Looking for a tool to suport you in your next program design or marketing? Try MindMapping. This great tool, originally developed by Tony Buzan in the 1970s, has powerful relevance for any coach or professional who is looking to break through creative blocks, or to see program development and marketing in a different light.
Here's an exercise for you to try. Take out a blak piece of paper and in the center draw a circle. In the center of the circle put the topic or name of a Group Coaching Program you are thinking to develop. For the next five minutes, write down evertying that comes to mind about this program, drawing one line extending out from the center of the circle (almost like rays of the sun) for each sub-topic (for example, exercises, content, marketing strategy, audience, venue etc). For each new idea in these sub-topics, create lines extending off of that line. So...here we go...you've got five minutes to create!
Welcome back! How was that? Whether I am using this tool with coaches who are creating their own program, clients who are wanting to get unstuck or clear on an issue, or even entrepreneurs who are wanting to create their business plan, I never cease to be amazed at the power of this tool.
You can MindMap freehand, or also put it on computer. MindJet has a great computer MindMapping tool and a free 21 day trial offer. You can visit them at www.mindjet.com. As you will see from their website the application of the tool is endless!
I'd enjoy hearing from you regarding your experience with MindMapping. What evolved? Any surprizes? What became clear? Click the comment link below and share your thoughts!
Happy MindMapping,
Jennifer
The next Group Coaching Essentials program starts next Monday at 6:45 pm (EST). If you are looking for new tools, templates, techniques and resources for your next Group Coaching program, then join me for our next teleseminar program. We'll be meeting on June 5, 12, 19 and 26th, plus one date in late July/early August for a follow-up call. Course size is limited to eight coaches to ensure individualized focus. To register contact me toll free at 1-866-217-1960 or by email.
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Monday, May 29, 2006
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The Impact of Fun and Time
Last week I had the privledge of running a one-day staff retreat/group coaching program with an amazing corporate client here in Toronto. I must admit that it was one of the most fun, invigorating programs that I have run in a long time. And the participants' evaluations reflected my sense that it was one of their most powerful learning experiences as well.
Two lessons were underscored for me last week as I reflected on what exactly had made the program so powerful. Several comments came up time and time again across the organization in terms of what made the program so great.
First, the program was FUN and meaningful for each participant.Our morning was spent in activities related to both personal and organizational issues. Our afternoon was mostly dedicated to completely experiential activities focusing on communication, teamwork and leadership. We could have covered the same material in a number of different ways - case studies, lecturettes - but what staff indicated as being really powerful, was the opportunity to play, to discover for themselves through trial and error their own lessons. I have no doubt that this learning will "stick" and be used much longer than if we had used a less engaging approach.
Another approach I used with this program was to actually remove most of the structured timeline. The agenda reflected our start and end times, as well as break and lunch times, in addition to the broad topics we would be covering. This allowed us to spend more time on the issues that were most important and meaningful for staff, less time on those that didn't resonate as much, leaving the team with the overall sense of an easy pace throughout the day. Again, a majority of the staff commented on the easy flow of the day and just how fast the program had flown by. This was very important for the team and their learning process.
What can you do to inject more fun and time into your programs?
Jennifer
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
Our next Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar program begins on Monday June 5th from 6:45 - 8 pm (EST) (June 5, 12, 19 and 26th). Will you be able to join us?
Two lessons were underscored for me last week as I reflected on what exactly had made the program so powerful. Several comments came up time and time again across the organization in terms of what made the program so great.
First, the program was FUN and meaningful for each participant.Our morning was spent in activities related to both personal and organizational issues. Our afternoon was mostly dedicated to completely experiential activities focusing on communication, teamwork and leadership. We could have covered the same material in a number of different ways - case studies, lecturettes - but what staff indicated as being really powerful, was the opportunity to play, to discover for themselves through trial and error their own lessons. I have no doubt that this learning will "stick" and be used much longer than if we had used a less engaging approach.
Another approach I used with this program was to actually remove most of the structured timeline. The agenda reflected our start and end times, as well as break and lunch times, in addition to the broad topics we would be covering. This allowed us to spend more time on the issues that were most important and meaningful for staff, less time on those that didn't resonate as much, leaving the team with the overall sense of an easy pace throughout the day. Again, a majority of the staff commented on the easy flow of the day and just how fast the program had flown by. This was very important for the team and their learning process.
What can you do to inject more fun and time into your programs?
Jennifer
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
Our next Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar program begins on Monday June 5th from 6:45 - 8 pm (EST) (June 5, 12, 19 and 26th). Will you be able to join us?
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Do You Evaluate?
Evaluation of our group coaching programs, and other programs in general, is an often overlooked, but critical activity.
There has been a lot written about evaluation of programs in the training realm, and several professionals such as Donald Kirkpatrick have led the way in providing us with frameworks to understand the importance of evaluation of programs. Kirkpatrick's Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels is an industry classic and standard.
