Step 2: Define the purpose of the workshop.

What is it?

The primary reason or objective for holding the workshop. The business need.

Why do I need it?

A clear purpose guides the design of the workshop, ensuring activities and discussions are focused on and relevant to achieving the desired outcomes.

Example

For an Innovation Workshop, you might have the following purpose:
To generate actionable and innovative product ideas that align with market trends and organizational capabilities.

Let’s get curious about the purpose 👇

Main questions

• Why are we doing this? Understand the core reason behind the workshop. What gap or challenge does it address?
• Business Justification/Need: Is there a clear business need or justification for this workshop? Will it lead to outcomes that stakeholders care about?
• Context and Relevance: How does this workshop fit into the broader organizational or market context? Is the potential outcome something customers or stakeholders will find valuable enough to invest in?

Key Considerations

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Priority for business

Assess whether the workshop aligns with current business priorities and strategies.

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Problem definition

Clearly define the problem the workshop aims to solve. If you can’t clearly define this, find the right people to help you, or in some circumstances you may need to consider whether the workshop actually needs to be designed or run.

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Stakeholder motivations

Consider what might be the individual ‘WHY’ for key stakeholders participating in or benefiting from the workshop.

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Ensure alignment

Stakeholders may have varying ideas about what the workshop should achieve, leading to potential conflicts or disappointments.

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Some how to’s:

(click dropdown to reveal)

Conduct 1-2-1 interviews:

Facilitate pre-workshop group sessions