My Guide to create Fun at workshops (Oh yes, please!)

Should participants in trainings have fun? Even the C-suits and Senior Leaders? My answer: 𝘼𝘽𝙎𝙊𝙇𝙐𝙏𝙀𝙇𝙔!

𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 - how all the C-suite or Team Leaders need to keep serious face nonstop and carry the heavy load all the time because of position, status, high pressure, etc…

In my trainings, I feel almost obliged to lift that burden.
So why not to break it and make it enjoyable? Even C-suites are humans in the end.

Worth mentioning though, all needs to be handled carefully, even FUN - which in the UAE, especially, requires a lot of 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 and that 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 what’s appropriate to recognize when we’d be crossing the line. I’m learning, I’ve had hiccups along the way, but that’s okay.

𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗗𝗢:
There are 2 aspects - one you can 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 by activities you prepare and the one that is 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰.

ORGANIC
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 as fast as possible to the 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 emotionally throughout the workshop.
Undoubtedly, this heavily depends on the type of your own personality but it's what I consciously aim to do.
Ask them - 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 and for a moment become “one of them”, joking about challenges they face at work, about demanding customers and together creating the relaxed and joyful atmosphere full of endorphins that allow their brains to be open to new learnings, more motivated and ready.

CONTROLLED
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆! It's that simple. Games, games and games again! When preparing workshops, if there is no heavy script I am given, I prepare the day 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 - not slides full. Game based activities related to topic by their nature - nurture fun. The other week my all day workshop had 11 slides. Only. Everybody learned and had fun though.

We all have those little children locked in somewhere inside of us. Children in general are great learners because they (yet) don’t get impacted by stress, social pressure, anxieties and fears from being judged - the saboteurs of adulthood we all know so well. My goal is to build activities that will unlock the 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 that allows more fun, creativity and learning to settle.

All it takes is a little courage, tad of creativity (and even THAT can now be AI assisted) and the self confidence that you can do it!