Resources for One-on-One Workshop Leaders

Thinking of offering a one-on-one workshop? Fantastic! On top of the general resources for workshop leaders, here are some tips to help you run the best one-on-one workshop you can.

Do some planning in advance:

  • Plan how you’ll use your time with each person effectively. Explain your plan at the start of each session, and try to stick to it.
  • Set out goals for yourself and keep them in mind as you lead each session.
  • It’s helpful to make an outline for how you’ll run each session, but it takes a handful of real sessions before you get in a real flow.
  • Write a clear description of what you’re offering.

Manage your time to avoid overextending yourself:

  • One-on-ones should not be as long as regular workshops. Do at most half an hour per session.
  • Set clear hours when you’ll be available, and stick to them.
  • Schedule downtime for yourself. Consider 15-minute breaks between back-to-back sessions, or breaking up runs of back-to-back sessions.

Manage the experience to help each participant get the most out of it:

  • Decide how people are going to find you when their time slot comes up. Consider picking a single meeting place, and then walk together to wherever works for each particular session.
  • Make time for listening and connection at the start of your session. Find out why your participant is interested in talking to you. It may be that the best thing you can do with your time slot is listen the whole time.
  • If applicable, be clear & explicit about what level of confidentiality you can offer. Don’t let your participant assume one way or another.

Thanks to Jasmine W. for piloting the on-on-one approach at Skill Swap 2017 and for sharing these tips with us.