In Possible we organize training workshops within the company itself for the technical and management teams on a regular basis. In this post, we tell you how we carried out the last training workshop.

When and where?

We usually organize these workshops on days where there are fewer requests and calls from customers, which is usually on Friday afternoons. We summon the entire staff both in-person and remotely so that everyone can participate. To be able to accommodate everyone and be comfortable we usually rent a space in a coworking or a work center where we can be comfortable, organize different training activities, workshops where we can stand as well as prepare a catering to also take advantage and be all the staff in a relaxed environment at the end.

Beginning

The day began in the afternoon with a brief presentation of the company, made by Javier Martínez, Sabela Castro and Jaime Bargiela. We always take the opportunity to make a corporate presentation and that all the staff knows projects and clients with whom we are working because many times we only see a part of the company and we are not aware of everything our colleagues are doing. In this way, collaboration and communication between departments is encouraged so that everyone has a clear idea of where the company is and what it is doing at a general level.

Workshops

On the last day, 3 different workshops were proposed.

• One for the entire squad, divided into two teams
• Another for the management and commercial team
• The third for the technical team

Workshop 1 Option A or B?

The first to be carried out consisted of analyzing two business opportunities with a practical case and establishing pros and cons of each opportunity and making a group decision on which would be the most convenient for the company.

For this workshop, the technical and management team was mixed and divided into two groups, with a spokesperson in each to present the ideas, pros and cons, and conclusions. It was intended that the teams debate, question, and reason about the problems, risks, and advantages of each business opportunity in an open way.

Debates are a very useful tool when it comes to exposing a topic since it helps the public to understand it on a personal level and feel identified with the information obtained. Anyone can make a presentation on a topic, but the really advisable thing for the information to fit is to make the viewer actively participate.

Two alternatives were proposed for a job opportunity. Opt for the safe and most reliable option, or choose the riskier option that could be more beneficial in the long run.

Both options were familiar to workers, however, this time they would have to put themselves in the shoes of a team leader, and make a decision knowing that it will affect a wide group of people in your charge.

Most of the staff opted for the beneficial option in the long term, giving rise to the moral of the issue: sometimes it is better to choose the safe option since, although the benefit is not so juicy, it means a safe benefit and stability for your employees and your company.

Workshop 2 . The work of presenting

Presented by Ana Larrañaga and Javier Martínez, this workshop consisted of collecting information on how to design a presentation and then making a group presentation from scratch. It is key that in a presentation, the data is presented in a clear and concise way. The use of images and symbols can help as long as they are not abused, and you should always plan an exhibition based on your audience.

The presentation being in English, the limited time, and the need to use the tools exposed, guaranteed chaos and laughter among the workers. We tried to implement, as far as possible, everything learned in the short time available.

The purpose of the exercise was to emphasize that it is often necessary to carry out a complete, well-structured, well-designed project… etc., in a very limited time, and there is no possibility of rejecting it. This is where concentration and speed prevail and, although this can only be perfected with experience, it is something relevant that we want to highlight with these group activities.

Workshop 3. The No app

This workshop was proposed for the technical team. It was about practicing and learning about everything that surrounds a software application that is not directly software development.
Divided into groups of 3-4 people, the challenge was to prepare, build, configure and organize an environment of work, development, testing, and deployment in the production of a simple application at the code level but in the type of microservices infrastructures that we usually use in Possible.

The challenge was to be able to assemble a project with its repositories, virtual machines or virtual containers, environments, and branches in the version control for the different use cases of the application as well as the infrastructure and tools to be able to make automated deployments of the code and its modifications in a fast and agile way.

These tasks also required configurations at the network, communications, orchestration, and systems tools levels.

Finally, a development, testing, and production plan had to be established using the company’s tools, processes, and procedures, to reinforce in the work teams everything that is not purely programming.

The farewell

Of all the topics touched on in the workshop, the importance of each of the roles in the company was the key element. From developers to commercials, all of these roles are equally relevant and make Possible work every day. It is important to make this mindset clear in each member of the staff so that mutual respect is echoed.

We want to thank all the team members who have participated in the workshop, as well as those who passed and will pass through the company, for their work and contribution to do things better and to progress every day a little more. We hope that these workshops were as interesting as they were fun and that this is just the beginning of many more days like this 🙂

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You may also be interested in our post on education.