Workshop series template
A workshop series template is a plan for a set of live workshops on one topic, each building on the last, with work before and after every session. This one runs four 120-minute workshops a week apart: each has ten minutes of pre-work, a hands-on workshop with a set agenda, an apply-it worksheet afterwards and a recording for anyone who missed it.
- 0:00Welcome and pre-work check10 min
- 0:10Input20 min
- 0:30Hands-on exercise40 min
- 1:10Break10 min
- 1:20Share and feedback25 min
- 1:45Apply-it plan and close15 min
The workshop series: a kickoff, four workshops, a follow-up
Each week has the same three parts: pre-work that takes about ten minutes, the live workshop, and an apply-it worksheet. Replace the workshop topics with your own and keep the order: understand, plan, practise, keep it going.
- 1
Before
Everyone arrives knowing why they came.
- Week 1
Getting ready
- Welcome lesson: how the series works
- Intake: what you want from the series
- Add the four workshops to your calendar
- Week 1
- 2
Workshops
One workshop a week, each with pre-work and an apply-it task.
- Week 2
Workshop 1: Where you are
- Pre-work: a 10-minute reading or video
- Live workshop: map your current situation
- Apply-it worksheet: one thing to try this week
- Week 3
Workshop 2: Your plan
- Pre-work: bring the result of last week's apply-it
- Live workshop: build a plan in pairs
- Apply-it worksheet: the first step of the plan
- Week 4
Workshop 3: Practice
- Pre-work: a short case to read
- Live workshop: practise the hardest part, with feedback
- Apply-it worksheet: use it in a real situation
- Week 5
Workshop 4: Keep it going
- Pre-work: what has changed since workshop 1
- Live workshop: turn the plan into a routine
- Final reflection
Ask each participant to share one result from the series in the last workshop. It's the strongest close you have.
- Week 2
- 3
After
Results, feedback and what comes next.
- Week 6
Follow-up
- All four recordings in one place
- Feedback summary for you
- Next step lesson: what to do after the series
- Week 6
Workshop structure: one 120-minute workshop
Short input, long practice. The pre-work carries the theory, so the workshop goes to doing. Copy it into your calendar invite or your facilitator notes.
| Time | Block | What the facilitator does |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Welcome and pre-work check10 min | What participants want from today, and one thing they noticed in the pre-work or last week's apply-it task. |
| 0:10–0:30 | Input20 min | The one idea or method for today, with an example. Stop at twenty minutes. |
| 0:30–1:10 | Hands-on exercise40 min | Participants apply the method to their own situation, alone first, then in pairs. Walk the room, or visit the breakouts online. |
| 1:10–1:20 | Break10 min | A real break: cameras off, away from the screen. |
| 1:20–1:45 | Share and feedback25 min | Three or four participants show what they made. The group gives feedback: one thing that works, one question. |
| 1:45–2:00 | Apply-it plan and close15 min | Each participant fills in the apply-it worksheet before leaving: what they'll try, where and by when. |
Before, after each workshop, and at the end
The intake tells you who is in the room. The feedback after each workshop tells you what to change for the next. The final reflection repeats the intake's rating.
Intake
- 1What made you sign up for this series?
- 2What do you want to be able to do after the four workshops?
- 3How confident are you with this topic today? (1 to 10)
- 4Anything I should know to make the workshops work for you?
Feedback after each workshop
- 1How valuable was this session for you? (1 to 5)
- 2How helpful was the guidance you received? (1 to 5)
- 3How relevant and useful was the content? (1 to 5)
- 4How engaged did you feel in this session? (1 to 5)
- 5Anything else? (comment)
Final reflection
- 1How confident are you with this topic now? (1 to 10)
- 2What did you put into practice during the series?
- 3Which workshop was most useful, and why?
- 4Would you recommend this series to a colleague? (0 to 10)
Four questions after every workshop
The worksheet turns the workshop into one action before the next. Read the answers before the next workshop and use them in its opening.
The pre-work, before each workshop
- Read or watch the short piece for this workshop
- Write down one question it raised
- Bring the result of last week's apply-it task
- 1The one thing from today I'll try
- 2Where and with whom
- 3By when
- 4How I'll know it worked
Four rules for the facilitator
What makes a series more than four separate talks.
Connect every workshop to the last
Open each workshop with last week's apply-it results. That is what turns four sessions into a series.
Keep the input short
Twenty minutes of input at most. If there's more theory, move it into the pre-work.
Everyone makes something
Each workshop ends with something each participant made: a map, a plan, a script. Not just notes.
Read the feedback before the next one
Look at the ratings and comments after each workshop, and change one thing in the next. Say what you changed.
What keeps the series going between workshops
A week between workshops is long. These keep participants working on it.
Workshop series
The four workshops as one weekly series, with reminders and a note on what to prepare.
Apply-it worksheet
One action to try before the next workshop, answered before people leave.
Recordings
Each workshop's recording on the event, for anyone who missed it or wants a refresher.
Discussion channel
Participants post how their apply-it task went and ask questions before the next workshop.
Workshop series template · upcoach.com/templates/workshop-series-template