# Workshop Facilitation Guide Skill

Produces a complete facilitation guide for any workshop — from a 90-minute problem-solving session to a full-day strategy workshop. Includes step-by-step activity instructions and facilitation moves for when things go off track.

## Required Inputs

Ask the user for these if not provided:
- **Workshop goal** (what decision or output should exist at the end?)
- **Participants** (number, roles, mix of seniority)
- **Duration** (90 min / half day / full day / multi-day)
- **Format** (in-person / remote / hybrid)
- **Known tensions** (optional — pre-existing conflicts or disagreements to navigate)
- **Non-negotiables** (anything that cannot be decided or changed in the room)

## Output Structure

---

# Workshop Facilitation Guide: [Session Name]

**Date:** [TBD / as provided]
**Duration:** [X hours]
**Participants:** [N people, roles]
**Format:** [In-person / Remote / Hybrid]
**Facilitator:** [Leave for user]

---

## Workshop Objectives

By the end of this session, the group will have:
1. [Specific output 1 — e.g. "Agreed on the top 3 priorities for Q3"]
2. [Specific output 2]
3. [Specific output 3]

**How we will know it worked:** [Observable test for success — e.g. "Everyone can name the agreed priorities without looking at their notes"]

---

## Pre-Workshop Preparation

**Facilitator:**
- [ ] Confirm objectives with session sponsor (30 min pre-read call recommended)
- [ ] Send pre-read to participants [X days before] — max 2 pages
- [ ] Prepare all materials (printed / Miro boards / slides)
- [ ] Set up room or virtual space

**Participants (pre-work):**
- [Specific pre-work — max 20 minutes. If more, fewer people do it]

---

## Full Agenda

| Time | Activity | Duration | Format | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [00:00] | Welcome and framing | 10 min | Facilitator-led | Shared expectations |
| [00:10] | [Activity 1] | [X min] | [Format] | [Output] |
| [00:X] | [Activity 2] | [X min] | [Format] | [Output] |
| [00:X] | Break | 15 min | — | — |
| [00:X] | [Activity 3] | [X min] | [Format] | [Output] |
| [00:X] | Decisions and next steps | 20 min | Whole group | Committed actions |
| [00:X] | Close | 10 min | Facilitator-led | Energy and commitment |

---

## Activity Instructions

For each activity:

### Activity [N]: [Name]

**Purpose:** [Why this activity at this moment]
**Time:** [X minutes]
**Format:** [Individual / Pairs / Small groups / Whole group]
**Materials:** [Post-its, Miro, printed sheets, etc.]

**Instructions to give participants:**
> "[Exact words to say when launching the activity — unambiguous, no jargon]"

**Step-by-step:**
1. [What happens in minute 0–X]
2. [What happens next]
3. [How to consolidate and move forward]

**If the group gets stuck:** [Specific facilitation move — e.g. "Ask each person to write one idea silently before sharing"]
**Watch out for:** [Common failure mode — e.g. "One voice dominating. Use round-robin to surface quieter participants"]
**Time warning:** [What to do if running long — e.g. "Skip the prioritisation vote and let facilitator propose the top 3"]

---

## Decision-Making Protocol

Agree this with the group at the start:

**How decisions will be made in this session:**
- [ ] Consensus (everyone must actively agree)
- [ ] Consent (no one has a blocking objection)
- [ ] Majority vote (50%+1)
- [ ] Facilitator/sponsor decides after hearing input

**What happens with unresolved disagreements:** [Parking lot / escalate to sponsor / decide by [person] after session]

---

## Facilitation Moves (Quick Reference)

| Situation | Move |
|---|---|
| Silence after a question | "Take 2 minutes to write your thoughts before we share" |
| One person dominating | "Let's hear from someone we haven't heard from yet" |
| Off-topic tangent | "That's important — let me put it in the parking lot. Back to [focus]" |
| Group stuck, no ideas | "What would [competitor / different industry] do here?" |
| No consensus, running out of time | "Let's do a quick dot vote to identify the strongest options" |
| Energy low after lunch | "Stand up and tell the person next to you your one key takeaway so far" |

---

## Close: Commitments and Next Steps

End every session with:
1. **What did we decide?** — Read back every decision made. Ask: "Does anyone have a concern with how I've captured this?"
2. **What will we do?** — Specific actions, named owners, concrete deadlines
3. **Who needs to know?** — Who will communicate outputs to absent stakeholders, and how?
4. **When do we meet again?** — Schedule the follow-up before the room empties

---

## Quality Checks

- [ ] Workshop objective is a specific output, not a vague goal ("aligned on strategy")
- [ ] All activities have explicit timing and format
- [ ] A decision-making protocol is agreed at the start
- [ ] Activities alternate between individual work and group work
- [ ] Parking lot is used actively (not a graveyard)
- [ ] Close captures decisions and actions before the room empties

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not design a workshop without explicitly linking every activity to a session goal — purposeless activities waste participant time
- [ ] Do not schedule more than 90 minutes of continuous structured activity without a break
- [ ] Do not close a workshop without capturing decisions and actions before the room empties — post-session follow-up is too late
- [ ] Do not plan a workshop without considering psychological safety for sensitive topics — establish ground rules at the start
- [ ] Do not underestimate timing — add 20% buffer to all activity estimates, especially for groups over 8 people

## Example Trigger Phrases

- "Design a workshop for [goal] with [group]"
- "Plan a facilitated session to [outcome]"
- "Help me run a [type] workshop with my team"
- "Create a facilitation guide for [topic]"
