Is Workshop Tactics worth it?
Randi Stanulis discovered that Workshop Tactics could transform her higher education sessions for department chairs and deans. As an assistant dean for faculty development at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, she needed creative tools to make her leadership development sessions more engaging and effective. The cards became her go-to resource for structuring meaningful workshops that drive real organisational change.
"I'm so excited about PIP decks"
Why Randi needed better workshop tools
Randi Stanulis is a tenured professor of surgical education in the Department of Surgery at Michigan State University, where she directs professional and leadership development and serves as assistant dean for faculty and professional development. She previously led the university's Office of Medical Education Research and Development and created the "Finding Joy in Teaching" initiative. She regularly leads sessions for department chairs and deans in higher education settings, helping them develop leadership skills and create successful organisational cultures.
"I have started using Pip Decks because I regularly lead sessions in a higher education setting for department chairs and deans, and I wanted to have some creative ideas to make those sessions even better."
Watch Randi's testimonial about Workshop Tactics
Full testimonial transcript
Hello. I have started using Pip Decks because I regularly lead sessions in a higher education setting for department chairs and deans, and I wanted to have some creative ideas to make those sessions even better.
And so an example of how I just got the Pip Decks for workshop ideas, and this week already, I'm going to use it with a group of our department chairs, to think about how they can be better able to start the year with their own unit members to create successful beginnings for people.
So I'm using first the hypothesis statement card and the hypothesis is going to be something like we believe that. And then I'm going to say creating, what about culture, about a strong culture for what people would be, hopefully they'll say faculty staff in their unit will achieve what outcome.
And so they're going to build those hypothesis statements together in groups, and then we're going to say, well, no, this hypothesis is true when, and so how are they going to measure success? So this can keep them more structured and systematic about reaching goals.
We're going to follow that up by using the crazy eights activity where they make their paper into eight sections and they think about creative ideas for ways they could, something they could do in their cultures. It's supposed to be really fast either they draw or they write a phrase and it's things like structures that can help employees succeed. What could they do for that? Or what activities could they do to increase belonging?
And so then we're going to do whip arounds where they share really quickly different ideas they have from the crazy eights. And these are just two examples. I plan to use many more. I'm so excited about Pip Decks. Thank you. Bye bye.
From structured sessions to creative breakthroughs
Randi immediately integrated Workshop Tactics into her higher education leadership development sessions. As an assistant dean working with department chairs and deans, she needed tools that could help these experienced leaders think more creatively about organisational culture and team development.
Her approach using the hypothesis statement card demonstrates how Workshop Tactics provides structured frameworks for complex organisational challenges. By guiding department chairs through hypothesis building around culture creation, she helps them develop more systematic approaches to leadership.
The higher education leadership challenge
Department chairs and deans in higher education face unique challenges in creating successful organisational cultures. They must balance academic excellence with administrative leadership, often without formal training in organisational development. Randi found that Workshop Tactics gave her the tools to help these leaders think more strategically about culture building and team success.
The cards helped her transform abstract leadership concepts into practical, actionable workshop activities. The combination of hypothesis statements and creative exercises like "crazy eights" provided the perfect balance of structure and innovation.
What made the difference
Randi's experience shows how Workshop Tactics solves real problems in higher education leadership development. The cards provide instant access to proven facilitation frameworks, reducing planning time whilst maintaining quality. The hypothesis statement card, in particular, helped her guide experienced leaders through systematic thinking about organisational culture.
How Randi uses Workshop Tactics in practice
Randi combines hypothesis building with creative exercises to create dynamic leadership development sessions. For department chair workshops, she starts with the hypothesis statement card to help leaders articulate their beliefs about culture and outcomes. She then transitions to the crazy eights activity to generate creative ideas for implementation. This structured yet creative approach helps experienced leaders think outside their usual frameworks.
She uses whip-around sharing to ensure all voices are heard and ideas are captured. The cards help her maintain focus on practical outcomes whilst encouraging innovative thinking. This combination of structure and creativity is particularly valuable in higher education settings where leaders need both systematic approaches and creative solutions.
Who this helps
- Higher education administrators who need to facilitate leadership development sessions for experienced professionals
- Organisational development consultants working with academic institutions and professional organisations
- Leadership coaches who want structured yet creative approaches to team development
Transform your workshop facilitation
If you're tired of struggling with workshop planning in higher education or organisational development, the Workshop Tactics Deck might be exactly what you need. You'll join over 200,000 professionals who've found their creative confidence through these cards.
Randi's success story represents one example of how Pip Decks' community of over 200,000 professionals across 100+ countries is transforming their work. These are real experiences from trusted experts who've field‑tested these tools in demanding professional environments.
For the complete facilitation system, consider pairing Workshop Tactics with Storyteller Tactics to create sessions that both educate and inspire.
Explore more success stories on our Pip Decks Testimonials Hub.
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