The Workshop Mini-Mission Statement: How to Define Your Workshop Purpose and Outcomes
The Workshop Mini-Mission Statement is a two-sentence planning template that defines the purpose, objectives, and desired outcomes of any workshop.
Created by Leanne Hughes as part of the SPARK Framework in The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint, it follows this format: "This workshop is for [person] who is [currently doing and currently feeling] and wants/needs/aspires [to do this] so that [result]." It forces facilitators to get specific about who they are designing for and what success looks like before they start building content.
What is the Workshop Mini-Mission Statement?
The Workshop Mini-Mission Statement is a fill-in-the-blanks template that maps a workshop's purpose and objectives into a single, focused statement. It answers two fundamental questions every facilitator needs to answer before designing a session:
Where is the group now? (Their current situation)
Where do they want to go? (Their desired destination)
The template looks like this:
"This workshop is for [person] who is [currently doing and currently feeling] and wants/needs/aspires [to do this] so that [result]."
This statement becomes your filter for every design decision that follows. When you are choosing activities, curating content, or deciding what to cut, you return to your Mini-Mission Statement and ask: does this serve the purpose I defined?
The Mini-Mission Statement sits within the Setup stage of the SPARK Framework (Setup, Power Up, Activities, Review, Keep) and is captured on your SPARK Sheet, the one-page workshop planning document that guides your entire session.
Why the Mini-Mission Statement Works
Most facilitators start workshop planning by opening PowerPoint and searching for content. The result is a session packed with interesting information but no clear direction. The Mini-Mission Statement flips this approach. You define the destination first, then curate only the content that gets your group there.
Think of it like a GPS. A GPS does not show you every road on the map. It calculates the most efficient route from where you are to where you want to go, and it cuts out everything else. Your job as a workshop facilitator is the same: reduce overwhelm by cutting out most of the map and curating a direct path to the destination.
The guiding question behind the Mini-Mission Statement is: "What is most helpful and valuable for this group right now?" That question cannot be answered by a Google search or a textbook. It requires you to understand the specific people in the room and what they need.
How to Create Your Workshop Mini-Mission Statement
There are three steps to building your Mini-Mission Statement, and they form the foundation of the Setup stage in the SPARK Framework.
Step 1: Gather information about your participants
How you gather information depends on whether you have access to participants before the workshop.
If you can contact participants beforehand (Type 1 Workshop):
Take yourself on a listening tour. This is a structured set of brief conversations with your client and a sample of participants. Start with the person who requested the workshop. Ask them:
Why did you reach out?
How do you know this is a problem? What did you observe that brought this topic to your attention?
What are your team's challenges?
How do you want the group to feel during and after this session?
What changes would you observe in the participants if the workshop was a success?
Then speak with a small sample of participants and ask:
What do you struggle with? What are your challenges?
What does success in this topic look like for you?
What is getting in the way of your ideal result right now?
What do you need to do differently?
Write down what people say in their own words. Avoid paraphrasing. If you are having virtual conversations, ask permission to record and use a transcription tool to capture key phrases and patterns.
If you cannot contact participants beforehand (Type 2 Workshop):
Take your best guess using detective work. Analyse the event description and attendee list. Research the industry or topic area. Lurk in forums, LinkedIn discussions, or internal collaboration channels where your target audience engages. Reach out to someone in a similar role or industry and ask for their top challenges.
Alternative: Use a pre-survey.
If conversations are not possible, send a brief survey (three questions maximum) using Google Forms, Typeform, or Microsoft Forms. Keep it low-effort for participants. A simple question like "What are you most hoping to get out of this session?" can give you enough to shape your statement.
Step 2: Map the Before and After
Using the information you gathered, create a simple two-column profile:
Before (Current Location)After (Destination)The challenges, frustrations, and struggles your participants are experiencing right nowThe aspirations, desired outcomes, and results they want to achieve
This Before and After mapping makes the transformation visible. It shows you the gap your workshop needs to bridge.
Step 3: Write your Mini-Mission Statement
Using your Before and After profile, complete the template:
"This workshop is for [person] who is [currently doing and currently feeling] and wants/needs/aspires [to do this] so that [result]."
Keep it sharp. This statement should focus your energy and help you decide which content to include and, more importantly, which content to cut.
Workshop Mini-Mission Statement Examples
Here are examples of completed Mini-Mission Statements across different industries and topics:
Leadership and Prioritisation: "This workshop is for senior leaders in the Supply Chain team who are working long hours and not feeling like they are making traction towards their department's goals. They want to refocus their energy to hit their top three targets in the next 90 days."
Project Management: "This workshop is for agile project managers who want to optimise their use of Jira, focusing on backlog management, sprint planning, and reporting to improve their project execution and tracking."
Sales: "This workshop is for sales professionals looking to fine-tune their closing techniques to enhance their sales conversion rates."
Personal Branding: "This workshop is for fitness trainers looking to maximise YouTube as a training platform, learning to design the perfect thumbnail, to expand their clientele and establish their personal brand."
What Comes After the Mini-Mission Statement
Once your Mini-Mission Statement is complete, you move into the next Setup activity: identifying three key topics that will form the structure of your workshop.
Curate and cluster into three key topics
The most effective way to organise workshop content is to identify three umbrella topics. Three topics provide a clear structure, prevent information overload, and make your content more memorable for participants.
