How to Organize an In-House Internal Communications Workshop

Preparation for Your Internal Communications Workshop

The success of your in-house internal communications workshop will depend heavily on thorough preparation. This includes setting the right tone and ensuring all materials and logistics are in place. Ultimately, thoughtful planning creates an environment where participants can fully engage. 

This section outlines the physical setup, tools, and facilitator prep needed to guide a productive and insightful session.

Technical and Material Resources for the Workshop

To make the most of your time, plan for at least a two- to three-hour session that allows for deep discussion without feeling rushed. Then plan what you are going to need and how you will set the room up for your workshop. 

Room Setup Tips:

Depending on numbers, arrange seating in a circle or U-shape to foster open dialogue and equal participation.

Ensure there is ample wall space or provide large whiteboards for sticky note activities and visual capture of discussion points.

Materials Needed:

Based on Maddy’s approach, this is what you’re going to need:

• Yellow sticky notes: one per internal comms topic.
• Orange sticky notes: to record key ideas, challenges, and solutions.
• Green and red dot stickers: two of each per participant for interactive topic prioritization. The key here is that green dots indicate successes and insights, and red dots show participants need help. But more about that later.  
• Markers or pens: enough for every attendee.
• Projector and screen: to present slides. 
• Notepads or laptops: for participants to take notes or record takeaways.

Facilitator Preparation

A well-prepared facilitator makes all the difference in maintaining momentum and ensuring every voice is heard. Follow these steps carefully:

• Clarify the workshop objectives and write them down. These should guide every activity and discussion.
• Prepare and develop facilitator notes that include prompts, transitions, and timing cues to help steer conversations. Don’t attempt to depend on memory alone. Unless you have experience running workshops (and even if you do), it’s best to have prompts you can rely on.  
• Create a concise slide deck of about five slides that introduces the session, explains the green-red dot activity, outlines key topics, and closes with next steps. See suggestions later on. 
• Anticipate challenges such as dominant voices or off-topic detours. Prepare gentle redirection techniques to keep the session focused and inclusive.

Pre-Workshop Communication 

Strong communication before the session sets expectations and ensures high attendance. Participants should understand why their input matters and how the workshop will run. Timely, clear outreach helps create buy-in and ensures that everyone arrives prepared to engage.

Leverage internal communication tools to streamline the process and keep everything on track:

• Use Cerkl’s Email Blasts to send clear invitations outlining the date, time, location, objectives, and expectations of your workshop. Keep them concise, but emphasize the importance of participation.
• Push calendar invites via Cerkl’s Calendar Invites feature. This ensures the event appears directly on participants’ calendars, which is a small step that significantly increases attendance.
• Send reminder emails one week before and again one day prior to the session. Include a brief agenda, a note about the interactive nature of the workshop, and any materials attendees may need to bring.

Running the In-House Comms Workshop

With all the preparation complete, it's time to bring the session to life. 

The goal here is to foster open discussion, surface shared challenges, and uncover practical solutions — all in a structured yet flexible format. Remember, this is not a presentation; it’s a working session built around interaction and reflection.

The workshop is designed to unfold in four key phases: 

1. Setting the tone
2. Surfacing pain points and wins through a green-red dot activity
3. Guided discussion
4. Closing with actionable takeaways 

Each phase is designed to encourage honesty, inclusivity, and knowledge-sharing among peers.

Below is a breakdown of each stage and how you can guide it effectively.

Opening the Session 

Allow about 15 minutes for this and begin by setting the tone for a productive and inclusive workshop.

• Welcome everyone warmly and thank them for participating.
• Outline the purpose of the session. The idea here is to identify challenges, share successes, and learn from one another.
• Emphasize that this is a safe, judgment-free space where everyone is encouraged to contribute.
• Share key expectations indicating:
  • There’s no rush. You are looking for thoughtful contributions.
  • Respectful listening is essential.
  • Every perspective is valuable.

Thoughtfully executed, this opening moment will establish a feeling of psychological safety and set a collaborative tone for the rest of the session.

Dot Activity 

This is one of Maddy’s key activities, and it should be allocated about 10 minutes. It’s an interactive exercise that is designed to surface the most pressing challenges and most successful practices in your organization’s internal communications.

Instructions:

• Display the yellow sticky notes, each labeled with a specific internal comms topic, for example:
  • Crisis communication
  • Channel management
  • Executive messaging
  • Content personalization
  • Analytics and measurement
  • Employee engagement
  • Technology Integration

Include whatever is important and relevant to your organization. You can also add categories. 

• Give each participant two green dots and two red dots, and explain clearly what they mean:
  • Green = Success – Ask participants to place these on two topics that are going well in the organization.
  • Red = Challenge – Ask them to place red dots on two topics that are challenging.
  • Also, ask participants to initial their dots so you can reference responses during discussion.

This visual activity helps to quickly prioritize where to focus the conversation.

Facilitated Discussion 

This is a much longer session that should take 60 to 90 minutes. It’s the heart of the workshop and should be a guided, open discussion based on Maddy’s innovative dot activity results.

Start with a topic marked with multiple red dots and prompt with questions like:

• “What specific challenges have you encountered here?”
• “What’s holding things back?”

Capture responses on orange sticky notes and place them visibly for everyone to see.

Then move to a green-dot topic and prompt with questions like:

• “Can anyone share what worked well?”
• “What strategies led to that success?”

Again, record key insights on orange sticky notes.

Tips for facilitation:

• Move between red and green topics to keep the tone balanced.
• Use participants’ initials on dots to invite targeted follow-ups.
• Be mindful of airtime, inviting quieter voices to contribute to the conversation.
• Avoid rushing — the value lies in real conversation, not covering every topic.

