Creating Shared Expectations and Shared Agreements Early on is Key

Over the past few weeks I've been leading a lot of in person programming - from coaching skills training

for leaders, to team coaching engagements and leading facilitation skills training. What's been so important for success in all of these engagements has been working with each group and team around creating shared agreements and creating shared expectations early on in our work. Checking in to see  how we are doing along the way has also been critical in creating the space for WOW programming.

Whether you are coaching, training or facilitating it is important to have dialogue with the groups and teams we are working with around how we will operate. What is, and what is not, acceptable. For example, what agreements are around phone and technology use, start and tend times, as well as respect for the differences which inevitably exist within a group or team of individuals. Confidentiality is another area which will be important to define.

Our ability to walk our talk - returning back from break early ourselves and starting as we said we would or putting our own phone away - is part of the equation as well, and is inherent in building trust.

Questions to consider: What are the shared agreements the team/group you are working with wants to create? Where will you build in time for this conversation? How much time do you think it will take?

A related area for group connection is creating shared expectations with you and with each other. What can your group or team members count on from you? From each other? Expect from you/each other? Are you a diplomat, or a on-the-table truth teller. Really, what can people expect. As coaches it is critical to be ourselves and also to let people know what they can expect.

Questions to consider: What can groups or teams expect from you? What can they count on you for? What can they count on from each other? What strengths do they each bring? What is the role you find you comfortably play? What are your biases?

As you go to launch new programs consider how you want to support the group in creating shared expectations and shared agreements early on.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC, CPT
GroupCoachingEssentials.com | Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-8326

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