Essential Conversations for Leaders – Modules at a Glance
DAY 1
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PGPage / Slides / Notes
Pre-work / To be determined
5 m / Exec Kick –Off
(Optional) / * Introduce Exec / Thanks
20m / Introduction / * Participants Ask: Name; Nature of work; What attracted you to this program?
* Facilitator(s ) Tell the participants they can ask up to five questions to the facilitator(s)
* Point out difference in response to good discovery questions. Attempt to model coaching in how you respond to questions. Idea is to get people immediately into the connecting mindset.
5 m / Program Objectives / * Review objectives with tie-ins to previous Clinic they attended
*Agenda (review) / 1-1 / Draw distinctions between Day 1 – (foundational and skills) and Day 2 – (Courageous Conversations)
10 m / Materials / * Direct them to Participant Guide; say it is laid out like a reference manual
* Inside pockets are six cards – yellow for feedback, blue for acknowledgements
* We’ll use them at the end of each day
* Coaching Conversation Model Card
*Contextual Listening Audit Card
* Develop own Journal – direct to tab 6 non-traditional approach to an action plan
* Personal plan laid out like the Coaching Conversation Model / Journal is theirs to ‘create’ in any way they wish.
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PG
Page / Slides / Notes
15 m / Program Expectations / *Complete own responses in silence
*Discuss your responses at each table and identify the common themes to report out / 1-2 / Sample Answers to Question 1
Making coaching second nature.
Establish relationship: trust.
Improve introductions.
Helping them help themselves.
Better understand and respect others.
Sample Answers to Question 2
Become more natural in my coaching.
Become better listeners: provide more opportunities for staff.
Develop the full potential of staff.
Advanced Coaching: Listening skills.
15 m / Coaching as an approach to developing others / *How will you recognise when to develop performance and when to build new skills and capabilities? Discuss.
*Ask “what would be your approach to developing me?” Get participants to ask you questions.
*Facilitate discussion of questions:
**What would be the approach to developing others?
**What are the observable behaviours exhibited by people who develop others?
**How can coaching enhance your ability in developing others?
**How will a Leader-Coach be? What will the roles be?
10 m / Coaching Environment
Sphere of Influence / * Revisit what is important about this concept of creating the coaching environment
* What is important about intention?
* What is important about relationship?
* What is important about words and deeds?
* What is important about sphere of influence?
* How do we impact the sphere of influence?
* Coachable Moment: What words stand out in that definition? / 1-4
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PG
Page / Slides / Notes
5 m / Coaching Conversation Model / * Review – model
* What has been your experience with the model?
* What other models do you use?
* Why do we use model?
*Review 5 steps and 4 skills / 1-5 / Intention is to take you deeper into the model over the next two days. How do you go deeper with individuals to identify deeper shifts they need to make?
10 m / Me to You Index / * Have each volunteer select a card.
* Take – Me/You
* Others place themselves on a continuum between.
* The point of looking at this is to look at the roles we play.
* Always default and return to coaching after short visits in other roles to address coachees needs. / 1-8 / “Me” stands at one end “You” at the other
Invite group to create a continuum of where each position is located.
Have each card holder read the definition on the back of the card.
10 m / Being vs. Doing / * Facilitate the distinction of Being and Doing (e.g. – being is how you are in everyday life, whereas doing is turning the skill on when its required)
* Coaching and Leading have skills that can be taught, however its how and when you apply those skills which makes someone a Coach or a Leader
*Review list on Page 1-9 / 1-9 / The page in the Participant Guide is helpful to facilitate this discussion.
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PG
Page / Slides / Notes
30 m / Styles of Learning and Mentoring / Why is self awareness about learning important to a leader?
Q: Have you ever tried to teach someone ‘your way’ and they have not learned what you have taught?
Q: Think back to the best course/workshop you were on, what was it that enabled you to learn?
*IMPORTANT Review instructions on page 2-1
Score self assessment of learning styles. Total
* Have participants write their name on a flip chart in appropriate quadrant
* Put participants in groups based on their dominant quadrant
* Answer questions:
1) What are the distinguishing features of your style as a learner? As a mentor?
2) What are the advantages of your learning style when developing others? / Draw the Four Quadrants on a flip chart / 2-2
2-12 / Remind participants to add up numbers in shaded boxes ONLY (very important to reiterate this numerous times)
Draw on flip:
10 m / * Have participants present their answers. / Acknowledge each presentation with applause. Reinforce attributes of each style as presented.