There are two methods for finding your three key topics:
The Expressway (3 minutes): Sit with your Mini-Mission Statement and ask yourself: "If I were sitting in a cafe explaining this workshop to a friend, what are the three most important considerations or sub-topics related to getting this result?" Brain-dump your ideas for three minutes, then look for patterns and cull down to three.
The Scenic Route (30 minutes): Use post-it notes to brain-dump everything you know about the topic (one idea per note, 10-minute timer). Take a break. Return for another 7 minutes of brainstorming. Then group, sort, and cull until three umbrella topics emerge. Ask yourself: are these topics relevant to my audience? If not, cut them.
Once you have your three key topics, add them to your SPARK Sheet under the Activities section. Each topic gets roughly 25 minutes of your two-hour workshop.
Define the session vibe
The session vibe captures how you want participants to feel during and after the workshop. This is a short phrase that guides your tone, energy, and activity choices throughout the session. For example: "Create a calm, 'I've got this' feeling in the room, empowered to push back."
Ask your client or yourself: How do you want the group to feel during and after this session? The answer shapes everything from your opening question to how you close.
Set up your props and logistics
The SPARK Sheet includes a Props section where you list everything participants need to bring or have ready. This might include work calendars, laptops, specific documents, or simply a pen and paper. Communicating props in advance reduces friction on the day and shows participants you have planned the experience with care.
The SPARK Sheet: Where the Mini-Mission Statement Lives
The Workshop Mini-Mission Statement is captured at the top of the SPARK Sheet, the one-page planning document for the entire SPARK Framework. The SPARK Sheet includes:
Workshop title and Mini-Mission Statement
Session vibe (the feeling you want to create)
Prep notes (pre-communication, pre-video, logistics)
Pre-survey questions
Props (what participants need to bring)
Location and time
Three-column session plan (Timing, Topic, Tools) covering Power Up, Activities, Review, and Close
Keep section (post-workshop follow-up)
The level of detail on your SPARK Sheet depends on your experience level. Newer facilitators benefit from more scripted notes. Experienced facilitators can use shorter prompts.
Build the Buzz Before the Workshop
Between completing your Setup and delivering the session, there is a critical window (typically one to two weeks before) to build anticipation and increase attendance. Three strategies that work:
Pre-workshop video (60 to 120 seconds): Record a short video introducing the topic and yourself. Give a preview of what to expect and leave a few surprises. Upload it as an unlisted YouTube video or use Loom.
Quick check-in question: Send a simple yes/no question followed by a brief open-ended question like "What are you most excited to learn?" This builds investment before the session even starts.
Logistical details: Share date, time, what to bring, parking or login details, and dress code. For virtual events, include a time-zone converter. Consider sending a separate calendar invite for "commute time" 15 minutes before the session starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Workshop Mini-Mission Statement? The Workshop Mini-Mission Statement is a two-sentence template for defining the purpose, objectives, and desired outcomes of a workshop. The format is: "This workshop is for [person] who is [currently doing and currently feeling] and wants/needs/aspires [to do this] so that [result]." It was created by Leanne Hughes as part of the SPARK Framework.
How do you define workshop objectives? Start by understanding your participants: where they are now and where they want to be. Conduct a listening tour with your client and a sample of participants, or use a brief pre-survey. Map their challenges and aspirations into a Before and After profile, then write a Mini-Mission Statement that captures the transformation your workshop will support.
How do you write a workshop purpose statement? Use the Mini-Mission Statement template: "This workshop is for [person] who is [currently doing and currently feeling] and wants/needs/aspires [to do this] so that [result]." This forces you to be specific about your audience, their current situation, and the outcome you are designing toward.
What should I include in a workshop plan? A complete workshop plan (captured on a SPARK Sheet) includes: a Mini-Mission Statement defining purpose and outcomes, the session vibe, three key topics for your content, a timed activity sequence across Power Up (50 min), Activities (75 min), and Review (25 min), props and logistics, and a Keep plan for post-workshop follow-up.
How do I structure a two-hour workshop? Using the SPARK Framework, a two-hour workshop is structured as: Setup (preparation beforehand), Power Up (50 minutes of opening, energy-building, and context-setting), Activities (75 minutes across three key topics with roughly 25 minutes each), Review (25 minutes of reflection and action commitments), and Keep (follow-up within 24 hours). The full process is detailed in Leanne Hughes' book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint.
What is the SPARK Framework? The SPARK Framework is a five-stage workshop design methodology created by Leanne Hughes. It stands for Setup, Power Up, Activities, Review, and Keep. The Workshop Mini-Mission Statement is the centrepiece of the Setup stage. Learn more on the SPARK Framework page.
How do I identify the right content for my workshop? After completing your Mini-Mission Statement, curate your content into three key topics using either the Expressway method (3-minute brain-dump) or the Scenic Route (30-minute post-it note exercise). The guiding question is: "What is most helpful and valuable for this group right now?" Cut everything that does not serve your Mini-Mission Statement.
What is a listening tour for workshop planning? A listening tour is a set of brief conversations with your client and a sample of participants before a workshop. You ask structured questions about their challenges, aspirations, and what success looks like. The insights inform your Mini-Mission Statement and help you design a session that meets participants where they are.