Business Leadership Training Program

Intake Meeting With Company Leaders Precedes the Program

Joel facilitated an intake meeting with leaders who were sponsoring the Group Coaching Program. It’s an important first step for sponsors to articulate why the program they select is important and what outcomes they expect to achieve. This allowed everyone involved to clarify expectations.

Program Begins with a Half-Day Facilitated Workshop

To begin the program, Joel conducted a three-hour highly interactive and engaged discussion on the selected program topic. Participants learned key skills, practical tools, and strategic actions for building their executive presence that they took away with them and immediately applied to their current work responsibilities. This dynamic workshop laid a foundation for the rest of the group coaching program. It included:

• Exercises with partners and groups.
• Structured individual self-inquiry and reflection.
• Dynamic and collaborative sessions with other participants.
• Facilitation and engaged discussion.

Manager Alignment Meetings Critical to Program Success

• During the six month program, three different alignment discussions occurred with the coach, the manager, and the participant. During the kick-off meeting, the three discussed objectives, primary focus areas, and alignment of goals for the participant. At this meeting, Joel provided guidance on the manager’s role in supporting the program and the leader being trained.
• The mid-point check-in meeting reviewed overall coaching progress and the growth that had been achieved.
• The program conclusion meeting reviewed the initial objectives and focus areas that the manager and the participant had agreed to. This discussion focused on what had been achieved. The three participants discussed how to continue the progress and gain the necessary support for sustained results.

One-on-One Coaching Sessions

Prior to the start of the group coaching sessions, each participant engaged in a one-on-one executive coaching session with Joel. Participants completed a Coaching Development Plan (CDP) in advance of this meeting. The CDP included the manager’s input, and the information it contained was vital in setting the tone for the coaching session and the program itself. The participant’s manager reviewed and provided input on the participant’s development goals. A typical coaching discussion looked like this:

• Review of the CDP
• Understanding why the leader wanted to be a part of the executive leadership development program
• The leader’s expectations for the program
• A chance to build rapport, trust, and connection between Joel and each participant
• Discussion of any questions the participant might have

Monthly Group Coaching Sessions

In Week 2 (of each month) Joel conducted a one-hour highly interactive discussion with all the program participants, providing them with practical, real-time feedback. One area of focus for these sessions was to create a concrete, measurable, outcome-based action plan with objectives and timeframes. The agenda for the group coaching sessions followed this agenda:

• Check-in (10 minutes): Each individual provided updates on one commitment from the last session and told what was accomplished. Then, each person provided an example of the new behavior being modeled at work.
• 1:1 coaching session (35 minutes): Each week different participants were either coached by Joel or they conducted peer coaching with a fellow participant. The coaching conversation was followed by group discussion on what everyone observed and learned from the interaction. The weekly rotation was a combination of:
  1. Being Coached: The group selected one person each week to receive short laser-like one-on-one coaching with Joel, in front of other group members.
  2. Peer Coaching: Two participants coached each other with the coach providing structure and guidance.
  3. Coaching on a Specific Topic: Joel coached the entire group of participants on a specific topic area.
• Share action steps (8 minutes): Each individual shared their action step commitments before the end of the coaching session.
• Check-out (7 minutes): Each participant shared what they learned and insights they gained from the current session.

How the Company Conducted Monthly Peer Partner Coaching

In Week 4 (of each month), participants partnered with each other. As accountability partners, they provided encouragement, shared knowledge, and best practices. Joel provided an outline of what the process should look like, and remained available to support each peer team as they built their confidence. Each peer coaching session focused on:

• Updating the action items and progress made since the last meeting.
• Asking for support and insight regarding any issues or challenges.
• Discussing key concepts from the group coaching session.
• Committing to weekly action items.

Virtual Group Discussions

In Week 4 (of each month) XYZ participants held a group discussion where the participants came together on a virtual platform for dialog, connection, and engagement. This medium created continuous learning by:

• Discussing real issues.
• Raising questions and gaining clarity.
• Addressing individual challenges.
• Sharing real-life work situations and experiences.

Stakeholder Updates

Stakeholders received periodic updates and progress reports throughout the group coaching engagement. These updates occurred when each participant met with their manager at least once per month to:

1. Share progress, discuss areas still in need of improvement, and ask for support
2. Gain feedback from the manager and discuss solutions that will meet the coaching objectives
3. Provide feedback on the coaching program and success working with the coach

A Close-Out Survey Provides Final Information

A close-out survey was conducted near the end of the engagement with all stakeholders, including the manager and human resources. This survey was designed to measure overall improvement and to reinforce areas for continued development. The original objectives and overall reason why this program was created were measured and discussed.

Just-In-Time Coaching

Throughout the program, any participant could contact Joel to discuss time-sensitive, immediate, or urgent professional issues. By making just-in-time coaching available, Joel assured that program participants stayed on track and that their needs were met in a timely fashion. They never had to wait for another scheduled coaching interaction.

Email Interaction

In addition to just-in-time contact, regular, consistent, and ongoing email support provided feedback throughout each week. Unlimited email support was always available between the coaching sessions. Response time was within 24 hours.