A great team’s evolution is never complete

Our topics range from tactical business tools to more conceptual leadership frameworks. Our most popular subjects include talent enhancement (CliftonStrengths), peak performance and energy management (stress science), and the principles of great feedback.

We are always adding new topics and themes to our workshop list and love creating new material that best suits your needs. Reach out to learn more about what we could design for you or your team.

No matter if it’s a virtual or in-person event, our workshops are multi-sensorial and designed to be as engaging, fun, and long-lasting as possible so that this isn’t a flash in the pan experience.

What does that mean?

While the component parts of an event are determined based on the topic and your team’s objectives and dynamics, the general story arc of any WYLD workshop includes:

• The beginning - articulating a clear “WHY” for the workshop (objectives and outcomes) and diving into the key background, data and / or science behind the topic
• The middle - offering plenty of opportunities for participants to “try on the learning” with solo reflection time, partner chats, embodied exercises (like listening to music to bring the science of stress and optimal performance to life in a more tangible and experiential way that sticks with you), and dialogue with their WYLD facilitators to deepen their understanding of the material
• The end - closing with a clear “so what” and action and accountability plan that ensures both individuals and the team leave with tangible steps they can take to continue applying what they learned with WYLD to their everyday work reality

Solo reflection - perhaps by journaling, getting creative or going on a scavenger hunt is meant to:

• Offer time for processing that is especially helpful to strategic learners who require that quiet space to digest and absorb the materials.
• Increase the “stickiness” of the subject. We know that pairing visuals (like an icon that represents one of your top Strengths) with words is the best way to ensure learning that lasts. Think of how the alphabet is taught, A is for apple… We also see this as an important way to allow leaders to step out of the weeds of their often block and tackle-like daily reality and into a bigger picture thinking, refreshing, fun, and motivating space.
• Reset the energy level and focus in the room by giving participants a break from the computer screen or full group learning environment. We look for signs of energy dips like distracted eye contact, slower speech cadence, droopy body language, etc. and pivot quickly to re-engage the group. Simply getting people out of their chairs and moving can increase the likelihood of participants stepping into a broader perspective where they can be more creative, hopeful, resourceful, and collaborative.

Partner chats - tailored to your desired outcomes and synced with the curriculum flow. Examples:

• A warm up partner conversation may be best with 2 people who don’t know each other well or don’t work together regularly as this is a nice way to get their tails wagging in a lower key forum. We might ask participants to bring an object from home that represents their top talents to share with this partner or
• An accountability partner chat may come later in the curriculum when participants are comfortable and likely have already embraced vulnerability. This is an opportunity to pair two people together who work together often who may benefit from a fresh perspective on one another, a higher degree of understanding and compassion, and an increased level of trust. The ultimate goal is for them to establish their partner as a supporter ready to initiate action steps to keep them in a place of positive contribution.

That largely depends on your objectives and the learning topic, but generally speaking the benefits to a WYLD workshop include an increase in:

• Self-awareness - leading to a greater ownership of one’s authentic leadership style, unique contributions and needs. When individuals know themselves well, they can teach others more precisely what does and doesn’t set them up for success which is key to effective collaboration.
• Team cohesion - stemming from a heightened understanding of one another and the collective dynamics as well as a greater compassion for these behavioral drivers, teams lean into their relationships as a result of their time with WYLD. It all starts with our curriculum designed for vulnerability that is the essential ingredient to trust.
• Collective performance - using data-driven frameworks as their guide, participants develop tactical strategies to be applied immediately following their WYLD event that address their opportunity areas. Whether it’s leveraging CliftonStrengths to create new project management systems that are more aligned with the team’s talent distribution or utilizing their understanding of stress science to optimize the preparation for and execution of a sales pitch, participants leave with an actionable plan.

While no two projects look the same, the general arc remains consistent:

• Discovery - we get to know you and your objectives through conversations with your stakeholders, coaching individual participants, pre-event surveys when applicable, and our own desk research in order to better understand the key factors to customize your curriculum around.
• Execution - we handle the logistical details leading up to and throughout an event to make it as easy as possible for you to engage with us. We know that what’s happening behind the scenes is just as important as the front-of-room experience when it comes to creating an optimal learning environment for all.
• Recommendations - we schedule time with your stakeholders to exchange insights on what worked well, what could have been even better, and our suggestions for how best to carry the work forward for lasting results. When post-surveys and coaching are involved, we include that individual feedback into our recap as well.

We work hard to bring the same experiential learning to the table no matter the environment. That said, there are a couple of ways we adjust our approach in order to optimize the reality of the space we’re in.

• Length of time - when virtual, we recommend shorter time frames or breaking up the content into smaller chunks in order to keep the focus and energy up in the room. A 5-6 hour in person workshop might then be two 2.5 hour morning sessions online.
• Activity mix - when in person, we always look for venues that are as nature-driven and uplifting as possible, so naturally there may be access to activities that would not be available for an online event. However, we incorporate things like nature metaphors, visuals and sounds, creative arts, music, walk and talks ideally outside to take a break for the screen, and scavenger hunts in the home in order to still deliver a multi-sensorial experience.
• Participant interaction - in person events provide more organic connection opportunities. That’s a big reason why we recommend longer time-frames for these types of events so participants feel they have enough space for deeper discussion.
  In a virtual setting, one significant benefit is that partner discussions can be more efficient without losing the richness. One reason is that facilitators don’t have to spend time wrangling people back from their partner break outs. To maximize connectivity, we use our time wisely and offer as many touch points as possible so the group leaves having interacted with a significant number of coworkers (if not everyone at one point during the event).

We believe in the power of intentional learning so we don’t put a lot of weight on where that learning takes place. We know that your budget is a significant factor here and we are happy to help you stretch those dollars as effectively as possible.

A couple of considerations:

• If one of your challenges is that your team members don’t seem to understand one another very well and may not have ever met in person, an in-person event may really be worth the investment.
• If you are designing programming for a team that extends over a period of time, we recommend kicking off that program with an in-person event. It’s a powerful way to establish a strong foundation to build off of with future virtual engagements.

Coaching attached to a workshop = $200 per 60-minute 1-on-1 session with a WYLD facilitator.

Our best practice for workshops is always to include coaching whenever feasible for your timing and budget, so we try to make the price point as accessible as we can in order to make this add on a reality.

Why is this our best practice?

Pre-event coaching gives every leader the space to digest the data related to the workshop topic in advance (ex. their CliftonStrengths profile), learn more about the impact of the given tool, and get to know WYLD. The result? Leaders arrive knowing they are in experienced hands and prepared to dive right into the workshop to get the most out of their time with us.

Post-event coaching locks in the learning once leader’s have had a chance to absorb the workshop materials. This call is focused around creating individual and collective accountability in order to enhance the tool’s staying power. No flash in the pan experiences here!