Sample Responses:
Columbus
Learner:
Self Starter; Experiential Learner; Entrepreneur; Multi-facited/open structure; Innovative; Risk-taker; Decisive; Hands on
Mentor:
allow or foster free-thinking; encourage brain-storming; Unstructured
Advantages:
Energy; Passion/enthusiasm; Bucks status quo; Fun
Edison
Learner:
facts – get to the point; what works/doesn’t work; why/how;
take ‘things’ apart/ put back together; asks questions.
Mentor:
have others do it with guidance; provide structure / organization;
asks questions
Advantages:
comfortable asking questions; planning/attention to detail;
emphasis on having others do it; practical/concrete; transparent/consistent
Thoreau
Learner:
Reflective; absorb; curious; think; how to apply?
Mentor:
Clear; communicate intentions clearly; guidance; thorough; prepared/plan
Advantages:
Commitment; caring; personal fulfillment; their success matters to me; engaged; reach goal more quickly
Einstein
Learner:
Logical; sequential; structured; abstract/conceptual
Mentor:
Organized; predictable; challenging; logic-based; encouraging; conceptualization; Socratic dialog
Advantages:
Does own homework; Factually prepared; Explores alternatives; Consistent
10 m / Background on Learning Styles / *Each of us has a preference not who we are
What part of this is relative to coaching others?
Key is to develop each area to be more effective.
*Remember: point is to use this information when developing others / Refer to extra notes provided on Kolbe learning styles.
4 styles to learning (preferences)
4 stages in the learning cycle (training cycle)
20 m / * Coach in pairs on how to flex style to support others
* Review Coaching Tips on Doing vs. Being
* Debrief coaching experience / 2-13
1-9 / Be sure to use your cards for feedback and acknowledgement
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PG
Page / Slides / Notes
10 m
(Total
185 m) / Journal / Allow time for participants to start to work on the journal. / 6-1
6-2 / The idea here is to use your right side of the brain to go beyond the list of “things to do” and move to turning the information into ideas that work for you.
AFTERNOON DAY 1
30 m / Powerful Language / * Weasel Words suck power out of coaching conversations.
* What are some of the weasel words we use?
* Powerful language is definitive.
* Weasel words are tentative
* Why might we want to avoid weasel words? Confuses, lose trust, due to avoiding.
* Listen to audio script
* What jumps out at you in that definition?
* Why do we use weasel language? (Want to be nice, non-confrontational.)
* What are the components of a powerful message? (neutral, succinct, timely)
* Debrief Powerful vs. Intimidating etc. / 4 flip charts
Split group
Audio track 16 / 3-1
3-3 / Have each group list all the weasel words they can in 2 minutes. Debrief by elimination – one group calls out a word, others scratch from their list if they have it – continue till one group still has a word left.
Play first audio track. Follow along in book. 3-3
Debrief. Play second track.
Underline weasel words as you listen, if you like.
15 m / Clean Language / *Cover definitions briefly
* Get volunteers to be the coach and the coachee (read each part)
*stop after each one and debrief Q? What do we learn from that?
(Removes assumptions and opinions)
* Mantra: ‘coachee does all the work’ / 3-5
3-6
10 m / Exercise / * Read each Scenario and discuss as a group / 3-7
15 m / Case Study / Table groups discuss and respond using clean language; Discuss possible pitfalls / 3-8
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PG
Page / Slides / Notes
15 m / Gap Bridging Definition and Demo / * Gap Bridging Coach Demo (optional)
* Debrief:
Q What did you see happen from a coaching perspective? / 3-9 / *Facilitators do a 6-7 min coaching demo. Be sure and include an obvious Gap.
25 m / Exercise / * Review Coaching Conversation Model
* Tip to Coaches: Raise the level of the conversation to support a clear gap articulation before moving into details of focus and possibility etc.
*Give half the group Exercise 1 and other half Exercise 2
Debrief
*Define the word Distinction
*Get two volunteers to read the parts or Coach and Renee
*Create a couple examples as a group / 3-10
3-11
3-12
10m / Case Study / *Read and work alone to answer 2 questions
*What might 2 distinctions be to define the gap? / 3-13
20m / Coaching Practice / Coaching thru the Gap
Only focus on Gap and Distinction – don’t go any further / Work in pairs; chose a situation to be coached on that is about yourself (vs. another person)
* Debrief new mantra:
‘Establish the Gap, Coachee does the work’
30 m / Listening
Definition
Levels
Assessment
Audit Chart / * What is the definition of Contextual Listening?
