Asking for advice on how to 2 firsts: a two-day workshop and an executive team.

I told my manager I'd love to guide them through their two-day workshop. Now, I'm nervous and realize I might have bit off more than I can chew. Do you reckon that I am any close to a planned workshop or does it seem too vague still? Grateful for all your input.

Purpose:

The goal should be a shared approach to what the general meetings should handle, how they should be handled and a shared approach to staying focused on strategy in these meetings. Part of that goal should be how they want to work with their strategic “road map” that’s been in place for less than a year.

The question the executive manager has identified, and would like to focus on in the workshop, is: “How might we utilize management meetings to strategy (rather than detailed, operative questions)?”.

The team:

It’s an executive team to a governmental department. The team consists of 6 people: one general manager, one development manager and four technical managers. They all have significant experience in their fields but haven’t worked in this constellation for more than two years.

8,5 hours spread over two days:

First day we have two sessions: 2hrs and 1 h 20 min respectively. The second day fits three sessions: 1 h 15 min, 1 h 45 min, ending with 2 hrs. The breaks separating the sessions are due to coffee and lunch breaks. I’m planning on spending the final 45 minutes to a final coffee and relaxed conversation about our experience.

I’m familiar with facilitation techniques but lack practice in the separate exercises and designing the series of exercises. My challenges and concerns:

I wonder if the HMW-question is detailed enough and how the workshop exercises will lead to concrete solutions.
I am not sure what exercises to use for the four phases Collect, Choose, Create and Commit since the goal of the workshop is not to define a new strategy or activities to the road map. Rather, it is team/culture building and how to approach their general meetings.
I also struggle to imagine the time each exercise would take. A&J Smart and several contributions here give lots of valuable advice on quick workshops when you’re short on time rather than longer time.

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