Have you ever left a workshop feeling energized, inspired, and deeply connected to your team? Imagine if every day at work could feel like that. Alison Coward, founder of Bracket and author of Workshop Culture: A Guide to Building Teams That Thrive, joined me to explore how adopting a workshop culture can transform team dynamics and foster collaboration. Alison’s insights offer actionable strategies for managers seeking to create high-performing, engaged teams.
What is Workshop Culture?
Workshop culture is about embedding the principles of effective workshops into the daily rhythm of team collaboration. This involves creating spaces where everyone feels heard, ideas flow freely, and collaboration drives better results.
Rather than letting the energy of a great workshop dissipate after the session, a workshop culture aims to sustain that momentum in everyday interactions. While it’s not feasible to run workshops daily, managers can integrate workshop practices into meetings, communication, and team routines to keep the spirit alive.
Bringing Workshop Energy to Daily Work
Many teams fall into patterns of lackluster meetings and uninspiring collaboration. Alison suggests that by incorporating workshop elements, managers can turn meetings into dynamic, engaging spaces that energize rather than drain participants. This includes:
Redesigning Meetings: Instead of one-way information sharing, transform meetings into collaborative spaces where participants actively engage in brainstorming, decision-making, and problem-solving.
Shifting Leadership Approaches: Managers should adopt a facilitator’s mindset. This involves guiding processes, asking questions, and creating inclusive spaces for everyone to contribute.
Encouraging Participation: Team members need to move beyond passive listening to actively contributing, sharing ideas, and co-creating team culture.
The Role of the Facilitator
Alison highlights the unique role of a facilitator in fostering collaboration. Facilitators don’t dominate with their expertise; they guide the process, enabling teams to uncover solutions together. They thoughtfully plan ahead, taking into consideration the objective, various personalities, and time constraints. Managers can adopt these skills in their everyday activities by focusing on:
Active Listening: Paying close attention to team dynamics and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard.
Empathy and Inclusion: Creating an environment of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and feedback.
Structured Planning: Preparing activities that guide teams from idea generation or big picture thinking to actionable outcomes.
The Power of Small, Intentional Changes
Sustainable cultural change doesn’t happen overnight. Alison emphasizes the importance of small, consistent shifts to achieve lasting impact. Drawing inspiration from James Clear’s Atomic Habits, she recommends making “1% shifts” that are easy to implement and repeat over time. For managers, this could mean introducing one new workshop-style activity into a recurring meeting. Or, setting a clear desired outcome for every meeting, focusing on what will be accomplished rather than what will be discussed.
Whatever new behavior you choose to focus on, it's important to have regular check-ins on progress. Commit to the new behavior for two to four weeks and then assess how it's going. If the change is working, celebrate and keep going. You can even consider adding on a new behavior to continue to progress towards the desired workshop culture.
If it's not working the way you intended, reflect on what’s getting in the way. Alison notes that it could be your mindset, something structural in the organization, a particular process that is inhibiting, or a person who is causing challenges. Each of these barriers requires a different approach to address.
Foster a Growth Mindset for Culture Change
For any culture change to be successful, we must be intentional in our effort. We need to believe that change is possible, or in other words, hold a growth mindset. Alison reminds us that just as individuals can improve through persistence and practice, so too can teams. Even though culture can feel ambiguous or overwhelming, we have the power to shape it. Instead of accepting “the way things are,” managers can work with their team members to design their interactions, communication, and routines to align with the culture they want to create.
For managers new to workshop culture, Alison recommends starting with self-reflection. Before changing team dynamics, assess your readiness for collaboration. Experiment with small changes, such as inviting input on a low-stakes project or asking your team for feedback on your leadership style. By modeling openness and a willingness to grow, you set the tone for the rest of the team.
Workshop culture isn’t just about running great workshops, it’s about transforming how teams work together every day. By embracing its principles, managers can create environments where creativity, collaboration, and productivity thrive.
Listen to the entire episode HERE to learn more about building a workshop culture.
Keep up with Alison Coward
- Grab a copy of Alison’s book: “Workshop Culture: A Guide to Building Teams that Thrive” here
- Follow Alison on LinkedIn here
- Visit Bracket for more information here
Book Discount: 30% off “Workshop Culture: A Guide to Building Teams That Thrive”
Alison is providing members of Podcast+ 30% off her book “Workshop Culture: A Guide to Building Teams That Thrive”. This book will show you how to create a happy and engaged team through small actions which lead to big results. It features a practical and accessible toolkit to help improve your team’s performance and productivity.
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