*Levels of Listening
*Self-Assessment
* What are you listening for?
* Review the Contextual Listening chart
* Listen to audio tracks
*Follow script on 3-20 and answer questions / Audio tracks 4-14
track 2 / 3-15
3-16
3-17
3-19
3-20
5 m / * Answer questions on your own / 3-21
10 m
Total
185 m / * Play with journal – open concept to capturing your learnings and actions to improve your coaching/developing others
* Homework:
Read and respond pages 4-7 & 4-8
Do: Assessment 5-7 & and questions on 5-8 / 6-2
6-3
End of Day 1
DAY 2
Page / Slides / Notes
10 m / Welcome / Welcome
Open for questions
Agenda for the day
Reflections from Day 1
Review Key Messages Learned / EG; Me to You-always return to back to coaching; Learning Styles; it’s a cycle; everyone has a preference; keep language powerful and clean; identify the gap first when coaching; listen contextually
5 m / Courageous Conversations / *Has anyone ever experienced wanting to have a conversation that was very important to have but did not have the courage?
*What does it take for you to have this kind of conversation?
*What stops you? / 4-1
10m / Critical Skills for Challenging / *Our beliefs about challenging
*read and agree definition as a group
*invite discussion / 4-2
20 / DVD Bagger Vance
(Optional) / *watch movie clip
*debrief the coaching conversation from the view of a courageous conversation – what did you see?
*which elements of challenge were present ? (compassion; the edge; expectation; requests; respect; evidence) / flip chart / What do you notice about the conversation?
· Timely
· Built confidence
· Re-attaching him to what he could do
· Positive
· Did not need to know what his problem was
· Persistent
· Respectful/empathetic
· Knew what was needed
· Delivery/tone was respectful
· Clean language
· Supportive
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PG
Page / Slides / Notes
20 m
10 m
10 m / Using Challenging
Debrief Homework
Common Situations / *quickly review 7 approaches to challenge
*divide group up and give each group one of the approaches to challenging
*tell an example of a situation; have each group use their approach and prepare a question
*get a volunteer to sit on a chair and be the person from the situation you told and have them receive each of the 7 approaches
*debrief
*make connections to the triangle – creating an environment for coaching and the discussion this morning
*Ask Benefits to You and to Others to move past it?
*add to list of situations that typically require courage / Flip / 4-3
4-4
4-5
4-6 / *Sample situation you could use: One of your Direct Reports in the Training Department has worked at the same job for years, new people have come in and passed him by and he doesn’t seem upset by that; when you ask him to broaden his skills to more then teaching the Technical classes, he always reacts negatively and says he’s not interested in all that “soft” stuff, he wants to stick to what he knows. You need all your Training team members to be flexible and cover a variety of topics, not just one.
Benefits
*You --- Feel better
Have faced this issue
You don’t have to solve the problem
Strengthens relationship
To Others
Feel better (situational)
Have faced it
Relationship improves
5 m / Tuning In for Myself for Others / *make point to pay attention to both myself and others
*What Questions could I ask myself first? / flip / 4-7
4-8 / Draw circle within circle
Write Self in the Center and Others on the outside circle
15 m / Model of Excellence / * Set up four groups at flip charts
* Answer questions on p. 4-9 to build a model for having a courageous conversation / 4 flips / 4-9 / Have groups design a Model of Excellence; walk around and visit each one; display all on wall
Time / Module / Key Teach Points / Flips / PG
Page / Slides / Notes
10 m
5 m / Group Exercise at the Tables
* Create a list of all the tools you have for Courageous Conversations
*Facilitator create list on flip for all to see / flip / 4-10 / EG:
*Model of Excellence
*Coaching Conversation Model
*Me to You Index
*Gap Bridging
*Contextual Listening
*Powerful Language
*Clean Language
*Focusing on Goal & Gap
*Learning Styles
*PCSI
*Discovery Questions
*Messaging
*Acknowledging
*Other coaches
*Own experience
*Coaching Triangle (Environment)
75 m
Total
195 m / Exercise – Role Play
* Facilitator Role play to demonstrate
*get volunteers to be coach and coachee
*assign a scenario (rest of group watches)
*facilitators sit near each coach/coachee and mentor
*work through all 4 scenarios / 4-11
4-12
4-13
4-14 / Set up and clarification of scenarios is very important
Your role as a coach of the coaches is important
Model Coaching at all times!
Afternoon Day 2