The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint:
Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without the Stress.
by Leanne Hughes
“Good content, bad design and facilitation? Death. OK content, great design and facilitation? Glory.
Leanne Hughes is the perfect guide, and in this book she lays down the foundations for your workshop success.”
—Michael Bungay Stanier, bestselling author of The Coaching Habit and How to Work with (Almost) Anyone
Let’s face it, designing a workshop can be a daunting task.
There are so many variables and decision points:
How do you start the session?
What activities can you use to bring content to life?
What information should you share?
It's no wonder that experts often spend days (or weeks) searching online for the perfect activity.
Enter Leanne Hughes, host of the First Time Facilitator podcast.
After spending far too much time designing her own workshops, Leanne developed a formula that allows her to create sessions that hit the mark every time.
And she's sharing her secrets with you in this book: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint
“Leanne Hughes’ advice is smart, punchy, actionable and BS-free, just like the workshops she will help you to design and deliver. If you want to level up your facilitation game, start here!”
— Leslie Ehm, bestselling author of Swagger, and founder of Combustion Training
Here’s a sneak peak of what’s inside
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Illustrations + Case Studies
How fun is this Zoom cartoon? In the book, I’ve woven in illustrations and case studies, to help bring the content to life.
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Chapter Checkpoints
At the end of each chapter, you’ll have checkpoints and reflection moments to build on what you’ve just read, and turn it into action.
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SPARK Framework
The book builds upon a linear framework you can follow to map your workshop from design, to review, and everything in between.
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Helpful Extras Section
At the back of the book, you’ll find some helpful extras, like this workshop countdown calendar, to help you prepare for your session (without having to panic-plan the night before)
If you’re like me, you probably have three other books sitting on your bedside table*
So, is this the book you need in your life right now?
Early reader, Dr Mechelle Roberthon, VP of Student Services at Unitech Training Academy, shares her thoughts on who might find the book useful, and when you might need to use it.
*and 18 unread books on your Kindle…
Dr Mechelle Roberthon’s three key takeaways about The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint:
Spruce up, spice up and energise the way that you do learning.
It is just super easy to read. The terminology is super relatable and it is so practical.
If you don't have time to read the entire book, you can go to a chapter that is very specific to a more immediate need.
Endorsements for The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint
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“With this road-tested toolkit, you will learn exactly how to design and deliver memorable workshops in a fraction of the time, spreading that same gold dust of contagious energy that Leanne herself so brilliantly brings into the world.”
— Jenny Blake, Co-creator of Google’s Career Guru program and author of Free Time, Pivot, and Life After College
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“In this clever book, Leanne takes you through the creation and delivery of workshops with alacrity and passion. Learn how to attract and engage participants, and deliver solid content that’s immediately applicable. You can’t read a book to learn how to ski. But you can read this book and learn how to create brilliant workshops.”
— Alan Weiss, PhD, author, Million Dollar Consulting, Sentient Strategy, and over 50 other books
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“If you’re looking for a practical guide to creating workshops that truly resonate with your audience, Leanne’s book is a must-read, making it easy to turn your expertise into a memorable and effective workshop experience.”
— Pat Flynn, Co-founder of SPI Media & Author of Bestselling books Superfans and Will it Fly
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“Pay attention to Leanne’s book, filled with practical advice you can apply when you need to facilitate a workshop that is interactive, energetic, and engaging.”
— Neen James, executive strategist, author of Attention Pays
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“If you want to overcome the fear of rejection, there’s no better way than getting in front of a group of people and sharing your message. Leanne’s book provides a valuable resource for anyone looking to do just that, with practical tips and strategies for delivering a workshop that inspires change.”
— Jia Jiang, author of Rejection Proof and TED Speaker: What I learned from 100 days of rejection
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“Backed by her extensive experience and insights from over 200 podcast interviews, this book is an essential companion for anyone who wants to create impactful workshops without getting entangled in the complexities of facilitation. It will quickly become your go-to resource for crafting informative, engaging, and unforgettable workshop experiences.”
— Dr Myriam Hadnes, host of the Workshops Work podcast and NeverDoneBefore community
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"This book is the ultimate guide for turning knowledge into an unforgettable experience that slaps harder than an 70s funk song."