I would be interested in finding out how many coaches actually evaluate the impact of their coaching programs, both in the short and long term, for both individual and group coaching programs. This issue is very much linked to the ongoing discussion within our professional community related to ROI (Return on Investment) and measuring the impact of our coaching interventions.
Evaluation is so important from many different perspectives. It initially allows us to know if we are on the mark, it can be useful in re-designing future programs or sessions to better meet the needs of our clients, and it can be a very useful marketing tool.
I'll be writing more in a future post about one of the quick mini-eval tools I use for my group coaching work. It only takes a few minutes, and gives me feedback immediately of what's working and what's not for my clients. That way, I can make changes as needed between our group coaching sessions.
So...do you evaluate? And, if so, how?
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
Email: jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
There has been a lot written about evaluation of programs in the training realm, and several professionals such as Donald Kirkpatrick have led the way in providing us with frameworks to understand the importance of evaluation of programs. Kirkpatrick's Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels is an industry classic and standard.
I would be interested in finding out how many coaches actually evaluate the impact of their coaching programs, both in the short and long term, for both individual and group coaching programs. This issue is very much linked to the ongoing discussion within our professional community related to ROI (Return on Investment) and measuring the impact of our coaching interventions.
Evaluation is so important from many different perspectives. It initially allows us to know if we are on the mark, it can be useful in re-designing future programs or sessions to better meet the needs of our clients, and it can be a very useful marketing tool.
I'll be writing more in a future post about one of the quick mini-eval tools I use for my group coaching work. It only takes a few minutes, and gives me feedback immediately of what's working and what's not for my clients. That way, I can make changes as needed between our group coaching sessions.
So...do you evaluate? And, if so, how?
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
Email: jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Next Group Coaching Essentials program starts Tuesday May 2nd
The next Group Coaching Essentials program, held by phone, will start on Tuesday May 2nd. If you are a coach looking to expand your work to include group coaching programs, or are looking to refine your current programs, then you will want to consider joining us in May.
The course covers the fundamentals of group coaching - what it is, developing and implementing a program, marketing and selected exercises. We meet for 5 seventy five minute calls over a two month period, and you will also receive a comprehensive manual full of templates, tools and other resources to support you in designing and running your own group coaching program.
Since October 2004, I have supported over 100 coaches in developing their own retreats, workshops and group coaching programs.
The May course dates are May 2nd, 9th, 16 and 30th, and we will meet by phone from 10 - 11:15 am (EST). I am available between sessions for one-on-one work (included in the course pricing), and I also meet with each participant before and after the course for a 30 minute 1-1 call. Current course pricing is $225 USD or $260 Canadian, with payment accepted by cheque or Visa.
The course size is limited to 8 coaches to ensure individualized attention. To register or receive more information, please email me at jennifer@potentialsrealized.com or phone toll free 1-866-217-1960. More information on this program, and the sister program Training Esssentials for Coaches (to support coaches in workshop and retreat design and implementation) can be found at www.potentialsrealized.com/teles.htm.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Jennifer
The course covers the fundamentals of group coaching - what it is, developing and implementing a program, marketing and selected exercises. We meet for 5 seventy five minute calls over a two month period, and you will also receive a comprehensive manual full of templates, tools and other resources to support you in designing and running your own group coaching program.
Since October 2004, I have supported over 100 coaches in developing their own retreats, workshops and group coaching programs.
The May course dates are May 2nd, 9th, 16 and 30th, and we will meet by phone from 10 - 11:15 am (EST). I am available between sessions for one-on-one work (included in the course pricing), and I also meet with each participant before and after the course for a 30 minute 1-1 call. Current course pricing is $225 USD or $260 Canadian, with payment accepted by cheque or Visa.
The course size is limited to 8 coaches to ensure individualized attention. To register or receive more information, please email me at jennifer@potentialsrealized.com or phone toll free 1-866-217-1960. More information on this program, and the sister program Training Esssentials for Coaches (to support coaches in workshop and retreat design and implementation) can be found at www.potentialsrealized.com/teles.htm.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Jennifer
Monday, April 17, 2006
Working and Coaching Across Cultures
I had the wonderful privledge of spending a week earlier this month in the fascinating country of Haiti in the Caribbean. I was travelling on business to deliver a week of Supervisory Skills training to one of the United Nations Agencies attached to the UN Mission in Haiti. It was an incredible week, bringing me back to my roots as a manager and international development practionner. It gave me the opportunity to work with an amazing group of professionals who are really playing a bigger game in the world.
During the training programs (I ran a two day program in English, and then followed it up with a two day program in French) I worked with about 56 individuals, representing probably 25 or more nationalities. As a former UN staff member myself, I have been accustomed to working across cultures for most of my professional career. What was very interesting for me was the applicablity and relevance of much of the coaching work I did with the supervisors, and aspiring supervisors, regarless of their "culture" or even the business cultures they work within. It is truly fascintating how coaching tools and techniques can cut across cultures.
