Designing Action Learning and Group Coaching Programs
Principal Consultant, Carter McNamara, about
Action Learning Source
Principal Consultant, Chuck Appleby, on the power of Action Learning in organizations.
Description
The conditions for success of Action Learning and group coaching occur before facilitators and group members sit down to conduct their group process. Success relies largely on the planning, design and development of the overall program. Those activities set the stage for the deep learning and progress that can occur throughout the group members' organizations, as well. Those activities require program expertise in addition to facilitation expertise.
This highly practical workshop is useful for those who want in-depth guidelines to very carefully customize and develop Action Learning and group coaching programs for a variety of outcomes and applications.
Participants from other schools or trainings of Action Learning and coaching are welcome to apply to participate for this workshop.
Outcomes
- Understand the larger program context within which the Action Learning and group coaching processes occur
- Establish conditions for success of the programs and their internal processes
- Understand all of the most important considerations in customizing Action Learning and group coaching programs
- Develop a comprehensive Program Plan for your preferred applications and outcomes
- Strengthen your current Action Learning and group coaching programs
- Expand marketability of your Action Learning and group coaching skills
- Develop close and confidential network of peers
- Vast range of highly practical tools as needed
Methods
Participants are expected to do approximately one hour of pre-reading, and come to the workshop with at least one idea for the application of Action Learning or group coaching.
The workshop uses a multi-project Action Learning (peer coaching group) format to guide and support each participant to develop his or her Program Plan during the workshop. The workshop includes short lectures with substantial time for questions and answers. Experiences will include debriefs and time for reflection.
The workshop can be done face-to-face or virtually depending on the nature and needs of participants. The workshop can also be done in-house for an organization. Each workshop is designed for five to eight participants per instructor.
Workshop Formats: In-Person or Virtual
- In-person: One day, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including lunch time and breaks
- Virtual: Three three-hour modules, with short breaks
Typical Topics
Topics can be customized to the needs of participants. The following list of topics is typical:
- Setting Stage for Success
- Ensuring management's support for the program and program planning
- Developing Design Team to work with sponsor (person responsible for the program) on program development
- Reviewing factors for the success of the program, its processes and group development
- Collecting stakeholders' feedback for program plans, if needed
- Customizing the Program Process
- Carefully and systematically selecting the program’s desired outcomes and applications
- Selecting the format of the program, for example, peer coaching where all members get coached (technically this is multi-project Action Learning) or where one or a few members get coached (single-project Action Learning)
- Customizing the program's processes – meeting agenda, ground rules, use of questions, capturing learning, etc.
- Integrating the program with other development methods
- Structuring the collection of learning and disbursement throughout the program and members' organizations
- Facilitator Development
- Designing the best approach to facilitation, including whether externally facilitated or self-facilitated
- Specifying coordination between program sponsor and facilitators
- Deciding the best approach to selecting and training facilitators
- Group Membership Development
- Organizing the right members into the groups
- Planning how to train and equip members to successfully fill their roles
- Planning for Evaluation and Continuous Improvement
- Addressing the challenging situations that can occur in program operations
- Developing an Evaluation Plan to evaluate processes and results
- Ensuring procedures for continuous improvements of programs
- Identifying resources to help troubleshoot programs
- Marketing Planning
- Marketing the program internally to management, clients, sponsors and members
- Marketing the program externally to significant stakeholders
- Staffing, Facilities and Materials Planning
- Identifying needed administration, facilities and materials
- Customizing any processes, materials and tools to the nature and needs of participants
- Identifying staffing needed to develop and support the program
- Finalizing Program Plans
- Developing program budget
- Developing a Program Plan
- Running a program pilot to test the program design
- Gain management's support of the Program Plan
The various plans and resources developed in this workshop are usually implemented by the manager (or sponsor) or facilitators of the program. The Managing Action Learning and Group Coaching Programs Workshop gives in-depth information about how to carefully and systematically manage a variety of Action Learning and group coaching programs, after they have been designed.
Prerequisites
If you plan to develop Action Learning programs:
If you plan to develop group coaching programs:
Certificate
Each participant receives a certificate upon completing each workshop, assuming he or she fully attended and actively participated in the workshop.
NOTE: There is no independent "certification" organization in the field of Action Learning, for example, like the independent International Coach Federation is for the profession of personal and professional coaching. "Independent" means that the certification organization does not concurrently promote and provide certification on its own particular model of Action Learning, while suggesting that it concurrently is the certification organization of other and different models.
Instructors
Chuck Appleby, PhD, of Appleby & Associates, is a master Action Learning coach and group coaching facilitator with extensive experience in Action Learning and group coaching planning, development and instruction. Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, is also a master coach and facilitator, and is an internationally known thought leader in customizing programs and processes. Chuck and Carter are organizational and leadership development consultants with over 30 years of management, consulting and coaching experience in government, industry and non-profits.
Fees
- In-person: $750
- Virtual: $600
Scheduling and Registration
- Workshops are scheduled when there are at least five participants for a workshop. Scheduling is per the participants' and faculty member's schedules.
- Contact Action Learning Source at info@ActionLearningSource.com
" Carter is the consummate professional in every
sense - teaching about action learning in practical and engaging ways, demonstrating
flexibility and willingness to customize in order to promote client satisfaction
and ease of use, and offering their peers ongoing support and partnership."
—Karen Lanson, M.A., Ed.S, L.P., CEAP Consultant * Coach * Licensed Psychologist