Business Workshop Scheduling

Early in my facilitation career, I made a big mistake. Spent hours crafting engaging activities and perfecting every little detail… Thinking that amazing learning design is what would make my workshops stand out and get me rehired. Some went great. Some bombed. You know the ones, sessions where: - One participant dominated the conversation. - People quietly disengaged, barely participating. - half the group visibly frustrated but not saying anything. I would push through, hoping things would course-correct. But by the end, it was a bit… meh. I knew my learning design was great so... What was I missing? Why the inconsistency between sessions? 💡I relied too much on implicit agreements. I realised that I either skipped or rushed the 'working agreements'. Treating it like a 'tick' box exercise. And it's here I needed to invest more time Other names for this: Contract, Culture or Design Alliance, etc... Now, I never start a session without setting a working agreement. And the longer I'm with the group, the longer I spend on it. 25 years of doing this. Here are my go-to Qs: 🔹 What would make this session a valuable use of your time? → This sets the north star. It ensures participants express their needs, not just my agenda. 🔹 What atmosphere do we want to create? → This sets the mood. Do they want an energising space? A reflective one? Let them decide. 🔹 What behaviours will support this? → This makes things concrete. It turns abstract hopes into tangible agreements. 🔹 How do we want to handle disagreement? → This makes it practical. Conflict isn’t the problem—how we navigate it is. ... The result? - More engaged participants. - Smoother facilitation. - Ultimately, a reputation as the go-to person for high-impact sessions. You probably already know this. But if things don't go smoothly in your session. Might be worth investing a bit more time at the start to prevent problems later on. Great facilitation doesn't just happen, It's intentional, and it's designed. ~~ ♻️ Share if this is a useful reminder ✍️ Have you ever used a working agreement in your workshops? What’s one question you always ask? Drop it in the comments!

Automation Tip Tuesday! 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: A small medical practice uses Pipedrive for lead management and Calendly for appointments. Lots of manual work to schedule an initial appointment. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Automate the steps, saving time (and reducing the risk for human error!) 1. New inquiries come in through the company’s website 2. Use Zapier to automatically add the lead to Pipedrive 3. Use Zapier to send an email with a link to schedule via Calendly. 4. Calendly is connected to Zoom so the scheduled appointment includes the link 5. When the client schedules an appointment, the deal in Pipedrive is update to “Call Scheduled” 6. Use Calendly automation to send an appointment confirmation.  7. If the prospect doesn’t schedule, a follow-up email is sent This can work with a bunch of different CRMs (Keap, HubSpot, etc) and meeting (like Google Meet) combos. -- Hi, I’m Nathan Weill, a business process automation expert. ⚡️ These tips I share every Tuesday are drawn from real-world projects we've worked on with our clients at Flow Digital. We help businesses unlock the power of automation with customized solutions so they can run better, faster and smarter — and we can help you too! #automationtiptuesday #processautomation #softwareintegration

I have had an amazing internal discussion today and am putting it here so you can make use of it in the week to follow. As a corporate trainer, deep work has evolved into my seasoned ally, a silent force shaping impact and deep learning in my workshops. As a corporate trainer and L&D practitioner, I often find myself navigating the intricate balance of delivering workshops that not only educate but inspire lasting transformation. Today, I invite you behind the scenes to witness how the principles of Deep Work by Cal Newport have become key for my workshop design. 1. Distraction-Free Learning Zones: Creating an environment conducive to deep work is paramount. Before each workshop, I meticulously set the stage—a distraction-free zone where minds can immerse deeply in the learning experience. From silent zones to minimizing digital interruptions, every detail is curated for optimum focus. 2. Time Blocking for Engaged Learning: Time blocks as a balance for flow are a key element of my workshop agenda. Each segment is a deliberately carved block, dedicated to a specific skill or concept. This ensures not only an engaged audience but also a collective deep dive into the subject matter. 3. Prioritizing High-Impact Content: The essence of deep work lies in prioritizing high-impact tasks. When designing workshops, Newport's perspective guides the selection of content—ensuring that every concept explored is not just informative but has a profound, enduring impact on the participants' professional journey. 4. Engaging Deep Work Exercises: Workshops aren't about imparting information; they're about creating experiences for learning and deep thinking on the subject. Participants engage in exercises, creating an immersive space where they can apply newly acquired skills, fostering a deeper understanding that transcends theoretical knowledge. A challenge that I am taking and extending to you too- This week, experience a focused, distraction-free learning environment where every moment is crafted for maximum impact. Try to churn out the learning from the various tasks/ projects you work on. Get deep, that's where innovation happens. Priya Arora #deepwork #thinking #metacognition #learninganddevelopment #softskills #corporateculture #culturematters #workshop #facilitators #facilitation #traininganddevelopment #training The Female Story

