Are Face to Face Workshops Making A Comeback?
As we all settle into new ways of working we are starting to hear from clients that would like to get their teams together in person for a Colour Works workshop. Never one to shy away from a challenge, here is our Development Director James Hampton’s account of his first post-lockdown workshop.
“Over the last few months I have been in discussion with a client about the best way to bring her team together. Virtual workshops weren’t quite suited to their company and they were keen to get together at the first available opportunity. The notion of actually being back in a room to connect, engage and learn together as a team seemed inviting to me too, so at the beginning of August I got back in the saddle and facilitated my first socially distanced face to face workshop.
To be honest, the prospect of leaving what had become my comfort zone suddenly felt rather daunting. Even though it’s just a leaky wooden structure that lets in cold air, my garden shed has been a trusty friend to me throughout lockdown and has gradually transformed into a virtual production suite with whiteboard and all mod cons. The delegates also started to report some anxiety about getting together in a room for the day, and rightfully so. The team leader and I worked together to respond to their concerns, reducing the length from a full day Discovery workshop to a half-day Introduction to The Colour Energies. We also made sure that everyone knew how we would be making the environment as safe as we could (socially distanced seating, face coverings, plenty of hand sanitiser and so on).
On the day of the workshop, delegates were handed face shields on arrival and took their seats between individual tables that had their own bottles of water and all the workshop materials they would need for the day. During the workshop, we completed a few activities, including the famous card swap and the Village Fete (which became 'It's nearly the end of COVID-19, plan a street party'). Although these were all facilitated from a distance and everyone complied with the one metre plus rule, they worked beautifully and I was reminded how wonderful it is to walk around and participate in this type of shared experience. To keep the air flowing, part of the session was held outside and we had a chance to look at the human impact of change and what happens to us emotionally and physically when we experience situations that cause anxiety.
So, was it a success? Thanks to the dedication and thoroughness of the team leader, and the communication that took place before and during the event, feedback from all the delegates has been excellent. The biggest challenge for me was to stifle my natural extraversion enough to avoid shaking hands with everyone, I even managed to stop myself from picking up someone’s pen when it was dropped. It also felt alien to wear a face shield for the first time as it made my voice reverberate through my ears and stopped my tea reaching my lips. Note to self, do not attempt to eat croissants whilst wearing said shield! Nonetheless, it seemed to signify our ‘new normal’ situation and is a small price to pay when weighed up against the benefits of human contact.
In summary, although our virtual workshops have been well received over recent months, and provide a level of accessibility and intimacy that face to face workshops sometimes don’t, there is something special about a room full of colleagues having open and honest conversations and driving forward their common goals. The decision whether to go virtual or face to face is ultimately down to the client, but from my point of view it’s great to know that we can deliver a meaningful and impactful experience to our clients either way.”
James Hampton
Development Director
The Colour Works
Connect with James on LinkedIn
Have you been invited to attend a Face to Face Workshop with The Colour Works? This is what you can expect:
The organiser will have been asked to:
- Provide a venue with clean, natural ventilation and enough space for all attendees to follow social distancing rules
- Supply enough hand sanitiser and spare face coverings for all delegates
- Ensure that the event caterer works within government guidelines.
Our facilitator commits to:
- Wearing the appropriate face covering for the environment
- Providing a quick safety briefing at the start of the workshop, and remain open to comments and concerns throughout
- Ensuring that workshop activities do not increase the risk of virus transfer.
Delegates are asked to:
- Only attend if you are certain that you do not have symptoms of, and have not recently been exposed to COVID-19
- Bring and wear your own face covering unless the organiser has clearly stated this is not required
- Be prepared to supply your contact details to the workshop organiser, and to promptly notify them if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 within 48 hours after the workshop.
