Another Day, Another Workshop !

Your client loved the workshop. Three months later, nothing has happened.I know that feeling. My first design sprint ended with a prototype everyone was excited about, a presentation to the board, and messages telling me how much they loved the solution. Months later I checked the website out of curiosity. Nothing had changed. I told myself it was the client's fault. Then it happened again.What I understood is that workshops don't fail in the room. They fail afterwards, because of Monday morning. Your participants go back to their laptop, 20 unread emails, 50 notifications, a colleague who needs something, a boss asking for a last-minute presentation. Your workshop disappears.I see Monday morning like gravity. A workshop is a rocket, it travels far in very little time, and gravity is always pulling it back down. So the job isn't only to launch, it's to reach orbit, where gravity is still there but has no hold on you.In this episode I share the 5 tactics I use to build that escape velocity, the ones that turned my sessions into projects clients actually implement. I also come back to that first design sprint and tell you exactly what I'd do differently today.We cover:→ Why a contract with participants beats a list of next steps→ The accountability partner trick that makes a task 70% more likely to get done→ How to close with a story instead of a summary, and how I build that story during the breaks→ Why I warn every group that Monday morning is coming, and brainstorm it with them→ What a deliverable should look like, with real examples of what not to send a client→ Why I go the extra mile and build them a tool, so they know how to act and not just what to do→ The follow-up system: the email, the check-in with the boss, the leadership nudge, and the team session two weeks later→ Why I plan all of that before the workshop, when there's still room in everyone's agendaIf you run workshops for clients, this is the part of the job nobody trains you on. Tell me in the comments what you do after your sessions, I'm curious to steal a few ideas too.🛠️ Resources & Links📬 Level-up your facilitation skills, join the newsletter: https://facilitators-corner.com/newsletter📱 The Workshop Deck App, design your session step by step: https://theworkshopdeck.com/💻 Connect with me on LinkedIn for daily ideas: /in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116Tools mentioned: Miro, Trello📌 Chapters:00:00 — Your client loved it. Then nothing happened.00:39 — Welcome to another day, another workshop01:14 — The design sprint that changed nothing02:57 — Why workshops fail after the room03:40 — The rocket, gravity and Monday morning04:53 — Why this hurts your business06:15 — Tactic 1: build a contract, not next steps08:32 — Tactic 2: close with a story13:05 — Tactic 3: make it easy to act16:50 — Tactic 4: go the extra mile, build a tool19:19 — Tactic 5: follow up to stay in orbit24:51 — What I'd do differently today#workshopfacilitation #workshopdesign #facilitation

Icebreakers don't have to be cringe. After running hundreds of workshops, I figured out why some warm-ups make people roll their eyes, and why others create real connection in minutes. In this video I share my 5 go-to icebreakers for meetings and workshops, two that are purely about connection, and three that quietly do part of your job as a facilitator.The last one is my favorite, so stick around for that.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Icebreakers don't have to be cringe00:45 The first trick: don't say the word01:38 Why I changed my mind (the COVID story)02:30 Connection, not competition03:47 Why warm-ups make groups more creative05:20 Activity 1: Time Traveler08:00 Activity 2: Curiosity Exchange11:00 Free PDF with all 5 activities11:30 Activity 3: Why It Matters14:20 Activity 4: Hopes & Fears19:50 Activity 5: Zombie Apocalypse24:30 Recap26:00 Where these activities come from📄 FREE DOWNLOADAll 5 activities with written instructions and Miro templates: https://facilitators-corner.com/icebreakers🃏 THE WORKSHOP DECKThese activities come from the Workshop Deck, 52 cards to help you design better workshops. A new activity on the blog every week: https://theworkshopdeck.com/🙏 CREDITSTime Traveler, from my friend Ruben.Curiosity Exchange, shared with me by Jan Keck.🔔 If this helped, subscribe.Another day, another workshop.

AI cut the time I spend on a workshop engagement in half.

I used to need a team for that: facilitators, designers, analysts, all helping me at different points of a project. Today, with AI, I can do much more of that work myself.

In this episode, I walk you through exactly how I use AI across an entire workshop engagement — from the first discovery call to the final deck the client receives.

