Why the Best Corporate Workshops Focus on Frameworks

I have facilitated workshops for over 100,000 people. Here is the one thing I never do.

In the last decade, I have stood in front of working professionals, business owners, and C-Suite leaders across hundreds of workshops.

And in all that time, I have never told anyone what to think.

There is a misconception that corporate training is about Prescription. It assumes there is a Right Way and a Wrong Way to lead, to communicate, or to work.

I don't believe in Right or Wrong. I believe in Effective or Ineffective.

Obviously, ethics are non-negotiable. But when it comes to style, strategy, and communication, there is rarely a universal 'Right' or 'Wrong,' only Effective or Ineffective.

When we bring a Coaching Approach to facilitation, we stop giving orders and start offering frameworks. My job isn't to force you to adopt my strategy. My job is to introduce a new way of thinking and ask you Is your current behavior actually serving your goals?

Often, I will have a participant challenge me. They want to prove why a framework won't work in their specific industry. They want to debate the rules.

I never mind this. In fact, I love it. I am not the smartest person in the room. I am just the person with the toolkit.

If you hate saying "I hope you're well" in an email, that is fine. There is no law that says you must be soft.

But I will ask you: If you are the only person in an organization of 100 people who refuses to use social niceties, is that friction serving your career? Or is it slowing you down?

You don't have to agree with the framework. But you do have to be honest about the results of your resistance.

We don't need more rules. We need more self-inquiry.