coaching best practices: lwv membership & leadership development (mld) program 2014
TRANSCRIPT
COACHING BEST PRACTICES: LWV Membership & Leadership Development (MLD) Program
2014
Write down 3 words that describe your greatest assets.
What do you bring to a team? What words would you highlight on a resume? What is your “value added”?
Our Coaching Team
Our agenda
• Overview of the role of the coach• Introduction to coaching models:
Appreciative Inquiry & GROW ME• Roles at the training• Resources available• Questions?
What is the goal of the MLD Program?
The heart of the MLD Program…
Member recruitment &
retention
Leadership development
With the support of a coaching structure, capacity building for high
impact.
The Big Picture...
League of Women Voters
National Level: Ruth S. Shur Fellows
State Level: Coaching Team
Local Level: Local Leadership Team
Confident, Energized League LeadersEngaged and Growing League Membership
Healthier Civic Communities Stronger Democracy
MLD Program by the numbers
• Started in 2005• 25 Shur Fellows• Over 170 state coaches across the
country mentoring more than 300 local Leagues
• Supported by the Fund for Local League Growth
Coaches are key...
Why are coaches so valuable?Bonding—the links that tie a group together to build a
strong organizational core– Mission-driven motivation– Can-do culture– Purposeful innovation/change– People-focused
Bridging—the links that connect a group to others outside of its organization or network– Compelling communications– Active outreach– Meaningful involvement
According to the experts…
Good coaches speak with credibility, make a personal connection, and focus little on themselves. They listen more than they talk. They are one hundred percent present in the conversation.
Jim Knight, director of the Kansas Coaching Project, University of Kansas
What makes a good coach…according to our coaches?
A good coach. . .
Avoids being judgmental and is open to considering new ideas – understanding that
•All Leagues are different•Different personalities handle challenges differently•Multiple good solutions to every problem exist•Coaches guide, don’t dictate
A good coach. . .
• Focuses on membership and leadership development (org development strategies)
• Empowers local Leagues to improve/expand what they are already doing
• LISTENS
Role of a Coach
Clarity of expectations:• Guide• Inform• Cheerlead• Mentor
What is the key to success? ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Powerful questions = Powerful answers
Why Ask?
1. All the info is with the coachee. 2. Asking creates buy-in.3. Asking empowers. 4. Asking develops leadership capacity. 5. Asking creates authenticity.
Asking = taking opinions and ideas seriously.
•Asking questions influences change
• Inquiry and change are simultaneous
Change begins the moment we ask a question
“Appreciative eyes”•We choose how we look at things and how we talk about them
•Every moment is full of an infinite array of possibilities
•We can only see what we have grown an eye to see.
•Look at strengths and look for opportunities … and new things will emerge.
The Art of Asking Questions
DEFICIT APPROACH• What is the biggest problem
here?
• What do you have to do to correct what’s not working?
• Why do you miss the mark so often?
AFFIRMATIVE APPROACH• What possibilities exist that
we have not thought about yet?
• What is the smallest change that could make the biggest impact?
• What solutions would have us all win?
A bit about our words…
Three types of conversations:
• Relationship-canceling conversations• Relationship-tolerating conversations• Relationship-enhancing conversations
Ask! Ask! Ask!
What does this look like…
SCENARIO:Every other year, we hold a candidate forum for
the state representative candidates for our district. We want to increase the number of League members involved in planning and executing this event.
5 Core Strategies of Appreciative Leadership
5 “I’s” Strategies of Appreciative Leadership
Inquiry Ask positively powerful questions
Illumination Bring out the best of people and situations
Inclusion Engage with people to coauthor the future
Inspiration Awaken the creative spirit
Integrity Make choices for the good of the whole
Organizational Change
Change and Transition
Change is “Situational”
• New Program• New Team Roles• New Policy
Transition is “Psychological”
•The process people go through to come to terms with the new situation
So many models, so little time…“Conversational Coaching” –
common elements• Setting an agenda• Defining the problem• Creating a goal• Exploring and developing options• Address obstacles• Take action
GROW Model
• Most common or best known model• Just a way to organize or structure the
conversation• Focuses on concrete action so it is a good
model for getting “practical things” done
Goal Reality Check Options Will This will be our focus today!
GoalWhat do we want to accomplish? - Clear, specific
Sample questions:• What specifically do you want to accomplish?• By when do you want to have this done?• What will be different as a result of working on
this?• How will we know when we’ve achieved it?Leagues will set membership & leadership goals.
Reality Check
How are things now? - Concrete facts about present situation- Understanding our starting pointSample questions:• What have you tried already?• Who else is involved in this situation/goal?• What is the situation right now?Use the evaluations/pre-training form to complete
this.
OptionsWhat are the potential solutions?- Think creatively; listen don’t suggestSample questions:• What are five potential solutions?• If you had unlimited resources, what would your try?• Who else can help?• What have you seen others do that might work for
you?Generate options during coaching session.
The 5 Options TechniqueWe stop thinking creatively after 2-3 options.5 Options Technique gets us “unstuck” and moves us to the
“creative zone.”
What are five options for how you could tackle this challenge?
What else could you do?If you got really radical, what would you try?What have you done in similar situations?Who else could you bring into this?What is already being done? How does this fit?Which of these would you like to pursue?
Practical applications…
Small wins are motivating.
What’s the smallest change that we can make to have the biggest impact?
WillHow can we turn our preferred “option” into action
steps?- Concrete plans; high “buy-in”Sample questions:• Which option do you want to pursue?• What step could be taken this week? This month?• What will you commit to doing? • Who else will we enlist?Discuss this later this afternoon with Leagues.
Is it higher than an 8?Coaching is not always linear, but we can
try to add some definition (i.e., how to measure will).
• If the perfect outcome is a 10, where are we now?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, what’s the motivation to do this?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The “M” and the “E”Monitor progressEvaluate
Sample questions:•What do you need to track during the to assess progress against overall goals?•What is your “story of success”?
Your coaching calls. Set your first call up today!
Keeping on Track
Reporting consistently can help you keep track of what is happening.
• Every month, you will: – Complete an online survey report about each
League you coach – Usually takes about 8-10 minutes per survey
Membership Numbers
• Provided 2 times per year– Can gauge progress– Gives you time to debrief and recognize strengths
and weaknesses
Success is More than Numbers
• Increased visibility• Collaboration with media and community
organizations• Connecting levels of League• Renewed enthusiasm and pride – a “can do”
attitude• Strategic thinking and planning
What does this look like…
SCENARIO:Our membership goal is to target the young
professional women in our community and get 5 new members in the next 6 months.
What about the Event Planning Checklist?
Still want to use this sheet to plan intentionally for what to do BEFORE, AT, and AFTER the event.
Encourage Leagues to think about how the events fit with the GROW components.
Ready? Go!
Your #1 Goal as a Coach
BUILD a RELATIONSHIP with the individuals you coach!
DISCLAIMER
One of the keys to building trust is confidentiality.
It’s a secret…. Shhhh!
What we don’t expect from a coach
Lifecycle of any team/group:PHASE TEAM OUTPUT
FORMING Uncertain but optimistic
Low
STORMING Conflict surfaces Low
NORMING Sense of team emerges
Moderate
PERFORMING Fully functional Very high
It’s a process…
What it looks like every month. . .
And then. . .
Calendar of calls each month
Weeks 1 & 2 State coaches talk with local League teams
Week 3 Fellows talk with state coordinator and coaches
Week 4 Fellows talk with MLD Support team (i.e. LWVUS)
Resources Available
• Guidance• Linda, Erin, and
Nancy• Each other• Forums
Questions?