Wednesday, April 25, 2012

After the Workshop

My workshops are performances, not recitals. I've never been into the "sit on a stool, throw a slide on the screen, and then mumble a few explanations" approach to training. The usual preference is for substantive and fast, with doses of quick humor, plenty of case examples, and lots of interaction with the audience. As a result, by the time I'm done, I'm exhausted. I want to crawl off somewhere, drink bottles of water and perhaps stare at a ceiling.

Workshops differ from college classes that can be stretched out and covered in a low-key manner. You have to seize attention and continue to hold it because time is limited and points need to be made. Two tasks must be achieved: the memorable conveying of practical information and the creation of genuine interest in the topic. All else is secondary.

Time to put up my feet.

2 comments:

Bob said...

You know you are having fun when you do a 2 yr session and seems like 30 minutes.....All done but can wear you out.

Michael Wade said...

Bob,

A two hour session requires two deep breaths.

Michael