— Joeri Schilders, Creator: The Magic Sauce
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“This is the book I wish I had read when I started developing workshops, many years ago. Leanne makes workshop development sound easy - and that’s because it can be. It’s a must-read for facilitators, trainers and teachers, especially if you’re an over-thinker who spends far too long re-working everything so it’s “just right”...
— Mel Kettle, Leadership Communication Strategist, Speaker, Author, Facilitator
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“What sets this book apart from others on the same topic is the abundance of little pearls of wisdom that are sprinkled throughout. These insights are practical, actionable, and make the process of designing a workshop feel less overwhelming.”
— Kerry Brocks, CEO & Founder, Institute for Learning & Performance
About the author: Leanne Hughes
Leanne Hughes is a consultant, speaker and facilitator, maximising team potential by creating influential, contagious work experiences that scale across teams, functions and regions.
Whether launching a change initiative, enabling shifts in performance, or building a culture to achieve next-level success, Leanne's workshops impact both business and lives.
Especially skilled with virtual events (both delivery and behind the scenes advice and coaching) Leanne has distilled her knowledge and experience into The First Time Facilitator and now, a book 'The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint'.
In 2022, Leanne was inducted into The Million Dollar Consulting® Hall of Fame, recognised by her peers as being among the world leaders in consulting. In 2021, Leanne was the winner of Learning Professional of the Year at the Asia Pacific Learning Impact Awards.
Here’s exactly. what you’ll find in the book
INTRODUCTION
Before we jump in, let’s talk key practices and set up a 2-Hour Workshop scenario that we’ll use to bring your content to life.
Chapter One: What this book’s about, how it can help you, plus a quick hello
Chapter Two: Seven Practices of Highly Effective Workshop Hosts
Chapter Three: Accepting the Challenge: SPARK Your
2-Hour Workshop Adventure
ACT I
Across three chapters, you’ll start thinking about the value your workshop offers and how you can be more like a GPS focused on your group’s destination.
Chapter Four: S is for Setup
Chapter Five: Curate and Cluster Your Content (Setup)
Intermission: Build the Buzz: Get Your Groups Showing Up Ready, Invested and Active
ACT II:
Explore questions, ideas and activities to bring your workshop to life. You’ll add detail to your SPARK Sheet, outlining what’s involved in your pre-start, your opening, and the bulk of your workshop.
Chapter Six P is for Power Up
Chapter Seven A is for Activities
ACT III
Put the finishing touches to your SPARK Sheet, wrapping up your two-hour workshop design. But the workshop isn’t over when it’s over. Across the next two chapters, you’ll identify questions and activities to close your workshop, and strategies to communicate more value to your participants once it’s finished.
Chapter Eight R is for Review
Chapter Nine K is for Keep
Encore
HELPFUL EXTRAS
Dig into some handy bonus content, including:
Executive Summary – A compact overview to get you started.
Countdown Calendar – A strategic timeline to optimise your preparation.
Favourite Workshop Tech Tools – Harness the power of technology to streamline your workshop
How to Manage Behaviour and Deal with the Unknown – Pro tips to handle unexpected situations and maintain a positive workshop environment.
How to Transition Between Topics – Master the
art of seamless transitions to maintain engagement.
Early reader and reviewer, Steph Clarke shares her thoughts on the book
Three key takeaways:
The book takes you from zero to hero on how to design and run short workshops, particularly if you're not necessarily a facilitator or a learning person.
There's lots of examples in there including questions to prep, different types of activities you can include, and different approaches to workshops that are not just, "Here are some slides and I'm going to talk to you for a couple of hours."
Super practical, pretty fun and it's got Leanne's style and humour and lightness and all the rest baked into it too, which obviously I enjoyed cause I really like Leanne (haha, great line, right back at you, Steph)
I’m lucky that Steph Clarke was part of the review process for the book. In this 2min video, she sums up what the book is about and who it’s for.
“As someone who has spent years studying the art of communication, I can say with confidence that Leanne’s book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their workshop design and hosting skills.”
— Jordan Harbinger, creator, The Jordan Harbinger Show