Benefits of workshops
What are workshops and have you ever attended one?
A workshop is a period of discussions or practical work where people share their knowledge or experiences on a particular subject or product. It gets participants fully involved in the learning process: small group discussions, activities and exercises, opportunities to practice applying the concepts that are presented. Workshops are often expanded over days to allow participants to digest, reflect, execute, and experiment.
It also provides a great environment for participants to:
Learn new skills
The way we work together in the digital world is constantly evolving and so are best practices. A workshop can facilitate and introduce new concepts, spurring participants to investigate it further with a group (or on their own), or can demonstrate and encourage the practice of proven methodologies.
Learn new ways of thinking
Nobody shares the same world view, and their interpretation of something could be drastically different from yours. The other attendees may offer a unique view on your approach that you have not yet considered. Being exposed to new points of view can offer new insight and ideas.
Gather feedback
Constructive feedback can be hard to take, but it is a major step in the growing process. The workshop environment encourages genuine constructive feedback that can really improve your work without judgement. It is a great way to teach hands-on skills because it offers participants a chance to try out new methods and fail in a safe environment.
Motivation to work
When you have company of others around you, you are more likely to be proactive in completing certain tasks and outcomes. This prevents procrastination and promotes accountability. Being part of a workshop is great for providing such motivation as it is a promise someone else will view your work. Furthermore, when workshops happen on multiple occasions and with group follow up, there is a higher chance that everyone will be more invested with the subject matter.
Make friends
Finding someone with the same passion as you is always a treat. Workshops are a terrific way to meet like minded individuals with shared interests and goals. Granted, it is not a guarantee that a friendship will blossom, but it never hurts to try. At the very least, you will be able to find a colleague and someone who understands your language.
New opportunities
Workshops can help you gain exposure and build networks by showcasing your work or company. A participant of the group may know of a UX company looking for a new designer, for instance. The other attendees may also have opportunities to share with the group, making it especially worthwhile to bond with others.
Online workshops save on travel time
What COVID-19 in 2020 has taught us is that travel time is unnecessary. Many have welcomed the working-from-home arrangement as it has given the autonomy, flexibility and comfort that an home office provides. With online workshops, you do not have to worry about travelling to the venue, pay for transportation and/or flights, taking in compressed learning materials in a day or two, or be stuck in a room for long hours. Many workshops have been taken online with great success like our friends at SuperOrbital who have found that remote workshops are better than in person
Have fun
Most importantly, workshops are meant for growth and enjoyment. Sometimes we feel stagnated at work, like we are at a plateau, and not moving forward. Attending a workshop can ignite a creativity spark, re-energise you to try out new approaches, and to have fun. When you are happy, your productivity and creativity increases.
So whether you are a developer, tech lead, Vice President (VP) of engineering, VP of software, Chief Tech Officer (CTO), or the founder of a startup, we have a variety of online workshops that will provide a fun, interactive, open, and collaborative environment for continuous learning and to meet like minded people.