Want more productive workshops? Try stopping them sooner. Workshops often lock people in a room for two or three hours and expect them to do their best thinking on demand. Do we really have to hold people hostage to be productive? Lately, I’ve been using a technique I call "Echo Sessions." Instead of forcing deep work to happen in real time, we kickstart an activity, get clarity, but then stop just as people are getting into it. That pause is intentional. It’s based on the same principle as the Pomodoro technique—when you leave something unfinished while still feeling engaged, you'll find it easy to return to it later and give it space to percolate. Instead of dragging out a long workshop, I schedule an Echo Session later—often in the same day—where everyone brings their independent or small group work back for discussion, iteration, and action. Why does this work? ✅ Encourages Deep Work – People get time to think, research, or create in their own way, rather than being forced into artificial collaboration. ✅ Optimizes Meeting Time – Workshops should be for shared understanding, decision-making, and iteration—not for quiet focus time. ✅ Respects Different Work Styles – Some need time to walk and think. Others need to sketch. Some want to research or tap into AI. Echo Sessions give people time and space to work in the way that’s best for them. ✅ Creates Natural Momentum – Stopping at a high-energy moment makes people want to continue later, giving them space to create, rather than leaving them drained from a marathon session. ✅ Reduces Calendar Lockdowns – Instead of monopolizing hours at a time, work is distributed more effectively and meetings are only used when necessary. Most importantly, this approach treats participants like adults. It gives them flexibility and agency while ensuring that meetings serve a clear, valuable purpose. We don’t need long workshops. We need better workshops. Curious—how do you approach workshop fatigue? Would this work in your team?

[53] Fifteen Best Practices for How to Lead a Workshop On Wednesday, I gave a workshop on how to give a workshop—very meta, I know. Andreas Schröter invited me to a be.boosted event where the new generation of fellows will soon be leading their own workshops. So the timing was perfect! But what actually matters when planning and running your own workshop? Here are 15 best practices I’ve developed over the years: ---------- PREPARATION & PLANNING ---------- ⏳ 1) Time Your Workshop Realistically Less is more—don’t overload. For a 60-minute session, plan 30 minutes of content and 30 minutes of interaction. ☕ 2) Include Breaks (Even in Short Workshops!) Attention spans fade fast. Give a 5-10 minute break every 45-60 minutes to keep energy up. 🎤 3) Start Strong—Skip Awkward Intros Ditch the long bios. Open with a question, story, or surprise: "What made the best workshop you’ve attended great?" 🙋 4) Engage Participants Immediately Ask easy, low-stakes questions in the first five minutes: "What’s one word that describes how you feel about leading a workshop?" 🖥️ 5) Prepare Interactive Elements—But Only With Purpose In my humble opinion, many workshops are currently overusing interactive elements like complex quizzes or flashy slides just to seem impressive. Interaction is great, but only when it serves a clear purpose. ---------- DURING THE WORKSHOP ---------- 🎭 6) Get Participants Doing Something People remember what they do. Use polls, breakout rooms, or whiteboards. Example: "In pairs, share one example from experience." 🤫 7) Embrace Silence—Give Thinking Time Ask a question, then wait at least five seconds. If no response: "Take 10 seconds, then type in the chat." 🔁 8) Repeat Key Takeaways Say it → Show it → Let them say it. Reinforce key points with slides, stories, and activities. ⏱️ 9) Manage Time—Stay on Track Use a timer and give reminders: "Two minutes left!" Always build in buffer time. 🛠 10) Have a Backup Plan for Activities No answers? → Share an example. Too fast? → Add a bonus prompt. Too quiet? → Start with 1:1 or small groups. ---------- CLOSING & FOLLOW-UP ---------- 📌 11) Summarize Clearly Before Ending Never stop abruptly—people need closure (and so do you). The final moments of a workshop are often the most important, yet the least prepared. ✅ 12) End with a Call to Action Encourage immediate application or long-term reflection. Example: "Before you log off, write down one thing you’ll use in your next workshop." ❓ 13) Leave Time for Questions—But Make It Engaging Instead of "Any questions?", try more concrete questions such as: "What additional experiences have you had that we haven’t discussed today?” 📚 14) Offer Follow-Up Resources Share slides, key takeaways, or further reading. If possible, offer to answer follow-up questions. 🎉 15) End with Energy & Gratitude Avoid awkward fade-outs! Close with a final thought. If possible, rehearse your closing as much as your opening.

