It’s common practice to end a workshop by asking participants to write down a few goals about how they’ll apply what they’ve learned.
It’s also one of the least effective moments to do it.
By the end of a workshop, people are tired. Their brains are full, their energy is low, and their attention has already shifted to emails, traffic, and dinner. Asking them to reflect on the entire day and craft meaningful goals at this point is asking a lot. Most will write something down simply to complete the exercise and get out of the room.
Those goals are rarely revisited. Even more rarely are they aligned with the wider programme outcomes or their manager’s expectations.
A better approach is to move goal setting upstream.
Have participants arrive with goals already discussed and agreed with their manager, and with a clear understanding of the programme outcomes. At the start of the workshop, make space to explore those goals and how they connect to what’s ahead. During the session, keep looping back to them as new ideas are introduced.
Then, at the end, don’t ask for new goals. Ask for reflection. What has changed? What needs refining? Who will help keep this alive once they’re back at work?
This week, look at your next workshop design and ask yourself one question. Are you setting people up for real application, or just a tidy ending?
Goals belong before learning. Reflection belongs after learning.
