Designing Better Networking Questions
The Tool
Last month, I shared some tips for designing an intentional networking event. But what should actually happen during a good networking workshop? What should people talk about? How can you facilitate conversations that feel organic but don't go completely off the rails?
You could start by randomly choosing questions from the many that exist online (or simply select some generated by your favorite AI), but in this article, I will give you a way to think about these questions more systematically.
The Purpose
The purpose of this tool is to help you decide what people will actually discuss during your networking workshop. Do you want the overall feeling to be more personal and fun, or more professional and serious? Do you want a mix of both?
Use Case
Here is an example of a Fun/Serious Matrix that I put together for a general networking workshop. Feel free to use it or create your own!
Instructions
Decide on a networking theme (optional)
Gather questions related to the theme. Try the ChatGPT prompt: "Working as a workshop facilitator, suggest questions for a networking workshop for [group of people] that has the theme [theme]." Review the questions and select the ones you like.
Draw a matrix. I prefer the X-axis to span from "Personal" to "Professional" and the Y-axis to span from "Serious" to "Fun."
Map the questions you think you might use onto the matrix, then use that placement to decide which questions you will include in your workshop design. If your workshop is for people who all work in the same industry, consider leaning toward the Serious/Professional quadrant. If you're aiming for a more casual vibe, such as a workshop held during a happy hour, you might choose questions that are more Personal/Fun.
Pros
Confidently assessing that you have chosen the right topics and questions for your audience will help your workshop succeed.
Cons
Depending on your audience, some questions may fall flat while others generate far more excitement than you might have anticipated. As a skilled facilitator (or someone helping others develop facilitation skills), you will need to practice flexibility while still keeping your objectives in mind.
Takeaways
The Fun/Serious Matrix is a systematic way to think about the networking questions you plan to use in your workshop design.
