Why do some workshops feel energetic on the day, but lead to very little change afterwards? In this episode, we’re combining a couple ideas from previous episodes to explore how the COM-B model can help us design workshops that support real action, not just good attendance. The challenge is to think less about what we want to present and more about what people need before, during and after the workshop to do something differently.
COM-B tells us that behaviour depends on three interacting conditions: capability, opportunity and motivation. We’ve covered the COM-B model in a previous episode, where we looked at its links to the Behaviour Change Wheel and some agricultural examples, so we won’t repeat all of that here. Instead, let’s use COM-B as a practical design tool for more effective workshops.
The first design question is not, ‘What information should we include?’ It’s, ‘What behaviour are we trying to support?’ That might be farmers making a grazing plan, advisors using a new conversation tool, landholders checking biosecurity risks, or a grower group trialling a new practice. Once we’re clear on the behaviour, COM-B helps us ask whether people have the capability, opportunity and motivation to act.
Capability is about whether people can actually do the thing we’re asking of them. Physical capability might include using equipment, collecting samples, reading a paddock, or applying a decision tool. Psychological capability includes knowledge, confidence, attention and mental space. If participants arrive stressed, distracted or overloaded, they may not be ready to absorb new ideas, no matter how strong our content is.
This means we need to design for thinking, not just listening. We can reduce uncertainty by explaining the purpose, agenda and expectations early. We can use plain language, avoid overloading people with too many messages, and give participants time to reflect. We can also start by asking what’s already on their minds, because people are more likely to engage when they feel heard before they’re asked to learn.
Opportunity is about the conditions around people that make action easier or harder. In a farming context, that might include time, labour, money, equipment, weather, family expectations, market signals or local norms. A workshop that ignores these realities risks generating good intentions that collapse as soon as people get home. A stronger workshop brings these barriers into the room and treats them as design information, not resistance.
Room layout is one simple opportunity we can control. Rows of chairs facing a screen tell people that knowledge lives at the front. However, tables, small groups, farm maps, paired conversations and practical activities tell people that knowledge is also elsewhere in the room. If we want people to compare options, test ideas and learn from each other, the physical and social environment needs to make that possible.
Motivation is about why the change matters enough to act on. Facts and figures have a role, but they usually work best when connected to values, goals and the situations faced by farmers. We can build motivation by using local examples, inviting people to identify their own reason for change, and helping them picture a realistic next step. We can also ask, ‘What would make this worth trying?’ rather than assuming the answer is obvious.
This is where Brinkerhoff’s 40:20:40 rule adds another useful layer. We’ve covered this in a previous episode on getting greater impact from events, where we explored the idea that only 20% of our effort should sit in the event itself, with 40% before and 40% after. The point is simple but confronting, what happens before and after the workshop often matters more than the workshop itself.
Before the workshop, the first 40% might include clarifying the behaviour we’re targeting, understanding participants’ needs, choosing the right people, inviting them, and sending a small pre-task that helps them connect the topic to their own situation. For example, a soil health workshop might ask participants to bring a paddock question, a recent soil test result or a photo. That gives participants something practical to work with.
During the workshop, the 20% should still be well designed. We need clear messages, good facilitation, practical activities, peer discussion and time for reflection. We also need to avoid the trap of filling every minute with content. If the aim is behaviour change, people need time to process what the information means for their own farm, business, team or community.
After the workshop, the final 40% is where many events lose their impact. Follow-up might include a check-in call, a peer buddy system, a WhatsApp group, a short reminder, a field visit, a troubleshooting session, or an invitation to share what happened when people tried their next step. New learning is fragile, so support after the event helps turn intention into practice.
If this is something you’re working on, our Designing workshops that deliver impact course is built around these same challenges. It’s a three-hour online workshop for people designing or facilitating extension, advisory or RD&E events. It focuses on purposeful design, broader learning journeys, flipped learning, Brinkerhoff’s rule and practical ways to strengthen follow-through beyond the day itself. Places are limited to keep the course interactive, and you can see when it’s next offered on our website.
So, why do some workshops feel useful but lead to little change? Often, it’s because we designed for delivery rather than behaviour. COM-B helps us check capability, opportunity and motivation, while Brinkerhoff’s 40:20:40 rule reminds us to design the whole change journey, not just the day in the room.
We’ve shared our thoughts, now it’s your turn! Drop a comment below with your experiences, tips and ideas on designing workshops that support real action. We’d love this to be a conversation because we love hearing your insights.
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That’s the bit that gets left out most I’d say. In this day and age must be some novel and effective and efficient ways to do it. Something to ponder
Agree 100% Aaron!