Workshop Backward

Fact 1:
Big exhibition projects have lots of workshops where teams have to talk through the whole project. The default order 95% of the time is “A-to-Z”: start with Gallery A, work your way to Gallery Z.

Fact 2:
You often don’t get through everything in a meeting.

Fact 1 + Fact 2 = lots of meetings done the same way, where the last parts never get the same love as the first ones.

The solution? Workshop backward.

Half the time, go in the opposite order, alternating: A-to-Z for workshop one, Z-to-A for workshop two, A-to-Z for workshop three, and so on.

Even if you get to everything every time, try this anyway. It will force you to keep looking at the project in a new way.

Here’s the thing:
When workshops go over the same material in the same order, whatever’s last gets less total attention. Alternate the order, A-to-Z then Z-to-A, and workshop backward half the time.

Warmly,
Jonathan

P.S. Thanks to Chris Cummings for reminding me about this handy trick.