3-2-1: Workshop Weekly #17

This week's newsletter is about the art of interrupting in facilitation, Lessons Learned the right way, and integrating remote & in-office workflows.

Let's go!

– Arthur

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Three Workshop Examples

Being able to interrupt people at the right moment is a superpower.

Thomas Lanthaler wrote a great LinkedIn post with practical examples that help you practice and master the skill of interruption (respectfully and effectively):

• "When is the right moment?"
• "How can I avoid insulting the person?"
• "What effects does this have on the feeling of psychological safety?"
• "Am I treating people differently?"
• "What is the right thing to say?"

I've struggled with this for a long time (and occasionally still am).

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Here's my take on three of the ideas Thomas wrote about:

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1: Have a go-to sentence

Thomas: "It makes us feel more confident if we know what we will say. "

Knowing what to say when interrupting someone makes it easier to do so.

My go-to sentence:

• "For the sake of the process, we have to move forward to the next step."

Having your own sentence makes you more confident.

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2: Speaking simultaneously

Thomas: "Often, during interruptions, both people speak at the same time. It helps to continue talking and "outspeak" the other party."

This one comes really unnatural to me, but that makes it even more powerful when I do use it.

My natural behavior when I speak with someone simultaneously is to stop talking. That's because I'm always actively listening.

So when I do "outspeak" someone, I often only need a sentence or two to do so.

(Which helps the group move forward and not go around in circles.)
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3: Explain, don't justify

Thomas: "When we interrupt, I often notice almost an apologetic justification for why we had to do this. This undermines our role. There is a fine line between explaining and justifying. All we need to do is explain."

Being process-minded, this comes naturally to me. My goal is to help the whole group achieve the best possible outcome, so I don't feel apologetic about interrupting.

❌ "I'm sorry to interrupt, but ..."

✅ "We're now at [STEP NAME] in the process. We're doing that step because [WHY] That helps us achieve [OUTCOME]"

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Two Async Tips

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1: Lessons Learned Library

Typically, teams wait until the end of a project to reflect on lessons learned.

That often leads to missed opportunities for growth and improvement.

Most of the time, crucial details and insights from earlier phases of the project have faded, diminishing the potential impact of these lessons.

Plus, waiting until the project ends means you lose the chance to improve the process when you need it most.

A 'Lessons Learned Library' is a dynamic, evolving database where team members can record weekly insights and observations.

This proactive approach ensures that valuable lessons are captured and considered while they're still fresh and relevant.

Every other week, the team can come together (for 30 - 45 minutes) to review and discuss these entries.

This regular rhythm of reflection keeps the lessons current and actionable and also fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

It encourages team members to be consistently mindful and analytical about their work processes, leading to more immediate and impactful adaptations.

This method transforms lessons learned from a retrospective exercise into a powerful tool for ongoing development and process optimization.

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2: Team Vlogs​
Encourage team members to record short, reflective video diaries about their work experiences, challenges, and achievements.

These videos offer a more personal, engaging way for team members to share their perspectives and insights.

Saving these videos to your Team's Knowledge Base is great for:

• Current team members to learn more about the people they work with.
• Onboarding new team members to the team and learning a bit about the team's personalities.
• Enhance team cohesion and understanding by discussing and sharing personal improvement recommendations quarterly.

Pro tip: Recording videos feels scary for some people. Help them by preparing a rough script, some questions they can answer in the video, or recording the video with them (e.g. in a video call).

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One Question For Your Team

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That's all for this week. If you enjoyed today's issue, please reply (it helps with deliverability). If you didn't, you can unsubscribe via the link👇.

See you next Wednesday — Arthur​

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