Workshop design isn’t picking exercises. It’s storytelling. So this is how I recently created a 3-part workshop series for 200 participants: I HATE clunky workshops. They're annoying and they make it harder to learn. Here's why: • No direction means information is less intuitive. • No clear purpose means you've got no....purpose... • Poor pacing rushes crucial insights or drags simple stuff The solution? Design your workshop like a story arc. Pt. 1 Start with the narrative setup On my whiteboard I map out: 1. Left side: Current challenges 2. Right side: Desired outcomes 3. Middle: The journey between them Pt. 2 Visualise the flow Ask yourself: • What questions naturally arise? • Where should key insights click? • How does each realisation lead to the next? • When might resistance appear? Pt. 3 Layer in support elements • Examples that resonate • Practical applications • Discussion points • Reality checks Result? A workshop that feels whole and creates genuine "aha" moments. And the response from the audience was great: • “Thank you! Rob is an engaging presenter - just learn a lot from being in sessions with him no matter the topic.” • “Your sessions are always great - productive, insightful, engaging and entertaining. Thanks a lot!” • “Rob has been such a great and engaging presenter! Really enjoyed the session” • “Great session, great vibes from the trainer.” • “Rob is awesome and should get a raise:)” (the last comment was my favourite) What always surprises me about this approach is when you nail the story flow, timing sorts itself out naturally. It's like the workshop finds its own rhythm. What storytelling elements do/ would you incorporate in your workshop design? ____ ♻️ Share this with your network to help more people design workshops that flow as smoothly as stories 🚀 Follow Rob D. Willis for more daily tips to unlock your team's potential with clear storytelling techniques.

We tested 4 AI scheduling tools with network companies. The results surprised everyone. After weeks of real-world testing with Cal.com, Inc., Calendly, Reclaim.ai, and Clockwise, here's what we discovered: The fastest tool wasn't the highest-rated Speed matters, but user experience trumps everything. Teams consistently chose tools that felt intuitive over those that booked meetings 30% faster. Efficiency ≠ Effectiveness The most "efficient" AI often created the most friction. Simple automation beat complex algorithms every time. 🎯 Key findings: → Integration quality matters more than feature count → Teams preferred tools that learned their habits organically → Smart rescheduling saved more time than instant booking → Buffer time management was the hidden productivity killer This is exactly the kind of real-world tech discovery we dive into at PeopleAtom, our CXO community where we test, debate, and discover the best technology for people strategy and systems. Because the right tools can transform how your team operates. Which scheduling challenge frustrates your team most? Drop a comment below 👇 #AITools #Productivity #WorkflowOptimization #SchedulingTools #TechTesting

Tired of managing appointments manually and dealing with missed appointments? Explore how automating appointment scheduling can transform your workflow, enhancing efficiency and patient satisfaction. 1. Set Up Online Booking: Enable patients to book their appointments through a user-friendly online platform. Integration with your Electronic Health Record (EHR) system ensures real-time availability, reducing double bookings and administrative workload. 2. Automate Confirmations: Instantly send detailed confirmations to patients upon booking, including appointment time, location, and any preparation instructions. This helps prevent miscommunication and ensures patients have all necessary information. 3. Send Automated Reminders: Schedule personalized reminders via email or SMS a day or two before the appointment. This reduces the likelihood of no-shows and allows patients to easily confirm or reschedule if needed. 4. Manage Follow-Ups Automatically: After each appointment, send follow-up reminders for future bookings or recurring check-ups. Automated follow-ups keep patients engaged and encourage continuity of care without manual intervention. 5. Simplify Rescheduling & Cancellations: Allow patients to conveniently reschedule or cancel appointments through an online portal. The system updates in real time, freeing up slots for other patients and optimizing scheduling efficiency. 6. Optimize Staff & Resources: Automatically assign rooms, equipment, and staff based on patient needs and availability. This ensures a balanced workload, efficient resource allocation, and smoother day-to-day operations. 7. Collect Patient Feedback: Send automated surveys post-appointment to capture patient feedback on their experience. This valuable data can help identify areas for improvement, enhancing service quality and patient satisfaction. Benefits of Automation: Reduce administrative burdens, minimize no-shows, and improve resource utilization. Automating appointment scheduling elevates patient experience and allows your team to focus on what truly matters—patient care. [Explore More In The Post] Don’t Forget to save this post for later and follow @digitalprocessarchitect for more such information.