No theory. Real prompts, real examples, and one client case followed all the way through.

If you design workshops, run offsites, or facilitate sessions for clients, I cover the parts people rarely show you: how to brief AI so it stops inventing things, how to handle client data responsibly, how to pressure-test your workshop before you run it, and how to turn a wall of sticky notes into a client-ready deliverable.

I’m using Claude throughout the episode, although almost everything I show can also be done with ChatGPT or other AI tools.

There are also two stages where I deliberately DON’T use AI: designing the workshop itself and facilitating in the room.

That’s intentional.

Because AI can help you think, challenge your work and accelerate execution — but there are parts of facilitation where I believe the human needs to stay firmly in control.

In this episode, we cover:

→ How to set up an AI project that understands your client, your style and your templates
→ How I use discovery-call transcripts to capture insights and write recap emails
→ Why I still design workshop sessions myself
→ How to pressure-test an activity by asking AI to play the participant
→ The prompt I use to review an agenda and identify where the timing could break
→ How to create examples that inspire participants without giving them the answer
→ The 3 rules I follow when working with client data
→ Why AI stays out of the room when I facilitate
→ How I turn photos of sticky notes into a structured deliverable
→ How I trained an AI project on my best workshop decks
→ How I generate a first version of a PowerPoint deliverable
→ The AI tools I actually use
→ 4 simple principles that consistently improve my AI outputs

The big idea behind all of this isn’t to automate facilitation.

It’s to remove the hours of work around facilitation that don’t require you to be human — so you can spend more time on the parts that do.

AI gets me to roughly 80%. I still own the last 20%.

And that 20% matters.

🛠️ RESOURCES

📄 Every prompt from this episode, in one PDF:
https://facilitators-corner.com/aiplaybook

🃏 The Workshop Deck — 52 cards to design better sessions:
https://facilitators-corner.com/workshopdeck

📱 The Workshop Deck App — design your session step by step:
https://theworkshopdeck.com/

💻 Connect with me on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116/

Tools mentioned: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Wispr Flow, OpenArt and Miro.

#workshopfacilitation #aiforfacilitators #workshopdesign

Eight months ago I left my job to build a facilitation business full-time. This episode is the honest version: what's actually hard, what I got wrong, and the parts nobody posts about.I talk about the deal that collapsed when one of my clientwas fired, the three prospects in a row who told me I was too expensive, and what that does to your confidence when you start doubting your own pricing. I break one of my own rules on camera too: I took on a client who wanted to see every detail of the agenda, exactly the kind of engagement I tell people to avoid, and I explain why I did it anyway and how I protected myself.There's also the thing that surprised me most. I quit to facilitate, and most of my days now are writing, selling, and building systems. Very little facilitating.And two things that are genuinely working: video outreach instead of text messages, and following up more times than feels comfortable.If you're thinking about making the jump, this is the version I wish someone had told me.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Eight months in01:42 The fantasy vs the reality03:46 Why I made less than last year05:53 Starting to doubt my prices10:33 Three "too expensive" in a row13:10 The client who wanted to control everything19:17 Protecting yourself when you break your own rules20:41 Content creation is a long game23:17 The four ways to get leads28:08 When it's okay to stop being consistent31:38 What this is costing me35:51 What's working: video outreach38:33 Follow up more than you think📚 MENTIONED$100M Offers, $100M Leads, and $100M Money Models by Alex HormoziMy six-question workshop design framework: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IffzcCKbGvY The Workshop Deck: www.workshopdeck.com

You can run the agenda yourself.

But you can’t always create the experience.

Brittni Bowering has facilitated workshops for LEGO, Google, and Microsoft. In this episode, she breaks down why outside facilitators create a different kind of room than internal ones, why “too much energy” almost never exists when it’s genuine, and how she designs for emotion instead of just outcomes.

