This is your bread and butter. Product strategists cover a lot of other pieces of work, but preparing, leading, and reporting on workshop findings is something that’s our strong suit. We run workshops, and we help others run their workshops as well.

A workshop is the best way to build rapport with clients early in the project and strengthen their perceived competence and authority in the product domain. Other than the client’s team, our internal project team will be present, so you’ll be able to establish rapport with colleagues that will be crucial for delivering value to the client.

The word “workshop” is being thrown around more than AI, but what exactly is a workshop? It’s a set of structured activities that help you achieve a goal or find answers. Let’s break this down into smaller pieces.

• “Structured activities”: you need to know why you’re deploying some exercise or game, how long it’ll take, and what materials and participants you need; it’s not an improv session. You’re in the driver’s seat
• “Achieve a goal”: you must know what’s the end goal, what are the deliverables you need to provide to the client or our internal team
• “Find answers”: some workshops won’t be about getting things done, but about learning something from the client or the customers. You need to know which questions to ask and why these questions are important product- and business-wise

Virtue signaling is a part of the appeal of workshops. They are an environment set up to make you shine and make you appear as a worthy partner to the client’s product and business team. Add some showmanship into your workshops, crack a few jokes, and make sure the client feels catered to. This is usually their first impression of you, so make it count.

Make other colleagues shine too. You’re the front person during the workshop but don’t forget that at some point, a PM or SA might take over. The client needs to get to know them and see them in the best light possible. How do you do that? Run the agenda by your colleagues, help them make their exercises more engaging, provide feedback on their deliverables and praise them during the workshop as experts in their field.