The Workshop Camper
A playful look at how participants settle in, claim their spot, and adapt when a workshop turns out differently than expected.
The start of a workshop always fascinates me. So much happens from the moment participants walk through the door. Different personalities, behaviors, and ways of settling in. Some immediately start chatting; others quietly observe their surroundings. Some seem perfectly comfortable, while others are still figuring out what they've walked into. And all of this happens before the workshop has even started!
One type of participant I particularly enjoy is what I call the workshop campers (or kampeerders, as we say in Dutch).
At first, you can almost see the confusion on their faces. No tables? Chairs seemingly arranged at random, not even in a circle? And the screen isn't showing a presentation yet? What's going on here?
After accepting reality, they decide to choose "their" chair.
First, they move their chair to a spot with the best view of the screen.
Next, they claim their spot by draping their jacket over the chair, then make themselves at home, carefully arranging their bag, water bottle, notebook, and whatever else they've brought.
Once everything is in place, they're ready to get to know their new, temporary neighbors.
The next wave of confusion hits when they discover I won't be using the screen at all. Crap, now which way should they face their chairs?
And then comes one of my favorite questions:
“So, where are you going to stand?” 🤷♀️
My answer? “Uhm... pretty much everywhere!”
By this point, they usually give up on their camping plans and accept that this workshop will be a different kind of workshop. Time to go with the flow, explore new spots, and change seats throughout the day!
To be clear, these are just my playful observations. All of this happens quite naturally, and I love seeing how quickly people adapt to unfamiliar circumstances. It's also fascinating (and amusing) to notice just how deeply ingrained some of our habits are.
And I have to admit, I'm probably a workshop camper myself. Maybe that's why I'm so good at spotting my fellow campers! 😅
PS: Here are a few photos from a recent workshop, just to give you an idea of where participants end up sitting (or standing, or sometimes even lying down 😃).
