Pre-read)<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

    <\/h3>\n

    Workshop\u00a0Purpose, Scope, Deliverables, and Simple Agenda<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

    EVERY meeting, even a fifty-minute session, needs to have an articulate purpose, boundaries (i.e., scope), and either well-codified outputs or a generally described outcome document. The deliverables (or output\/ outcome) describe what DONE looks like when the session ends. A description of the deliverables describes ‘DONE’ and what the group delivers during the meeting. The agenda, hopefully structured (NOT simply a \u2018discussion\u2019; a term closely related to \u2018percussion\u2019 and \u2018concussion\u2019), shows the group how it is going to get to the deliverable or the end of the session.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Questions to be Addressed<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

    Since\u00a0you want your participants to show up prepared, help them. Agree in advance (optimally through private interviews) on what questions ought to be raised during their session and have them prepare responses before the meeting begins. Confirm with them the validity of the questions and obtain their feedback about questions they may wish to add, deemed important, and perhaps missing from your original list of questions. Consider the most important reason for meetings\u2014building consensual answers to questions important to the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Mission, Value, and Vision<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

    When arguments arise, active listening should be used first to avoid people, who unknowingly, may be in violent agreement with each other. When active listening fails, sometimes due to the stubbornness of participants, an appeal must be made to WHY the meeting is being held. Because no one wants more meetings. They only want results that accelerate projects and activities that occur after the meeting. To reconcile arguments, be prepared to appeal to the objectives of the project\/ product, program, business unit, or enterprise that your meeting supports.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Glossary of Terms<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

    You cannot afford to allow arguments about the meaning of terms you use and build into your preparatory efforts. For example, some consider\u00a0Goals as\u00a0fuzzy statements and Objectives are SMART. To others, the opposite is true. For\u00a0some people, Mission is why they show up and Vision is where they are going. To others, it is the opposite. Standardize your operational definitions, share them, and enforce consistent use and interpretation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Space for Participants\u2019 Note-taking<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

    As a kind gesture, provide some extra space for them to take notes. It will be appreciated.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/h4>\n

    Workshop Documents —\u00a0<\/strong>Your Personal, Annotated Agenda<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Your detailed methods should be built as if you were there visualizing every step in advance. Include breakout teams, team names and members, and CEOs (i.e., Chief Easel Operators), but most importantly, detail how you will analyze their input (i.e., the second activity of Brainstorming). Our typical annotated agenda runs 20 pages long, even for a three-hour session.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/h4>\n

    Workshop Documents —\u00a0<\/strong>Slide Deck<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Provide the participants copies of the slides you use, and do not forget to include operational definitions. You don\u2019t need our help here since this is what you do best; i.e., create decks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/h4>\n

    Workshop Documents —\u00a0<\/strong>Output Notes<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Your effort to create\u00a0a solid pre-read, annotated agenda, and slide deck makes meeting notes a snap. Simply drop in the content developed during the meeting alongside the content provided by your pre-read, annotated agenda, and slides. As a result, you are ready to call it good. Congratulations on completing your four essential meeting documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

    NOTE:\u00a0<\/strong>Which of these four meeting documents can you afford to skip? None of them of course, unless you avoid death by PowerPoint and spare them the deck by referring to content you already provided in the pre-read.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    In a world where everyone can engage in decisions that affect them<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    ______<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

    Lead the Change\u2014One Meeting at a Time<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Are you ready to transform how decisions are made, problems are solved, and alignment is built in your organization?<\/span><\/p>\n

    True meeting leadership goes beyond setting an agenda.<\/b> It requires a facilitator who can navigate complexity, balance voices, and drive toward outcomes with clarity and consensus. Our Professional Meeting Leadership Workshop<\/b><\/a> and facilitation training equips you to do just that\u2014blending human-centric methods<\/b> with structured analytical tools<\/b> to foster rigor, inclusivity, and results that stick.<\/span><\/p>\n