I would like to hear from you, my readers, about your experience of working across cultures, and coaching across cultures. Please comment below. What has been your experience? Your celebrations? Your challenges? The greatest take-aways for your clients?
For those of you intreseted in more resouces for this area of intercultural coaching, there is an interesting book out that I read many years ago, Philippe Rosinski's Coaching Across Cultures: New Tools for Leveraging National, Corporate and Professional Differences. You may be interseted in checking it out.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
During the training programs (I ran a two day program in English, and then followed it up with a two day program in French) I worked with about 56 individuals, representing probably 25 or more nationalities. As a former UN staff member myself, I have been accustomed to working across cultures for most of my professional career. What was very interesting for me was the applicablity and relevance of much of the coaching work I did with the supervisors, and aspiring supervisors, regarless of their "culture" or even the business cultures they work within. It is truly fascintating how coaching tools and techniques can cut across cultures.
I would like to hear from you, my readers, about your experience of working across cultures, and coaching across cultures. Please comment below. What has been your experience? Your celebrations? Your challenges? The greatest take-aways for your clients?
For those of you intreseted in more resouces for this area of intercultural coaching, there is an interesting book out that I read many years ago, Philippe Rosinski's Coaching Across Cultures: New Tools for Leveraging National, Corporate and Professional Differences. You may be interseted in checking it out.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
The 80/20 Rule
A number of coaches often ask me "How do I know how much content to fit into a group coaching session?". From my perspective there seems to be a large continuum of what is being classified as group coaching these days - from the traditional "teleclass" model, where the coach does a vast majority of the talking and information delivery, to an organic "dance" with the clients, where the clients bring the agenda.
I often speak about the 80/20 rule when designing programs for groups. There is an innate tendency for coaches, trainers etc. to want to fit "everything" into their program. This can lead to overload for the participants, as well as a more directive programleaving little space for the participants to discover new information or insights or to try them on.
The 80/20 rule works like this - take a look at the overall information you want to cover during an upcoming program or session. What would happen if you took away 20% of the material? Would it leave more space for personal discovery? Less overload? More space for discussion and sharing?
My request for you is to carve up your upcoming program into the 20% you will put aside for another program, and the 80% you are going to keep. What happens? I'd be very interested in hearing about the outcome - send me an email to jennifer@potentialsrealized.com or use the comment link below. I will be publishing several responses for an upcoming e-book I have planned, and would be pleased to share your experience with the 80/20 rule (as well as your contact information).
I will be talking much more about the 80/20 rule, and putting it into practice with coaches who join me in Toronto on April 29-30th for the Group Coaching Essentials Intensive - a two day, hands-on skill building program, which will provide coaches with the opportunity to create their own group coaching program and its marketing. For more information, give me a call at 1-866-217-1960. An Early Bird discount of $100 is in effect until the beginning of April.
All the best for your continued success,
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
I often speak about the 80/20 rule when designing programs for groups. There is an innate tendency for coaches, trainers etc. to want to fit "everything" into their program. This can lead to overload for the participants, as well as a more directive programleaving little space for the participants to discover new information or insights or to try them on.
The 80/20 rule works like this - take a look at the overall information you want to cover during an upcoming program or session. What would happen if you took away 20% of the material? Would it leave more space for personal discovery? Less overload? More space for discussion and sharing?
My request for you is to carve up your upcoming program into the 20% you will put aside for another program, and the 80% you are going to keep. What happens? I'd be very interested in hearing about the outcome - send me an email to jennifer@potentialsrealized.com or use the comment link below. I will be publishing several responses for an upcoming e-book I have planned, and would be pleased to share your experience with the 80/20 rule (as well as your contact information).
I will be talking much more about the 80/20 rule, and putting it into practice with coaches who join me in Toronto on April 29-30th for the Group Coaching Essentials Intensive - a two day, hands-on skill building program, which will provide coaches with the opportunity to create their own group coaching program and its marketing. For more information, give me a call at 1-866-217-1960. An Early Bird discount of $100 is in effect until the beginning of April.
All the best for your continued success,
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC
Monday, March 13, 2006
The Power of a Take-Away
I really like to give participants something tangible to take away from a group coaching program. This may be as simple as a journal I give out at the start of a program for participants to write in, during and after our sessions, or it may be a collage participants have designed themselves during the program. It's very easy now to purchase inexpensive journals, or blank books, at a dollar store. I often have participants email me weeks or months after a program is complete, thanking me for the gift of the journal which they now use regularly.
One of the many powerful tools we have as coaches is accountability. A take-away can be a reminder to our group coaching clinents of their commitments, their dreams, their vision. What take-away will you include in your next group coaching program?
I'd love to hear from you through the comment link below -- what's your favourite take-away?
Jennifer
jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
One of the many powerful tools we have as coaches is accountability. A take-away can be a reminder to our group coaching clinents of their commitments, their dreams, their vision. What take-away will you include in your next group coaching program?
I'd love to hear from you through the comment link below -- what's your favourite take-away?
Jennifer
jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
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