At Work with The Ready

15. This Workshop Could Have Been A Meeting


Listen Later

Planning a corporate workshop or off-site often feels like making a burrito. So many options—and so many opinions on what should go in it. A presentation rodeo on the next quarter’s objectives? Absolutely. Time for a key initiative to get the spotlight in front of the C-suite? Yes, please. Extra scoops of mandatory team-building to strengthen your culture? Why not. Everyone likes fun, right?


But when it’s time to actually chow down, it quickly becomes clear you’re dealing with an overstuffed, leaky, $20,000 mess. And everything the workshop was supposed to accomplish? Yeah, that didn’t happen—so you’re back at square one come Monday.


In this episode, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin explore why our workshop eyes are often bigger than our workshop stomachs; standard off-site practices we need to offload; and how to design new experiences that are actually meaningful and productive.


Interested in hearing more about the sunshine, twilight, and midnight zones? We’ve got stuff coming soon! Sign up here to get first access.


Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for more org design nerdery!


Got an idea for future episodes or a thorny workplace question you need answered? Shoot us a message to [email protected].


Mentioned references:

  • spinning top game "Skittles"
  • "meetings episode": AWWTR Ep. 12
  • "strategy stack": AWWTR Ep. 2
  • "even/overs": BNW Ep. 44
  • "essential intent": BNW Ep. 90 with Greg McKeown
  • working agreements: BNW Ep. 103
  • Topgolf
  • Liberating Structures
  • Ball Point game
  • Brainflakes
  • ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    At Work with The ReadyBy Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin

    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5

    5

    179 ratings


    More shows like At Work with The Ready

    View all
    On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

    On Being with Krista Tippett

    10,266 Listeners

    The Tim Ferriss Show by Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

    The Tim Ferriss Show

    16,107 Listeners

    The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish by Shane Parrish

    The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

    2,667 Listeners

    Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

    Hidden Brain

    43,440 Listeners

    10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

    10% Happier with Dan Harris

    12,631 Listeners

    How to Be Awesome at Your Job by How to be Awesome at Your Job

    How to Be Awesome at Your Job

    1,032 Listeners

    Revisionist History by Pushkin Industries

    Revisionist History

    58,984 Listeners

    Radical Candor: Communication at Work by Kim Scott, Jason Rosoff & Amy Sandler

    Radical Candor: Communication at Work

    710 Listeners

    Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel by Esther Perel Global Media

    Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

    14,929 Listeners

    Worklife with Adam Grant by TED

    Worklife with Adam Grant

    9,177 Listeners

    Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel by LinkedIn

    Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel

    1,022 Listeners

    The Josh Bersin Company by Josh Bersin

    The Josh Bersin Company

    57 Listeners

    Deep Questions with Cal Newport by Cal Newport

    Deep Questions with Cal Newport

    1,303 Listeners

    ReThinking by TED

    ReThinking

    622 Listeners

    The Freakonomics Radio Book Club by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

    The Freakonomics Radio Book Club

    234 Listeners