Key Principles Behind Pitstop Conferences & Events
Pitstop conferences and events are particularly powerful because of a set of 6 principles involved in their design and delivery.
1. Maximum Energy & Engagement
Most conferences involve a top table, with guest speakers and Power Point presentations. But engaging today’s audiences requires more, especially if results are expected.
A range of new methodologies has emerged to tackle the challenges of engaging audiences*. These are embedded in the pitstop approach to conferences and events. The result is a new level of energy and engagement.
*Including World Café, Strategic Conversations and Action Learning.
2. Test & Respectfully Challenge
Attendees often describe away-days and conferences by terms, such as; ‘talking shop’, ‘happy-clappy’, or ‘love-in’. But events and away-days should challenge, as well as inspire.
Pitstop events challenge organizations and teams to:
– More accurately appraise their performance
– Reveal their level of energy & engagement
– Test the level of teamwork, focus &alignment
– Engage in difficult conversations
– Assess the progress of key initiatives, projects & strategies
All this happens in an environment of psychological safety, deliberately created so as to enable people can contribute in an atmosphere of openness, trust and respect.
3. Focus on Results
A conference or event is a considerable expenditure of time and money – it should have a demonstrable pay-back. Nobody wants another talking-show, there must be action as a result. The success of the conference/event is measured by what happens afterwards.
Pitstop events link what happens at your conference to the performance of your organization/team and its key initiatives, priorities or strategies in concrete and measurable ways.
5. It is about Winning Moves
‘It was a great conference, but what exactly happened as a result?’ That is a question too often asked by managers as they reflect on the last conference or away-day.
Teams leave pitstops with clearly agreed ‘Winning Moves’ together next actions and a means of tracking progress.
After all, the only reason to pitstop is to help you win.
6. New Insights on Your Team
Pitstops events are an opportunity to observe your team in action. Throughout the day your team will reveal itself – providing new insights into it potential, including its task effectiveness, decision smarts & social health.
Pitstop facilitators will guide you through a behavioral observation of your team, including; norms of behaviors, patterns of interaction and so on.
Pitstops can take place in a variety of formats, from a few hours to several days and for groups ranging from 8 to 800.
Click on the video to see a pitstop in action or visit the gallery here.
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