Wrap-Up and Next Steps 

You’ll need about 15 to 20 minutes to tie the session together and ensure the conversation doesn’t end when the workshop does. The aim is to bring the group back together to reflect and leave with clarity. 

Here’s what to do:

• Summarize key insights using the orange sticky notes as a visual reference.
• Invite participants to share one takeaway or “aha” moment they’re leaving the workshop with.
• Ask everyone to write down one actionable step they commit to trying after the workshop.
• Close by outlining next steps:
  • Include a summarized recap with key takeaways
  • Encourage continued collaboration by facilitating follow-ups through shared docs, group chats, or scheduled check-ins.

Sample Questions to Guide the Conversation

A strong facilitation strategy includes asking the right questions at the right time. These prompts are designed to spark meaningful discussion, whether you're addressing common challenges or spotlighting internal communications wins.

Let’s differentiate between red and green dots. 

Challenging Topics (Red Dots)

Ask questions like:

• What internal barriers have you faced regarding [specific topic]?
• Are there external factors making this challenging, and how are you addressing them?
• What solutions have you tried, and why didn’t they work as expected?
• If you could change one thing about how this is currently handled, what would it be?

Success Stories (Green Dots)

Relevant questions might include: 

• What specific strategies contributed to your success in [specific topic]?
• Can you share how you measured the success or impact of your approach?
• How did you secure stakeholder buy-in or leadership support?
• What advice would you offer someone struggling with this (or another problem) in their organization?

These questions help surface not only problems and solutions, but also the reasoning and experimentation behind them — which is often where the most valuable insights are.

Post-Workshop Communication

The value of your internal communications workshop doesn’t end when the workshop is over. Timely and thoughtful follow-up ensures that insights are captured, momentum continues, and actions are implemented.

The key is to use your internal communication tools to reinforce the session’s outcomes and keep participants engaged. Here are some tips:

• Send a post-workshop Email Blast summarizing the session’s purpose, key takeaways, and agreed-upon next steps.
• Include a recap document that compiles:
  • Photos of the sticky note boards (yellow and orange).
  • A written summary of discussion highlights.
  • Any commitments or follow-up items mentioned during the wrap-up.
• Use the Cerkl Broadcast platform to distribute these materials, ensuring they reach all participants and any stakeholders who couldn’t attend.
• Schedule follow-up check-ins via Calendar Invites. These can be brief (15–30 minutes), but they can help to reinforce accountability, answer lingering questions, and maintain progress on identified actions.

What’s really important is that consistent, clear post-workshop communication will ensure your session drives long-term impact and not just short-term reflection.

Best Practices for Organizing Internal Comms Workshops

Even with the right agenda and tools, it’s often the little things that determine whether a workshop is just “okay” or truly impactful. These best practices can help you elevate the experience and ensure meaningful participation from start to finish.

• Foster inclusivity: Make space for every voice. Actively encourage quieter participants to share, whether by prompting them directly or creating smaller breakout moments where they may feel more comfortable.
• Manage time thoughtfully: Stay on track without cutting off valuable contributions. Use unobtrusive time cues to move discussions along and ensure each topic receives attention.
• Document everything clearly: Photograph all sticky notes and key visual materials. These will form the foundation of your recap document and ensure that nothing valuable gets lost in the moment.
• Stay flexible but focused: Be ready to follow the energy in the room, but always bring the conversation back to the workshop’s objectives. Having clear facilitator notes will help with this.
• Follow through: The impact of a great workshop depends on what happens afterward. Make sure agreed actions are tracked and celebrated in future communications.

Sample Slide Deck Outline

A concise, well-structured slide deck will help guide the workshop without overwhelming participants. Aim for clarity, minimal text, and visual cues that support open conversation. Here are ideas for five slides. Use them for inspiration. 

Slide 1: Workshop Introduction & Objectives

• Title: Welcome to Our Internal Comms Workshop
• Include the date, facilitator name(s), and location (optional).
• State the purpose of the workshop clearly:
  For example: “To explore key internal communication challenges and successes, and share strategies to improve alignment, engagement, and impact.”
• List 2–3 clear objectives (e.g., identify communication pain points, highlight successful approaches, align on next steps).

Slide 2: Instructions for Dot Activity

• Use icons or a short diagram to explain:
  • What the yellow sticky notes represent (topics).
  • What red and green dots indicate (challenges and successes)
  • How to initial dots.
• Keep instructions simple and visual to reduce explanation time.

Slide 3: List of Internal Comms Topics

• Display all the topics that appear on the yellow sticky notes, such as:
  • Crisis Communication
  • Channel Management
  • Executive Messaging
  • Content Personalization
  • Analytics and Measurement
  • Employee Engagement
  • Technology Integration
• Optional: Use icons or symbols to make it visually engaging.

Slide 4: Facilitation Guidelines (Respect, Listen, Share)

• Set expectations for participation:
  • Respect all opinions.
  • Listen without interrupting.
  • Share honestly — this is a safe space.
• Keep the text short. Consider using 3 large icons with one or two words under each one.

Slide 5: Wrap-Up and Next Steps

Thank everyone for their participation. Remind them to write down their one actionable takeaway. Then list what’s coming next. This might be a summary email, a shared recap document, and follow-up check-ins.

Then, end with a motivating message like:

Today’s conversations are just the beginning. Let’s keep the momentum going.

What’s Next

Wondering what to do next? Don’t stress. We’ve developed a free, downloadable Internal Communication Plan Template that will enable you to create or improve and streamline your internal communication plan. It’s easy-to-use and intuitive and optimized for quick, effective planning. If you don’t want an instant template that is ready to use, we also offer a comprehensive guide that will enable you to develop your own unique internal comms plan from scratch.