In this episode, we explore:

→ Why external facilitators create a different kind of room than internal ones
→ How to design a workshop for emotion, not just outcomes
→ What to actually do before and after a break — most people get this backwards
→ The parking lot mistake almost nobody talks about
→ What stand-up comedy taught her about reading a room
→ Her signature opener: Plot Twist

🛠️ Resources & Links

🃏 The Workshop Deck — The tool to design better sessions in minutes:
https://theworkshopdeck.com/
Use code FC15 for 15% off

🔗 Brittni on LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/brittnibowering

💌 Coaching inquiries:
[email protected]

💻 Connect with me on LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116

📌 Chapters

00:00 — Why workshop experience matters more in the AI era
07:28 — Where Mehdi draws the line on AI in his own sessions
10:37 — The case for bringing in an external facilitator
12:15 — The “guest star” effect — and why it changes the room
15:15 — Why Brittni crashes for four days after every workshop
22:04 — What looks easy is actually hard: the stand-up comedy parallel
26:12 — How to design a workshop for emotion, not outcomes
30:02 — The two-step system: activities first, emotion second
31:18 — What to actually do before and after a break
38:00 — Reading the room vs. sticking to the plan
42:00 — The parking lot mistake — and how to fix it
48:40 — When “too much” energy is actually too much
51:38 — The stand-up comedy lesson on authenticity
58:48 — Small moments are greater than big moments: designing for memory
1:06:09 — The Plot Twist activity, explained
1:12:52 — Where to find Brittni + her new coaching offer

Most icebreakers do the opposite of what they’re supposed to do.

Instead of helping people open up, they put them on the spot—and the people who need connection most often shut down the fastest.

In this episode, Jan Keck shares the Campfire Method, a step-by-step approach to building genuine connection in any group without forcing it.

We also explore two of Jan’s signature activities that you can bring into your next workshop, meeting, or team session.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why the classic “fun fact” icebreaker often backfires on introverts
• How to design opening moments that build trust gradually
• The Curiosity Exchange: a simple twist that changes everything
• The Room Spectrum: how to read a group without asking anyone to speak
• The Group Readiness Matrix: two questions to ask before choosing an activity
• How to check in with your group—and recognize when it’s time to scrap your plan

Resources and links

🧩 Explore the Miro board with the activities and resources from this episode: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVHI260AE=/?share_link_id=243566323988
📕 Limited-edition hardcover of The Campfire Method: https://www.jankeck.com/book/
🔗 Jan Keck’s website: https://jankek.com
🔗 Connect with Jan on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jankeck
🃏 The Workshop Deck—52 cards to design better sessions: https://theworkshopdeck.com
💻 Connect with Mehdi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116/

Most strategy workshops end with a nice slide deck and goals you’ll never reach.

That’s not a people problem. It’s a design problem.

In this episode, I share the Strategy Arc — the 6-question framework I use with Volvo, Toyota and Novartis to run strategy sessions that actually get implemented.

We cover:

→ Why bold vision statements are killing your strategy
→ How to do a proper diagnosis before defining goals
→ The obstacle brainstorm most facilitators skip
→ How to prioritize actions without overwhelming your team
→ How to create ownership so the strategy actually gets implemented

This one is based on one of the best books on strategy I’ve ever read: Richard Rumelt’s Good Strategy Bad Strategy.

Two questions in the framework are ones most teams never ask.

Those two are the ones that change everything.

🛠️ Resources & Links

🃏 The Workshop Deck — 52 cards to design better sessions:
https://facilitators-corner.com/workshopdeck

📱 The Workshop Deck App — design your session step by step:
https://theworkshopdeck.com/

💻 Connect with me on LinkedIn for daily ideas:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116/

Most icebreakers stress people out.Fun facts make people anxious. Creative prompts create pressure.And everyone's wondering: is my answer good enough?In this episode of Another Day, Another Workshop, keynote speaker andfacilitator Ruben Gazki shares his go-to opening activity — the Time Traveler —and why it creates real connection without making anyone uncomfortable.Plus: Ruben spent 20 years as an entertainer (yes, including riding a motorbikeon a tightrope 40 meters above the ground). We dig into the psychology trickshe learned on stage and how he uses them to run better workshops today.In this episode, you'll learn:✅ How the Time Traveler activity works and why it lands every single time✅ Why deciding for people what to share makes it easier (not harder)✅ The psychology of nostalgia and why good feelings = better workshops✅ How to sell any activity with confidence — even the ones you're unsure about✅ The "go first" principle and why your energy sets the room✅ How to introduce activities step by step so people don't overthink it✅ Why fake confidence becomes real confidence (and how to use it)✅ The magnet experiment — and what it reveals about the power of imagination🛠️ Resources & Links🃏 The Time Traveler is now inside the Workshop Deck appGet it here → https://theworkshopdeck.com/Use code FC15 for 15% off📥 Download the free Time Traveler template → https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVHY9Sidg=/?share_link_id=708169364228🔗 Connect with Ruben Gazki on LinkedIn → [Ruben's LinkedIn URL]🎓 Mee

