Hi! We are so excited you will be hosting the next Coaching Circle with your group.
Coaching Circles are monthly reunions with your group after the 14 week Grand program.
They are meant to be a comfortable, safe, and informal space. A chance to get together with your group, gain clarity and perspective, and share where you are since your last session.
If you are hosting a Coaching Circle (lucky you), here is a guide to help you do so effortlessly.
Coaching Circles are meant to be a bit less formal than The Grand program. That means less instruction, and more gently guided, free flowing conversation.
As a host, you don't need to have all the answers, tell your group what to do, or talk most of the time during your sessions.
It's all about being the guide or shepherd that creates a safe and comfortable environment, and keeps the conversation moving forward.
To help you get started, we created agendas for the first three Coaching Circles. See the Apply section of this guide.
Each Coaching Circle is set for 1 hour. Some groups go beyond the hour, and we welcome that.
Attendance can fluctuate depending on individual schedules. We recommend allowing 5 minutes for everyone to show up before starting the Coaching Circle. As people trickle in, you may acknowledge their presence with a warm "hello," and continue.
We recommend preparing by reviewing:
After each Coaching Circle, we recommend giving yourself 5 minutes to reflect on the session. See the Reflect section of this guide.
We also encourage you to follow up with your group afterwards. For example, you could write a thank you note to someone who shared vulnerably, offer resources on topics discussed, and make introductions to other Grand community members and your network.
That's it.
Thank you for hosting the next Coaching Circle.
If you have questions or ideas on how we can make it a richer experience, please reach out.
We would love to hear about your experience.
Examples
Welcome to our first Coaching Circle!
I am so excited to see you all again and catch-up.
I invite you to get comfortable –– sit in a comfortable location, bring your favorite beverage, etc.
Our Coaching Circle is meant to be a comfortable, safe, and informal space. A chance for us to get together, gain clarity and perspective, and share where we are since our last Grand session.
To kick us off, let's check-in using Red, Yellow, Green.
Remind group about RYG Check-ins.
It is a stoplight analogy to share how you really are at this moment.
Green means we are here and we are present.
Yellow means that we are here, but maybe our head is somewhere else (a deadline we have, or a conversation that is lingering).
Red means that we are here physically, but our minds are completely elsewhere.
Our Check-in is really meant to be a moment where we can honestly check-in with ourselves and each other.
If someone is checking in Red, acknowledge them "thank you for sharing, let us know if you need anything from us."
To help us catch-up, let's try a Rose, Bud, Thorn exercise.
Each of us can share a Rose, Bud and Thorn we are experiencing in our life.
A Rose is a success, or something that is working well in your life.
A Bud is an opportunity or possibility you see in your future.
A Thorn is a challenge you may be facing.
As the host, feel free to share your Rose, Bud and Thorn first to model the exercise and start the conversation.
Remember to keep track of time so everyone has a chance to share.
Thank everyone for openly sharing their Rose, Bud, Thorn.
Remind them about the next Coaching Circle and host, upcoming Grand events (ie. Inquiry Council), and encourage them to stay connected via slack.
Let's check out by sharing one word that describes how you're feeling right now.