10 Ways to Improve Production Flow – Make Work Move, Not Wait Improving flow is one of the most powerful ways to increase productivity, reduce lead times, and lower stress on your production floor. But “flow” isn’t just about speed—it’s about how smoothly and consistently work moves through your process. Here are 10 proven ways to improve production flow and eliminate the hidden friction slowing your team down: ✅ 1. Map the Current Process You can’t improve what you don’t understand. Use a Value Stream Map or process flow diagram to see where the bottlenecks, delays, and loops are hiding. ✅ 2. Switch to One-Piece Flow Move away from batching and aim to process one unit at a time through each step. It reduces waiting, highlights issues sooner, and shortens lead times. ✅ 3. Balance the Workload Use line balancing to distribute work evenly between stations. No one should be overloaded while others are idle. ✅ 4. Standardise Work Consistency is key. Standard Work ensures everyone performs tasks the same best way, helping to maintain flow even during shift changes or staff rotations. ✅ 5. Reduce Changeover Time (SMED) Long setups stop flow. Apply SMED techniques to cut down changeover times and enable smaller batch sizes or quicker adjustments. ✅ 6. Use Point-of-Use Storage Bring tools, parts, and materials to where they’re needed. No more walking across the floor for something used every 5 minutes. ✅ 7. Introduce a Pull System Use Kanban or supermarket systems to control material flow based on demand—not forecasts. This avoids overproduction and ensures smoother movement of goods. ✅ 8. Implement U-Shaped Cells U-cells allow operators to manage multiple tasks in a compact space, reducing walking, WIP, and improving communication between steps. ✅ 9. Remove Unnecessary Movement Review the layout. Are materials zig-zagging across the floor? Straighten the flow by aligning steps in a logical, direct path. ✅ 10. Fix the First Step First Often the problem is upstream. Improving the starting point of the process can unblock flow all the way through.

Two weeks ago, I took on 6 new speaking contracts—keynotes, workshops, appearances. That means → Repeating admin tasks: ✔️ Terms & conditions ✔️ Media Use Agreement ✔️ Speaker bio & photo sharing ✔️ Invoicing ✔️ Travel coordination ✔️ Content Outline Deadlines ✔️ Content Submission Deadlines ✔️ Event promotion ✔️ Pre-event comms ✔️ Post-event follow-ups So last week, in one focused block of time, I built a modular AI assistant team that now will support every engagement I take on. Modular is key. Each of these assistants can be folded into other workflows, too. Designing assistants around repeatable tasks across your business is one of the smartest ways to plan. Here’s what I built: ⸻ MASTER TIMELINE ASSISTANT: When I enter the engagement type, date and details it outputs a master list of all tasks with timeline of everything that needs completed. The assistant drops that list into slack, which triggers my crew. This is mostly automated, with me bridging the gaps. ➡️ CALENDAR AND TASKS ASSISTANT: Adds items with dates and/or times (including travel) to my calendar and task lists. ➡️ REMINDERS ASSISTANT: Creates a set of reminders in ChatGPT for every task from the timeline. Each gets delivered with event context, so I never have to dig for details. This is my ‘do this and do that, by this time’ Assistant. ➡️ CONTRACT & TERMS ASSISTANT: Drafts contracts, custom terms, media use clauses, add-on pitches and speaker agreements - specific to engagement. ➡️ COMMS ASSISTANT: Pre-drafts all communications, delivered to me with recipient and send-by date: • terms/contract • content outlines • invoices (initial + final) • pre-event reminders • post-event follow-ups • review requests • Plus, a LinkedIn promo blurb ➡️ MEDIA KIT ASSISTANT: Delivers an up-to-date shirt, medium and long bios, headshot plus media images, introduction blurb, and social links. ➡️ CONTENT PLANNING ASSISTANT: Pulls meeting notes and suggests an outline, title, and short description. ⸻ It took me about 4 hours (and to be fair I’m still refining), but I’ve shaved 90% of admin time off every appearance that I do. And will ever do in the future. It took one decision: To pause. And build my team. #AI #AIConsultant