Workshop Deck Anniversary: Get 30% off with the code FC 

👉https://theworkshopdeck.com/

Ever finished a workshop and realized only 2 or 3 people actually spoke?

That's not a people problem.

It's a design problem.In this episode I share the framework I use to make sure everyone in the room contributes,not just the loudest voices.We cover:

→ The real reason most participants stay silent

→ Why good intentions are not enough to design for everyone

→ The one thing you should always do before any group activity

→ How to close a workshop so people actually leave with clarity

→ The trade-off every facilitator needs to make in real client conditions

This one starts with a mistake I made during a team retreat.

Someone checked out emotionally because of an activity I designed without thinking. That moment changed how I facilitate.

🛠️ Resources & Links

🃏 Grab the Inclusive Facilitation Deck for Free: https://facilitators-corner.com/inclusivefacilitation

Connect with me on LinkedIn for daily ideas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116/📌

Chapters:

00:00 — You lost the room

00:35 — Why intention alone is not enough

02:00 — The CCI Framework explained

03:30 — Conditions: the What-Why-How formula

06:00 — Conditions: absorbing complexity

08:00 — Contributions: individual thinking first

10:30 — Contributions: anonymous input

13:00 — Contributions: multiple ways to participate

16:00 — Impact: making decisions with clarity

20:00 — Impact: the power of reflection

23:00 — Impact: closing with clarity and next steps

27:00 — The trade-off every facilitator has to make

30:00 — One thing to change in your next workshop

Most facilitators design the perfect workshop… then ruin the ending.They spend hours on the content, the activities, the flow,and then wrap up with "any final thoughts?" and wonder why clients don't come back.In this bonus episode of Another Day, Another Workshop, world-class facilitator Rebecca Courtney shares one of her signature closing activities:the Highlight, Lowlight & Headlight method.Simple. Versatile. And probably the most valuable 15 minutes of any workshop you'll run.In this episode, you'll learn:✅ Why the closing shapes everything your participants remember✅ Rebecca's golden rule: always protect the last 15 minutes✅ How the Highlight, Lowlight & Headlight method works step by step✅ The think / pair / share structure that makes it land with any group✅ Why letting people draw their answers changes everything✅ When NOT to use a reflective close (and what to do instead)✅ How to use this activity to level up your own practice as a facilitator🛠️ Resources & Links🃏 This activity is now inside the Workshop Deck appGet it here → https://theworkshopdeck.com/Use code FC30 for 30% off📥 Download the free Highlight, Lowlight & Headlight template → https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVGj1H5cM=/?share_link_id=406353638895🔗 Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn →https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-courtney-928347241/🌐 Free 7-day activity series → rebeccacourtney.com📩 Want more like this?https://facilitatorscorner.substack.com/Or find me on LinkedIn for daily facilitation ideas:linkedin.com/in/mehdi-en-naizi-75b533116📌 Chapters:00:00 — Introduction01:29 — Meet Rebecca Courtney03:45 — Why the closing is the most impactful moment06:25 — Rebecca's golden rule: protect the last 15 minutes07:20 — What happens when you skip a proper close09:29 — The Highlight, Lowlight & Headlight method explained12:19 — Think, pair, share — how to run it with a group14:48 — When and where to use this activity16:15 — Template vs sticky notes (and why drawing works too)📥 Free template → https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVGj1H5cM=/?share_link_id=33379474142418:46 — Using it to reflect on your own sessions as a facilitator21:10 — Why reflection feels "fluffy" (and why that's wrong)23:07 — When NOT to use this closing activity25:24 — Where to find Rebecca