Hi all! Writing a proposal for the stand alone workshop I got a verbal agreement on last week. Do you: a) Collect entire payment up front? b) Collect half up front and half after? c) Collect entire payment after? d) Something else? This is my first time doing this; I usually am charging for coaching packages and I collect the entire payment before beginning. Thank you in advance!

Just had a discovery call with a board member of a grass roots non-profit and "sold" a 90-minute workshop for $250. Celebration: This is my first ever stand-alone workshop sale! I'm so stoked!! What helped: So so grateful for the Capture Canvas framework to organize my questions. It also helped her get more clarity during the conversation. I could hear the relief in her voice towards the end of the call. My plan: 0) Before the workshop, speak briefly with each participant to collect and set expectations of what we will accomplish during the workshop 0.1) Icebreaker 1) Sailboat - When it comes to working in this team, what's moving us forward? What's holding us back/ slowing us down? Then Categorize 2) Dot Voting - What's priority? Vote on the challenges they identified in Step 1. 3) How Might We? Flesh out the ideas of the top 3 voted areas needing clarity 4) Idea Generation - Post top 10 ideas generated in answer to each How Might We? 5) Dot Voting - What's best? Vote on the ideas they generated in Step 4 6) Impact vs Effort - Get their vote on what order to tackle their ideas in 7) Assign who does what. 8) Have a debrief with the board member a few days after the workshop to learn what worked best for them and offer next steps (my mentoring). This is super fuzzy right now, but I will review materials to get clarity before the workshop (mid-late February). My ask: Any best practices or ice breaker suggestions you can share? I really appreciate learning from all of the wisdom and experience in this group! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

I have to do a happy dance! I just completed my first Lightning Decision Jam workshop with a couple I'm working with! I followed @Rebecca Courtney's suggestion at our last Q&A call and had them "Draw Your Neighbor" for an icebreaker and they loved it! It was messy because I haven't quite figured out Miro (it was a virtual session) so I ended up having them say aloud what they wrote on a note pad for me to type in the digital post its - BUT - this was still faster and more fun and flowing than what I would have done to mindmap in the past. We had votes on 4 items, determined which to start with, and they had their 'To Do' list for the next week! We all enjoyed it and I will never go back to traditional brainstorming again! So so so much appreciation for the team here at AJ&Smart for being so generous and world class with your content! Learning so so much!! Many thanks 💛🙏🏾💛🙏🏾

I did a workshop for a company that had recently experienced a lot of de-motivation in the different teams. The main goal was to reaffirm the mission and make it easy for each team member to identify with the company's mission. Implementing a "Remember the Mission" strategy is critical. This approach involves actively embedding the company's purpose into every aspect of the organization, ensuring that every decision, action, and interaction is aligned with the company's core values. The key steps to implementing a Remember the Mission strategy are the following : 1 Review and redefine: Begin by reviewing the original mission statement and critically assessing its relevance and potential for improvement. Include feedback from employees and stakeholders to ensure that the mission accurately reflects the company's current purpose and values. 2 Role of Leadership: The CEO and senior leaders play a critical role in setting the tone and driving the Remember the Mission initiative. They must champion the company's purpose and consistently emphasize its importance in all communications and decision making. 3 Internal Communication: Effectively communicate the company's mission and values to all employees. Use regular newsletters, town hall meetings, and internal social media platforms to reinforce the message and encourage open dialogue. 4 Performance Alignment: Align employee performance measures and incentives with the company's mission. Ensure that individual and team goals are directly linked to the organization's overall purpose, fostering a sense of contribution and alignment. 5 Employee Engagement: Encourage employee engagement and participation in initiatives that embody the company's mission. Foster a culture of open communication and collaboration that allows employees to contribute their ideas and perspectives. 6 Customer-Centric Approach: Place the customer at the center of the company's purpose. Align all operations and decisions with the goal of delivering exceptional customer experiences that reflect the company's commitment to its mission.

As the year 2023 is almost over, I'm wrapping up my key takeaways. Grateful for the incredible insights gained from top workshop facilitators, through my podcast UXYZ and the Inner Circle Mentorship at Aj&Smart Sharing my top 5 lessons from these maestros: 1️⃣ Silence speaks volumes - Not intervening is an intervention 2️⃣ Trust is earned, not demanded - Build it before seeking it. 3️⃣ Fun fuels engagement - "People just wanna have fun" 4️⃣ Empower, don't overshadow - You can help, not do it for them ! 5️⃣ Set, manage, repeat - Expectation management is a continuous effort. And you, what was your main learning this year ?