I have recently analysed the feedback I got from all my workshops.
And there was one stunning finding.
People nearly always found it helpful to be together in the room and discuss the problem.
It was surprising because it revealed that a seemingly small & unimportant effort was significantly paying off.
I just hated situations in which, during the workshop, we missed organizational knowledge and could not proceed.
While it is not a big deal for remote workshops (we can always reschedule), it was a big pain for physical events. We just can't reschedule the physical event. We had to continue with what we had got - and that meant a lot of guesswork.
So I started premapping - which is just like mapping, except I do it alone and I try to guess how the map will look like. The point is not to get it right - the point is to identify expertise that the problem owner should bring to the workshop.
Which does wonders - you do not even have to be expert in mapping or even use it (but it is easier if you can facilitate the discussion).
Get the right people in the room - and everything else will be much easier.
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