leadershiplearning

june2007

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June 26, 2007

Coaching in the Nonprofit Sector: Update and Facilitated Dialogue

Coaching and Philanthropy Project

In this session, Michelle Gislason of CompassPoint provided participants with a brief overview of the Coaching and Philanthropy Project (CAP), a two-year initiative to help nonprofits and funders become conscious consumers of coaching as a means for leadership development and organizational effectiveness. She also shared questions and resources that surfaced from the Leadership Coaching Learning Circle (a pilot funded by LLC's Community Seed Fund).

Funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, CompassPoint's Philanthropy and Coaching Project was created to assess and advance the application of coaching as a strategy for building effective organizations within the nonprofit sector. Phase I looked only at philanthropy. The goals for Phase II are in three areas: for nonprofits; for philanthropy; for the field of coaching. However, the overall goal is to help people become effective coaches and for people to be conscious consumers of coaching. And, for coaching to become part of the toolkit for professional and organizational development.

Current Questions

What do nonprofits need and how do coaches support that need?

What is the difference between process consulting, coaching, mentorship...?

Current Dilemmas

Should coaches be certified or not?

What are the necessary qualities? (i.e. social justice, experience in nonprofits, etc.)

Organizations who were involved in Phase I of the project:

Compass Point is Managing

BTW & Leadership that works are the partners

Leadership Coaching Learning Circle

The project began with listening circles/focus groups around issues of:

Executive transitions

Emerging Leaders
Leaders of color

General Notes and Observations

Although the match is critical, it is also difficult because most individuals enter without knowing what they want.

CompassPoint is starting a service to match client and coach.

People, especially in the nonprofit sector, are relecutant to spend the money on themselves.
Coaching is a part of Organizational Development according to Organizational Development practitioners.
Coaching might be a natural extension of professional development opportunities in the sector such as nonprofit management "bootcamps."
What is the difference between mentorship and coaching?
The E.D. support system at CompassPoint involves coaching.
Peer coaching is becoming more popular and is much more accessible for nonprofits.
It is important to be able to describe what we mean rather than have rigid definitions for everything.
Some nonprofits try to hire coaches for the wrong reason - i.e. as a replacement for Human Resources; as a disciplinary action....

Open Space Topics

Michelle opened up the meeting and invited the participants to self-oganize in an Open Space session. The following topics were selected (and include their report-backs):

Creating a Culture of Coaching

Open-ness in organizations/comfort of identifying gaps & challenges
Creating coach-like organizations
Strength-based approaches
Mind set/learned behavior of collaboration (integrating pulic benefit and social profit)
Learning community perspective of re-alignment with values > coach as facilitator
Process of people coaching each other: we're not alone
Peer support, check-ins, reflective coaching
Coach as leader? as Inquirer >inquiry is critical
Underlying assumptions/ways in which organizations and teams are created? Name the assumptions.
How we define dialogue/inquiry>training in skils
How to share models/new approaches
Issues of power
Person holding leadership accountable
Appreciative inquiry
Inclusion of individual, team, organization, community, culture
Understanding of coaches/consultants role
- especially regarding issues/challenges around organizationa/cultural challenges
- How does culture move beyond training-coaching-approach of 1X or 1 person learning
Individual>collective measure of accountability
Use of software/web2.0 regarding networks for participants
Challenge of fragmentation/coming to people where they are >seeding cross-organization collaboration/cross-sector
How to foster shared language
Leveraging power of relationships
Grassroots: partnerships, small coalitions

Diversity and Coaching - Ethnicity/Gender/Age/Class

Intergenerational models?

Women's leadership?
Cultural Capacity of Coaching?
Does there have to be a match - culturally - ethnically?
Are there enough coaches that represent all communities?
Need for a try-out period - to assess "fit" - spiritual -burnout
CompassPoint provides three coaching options
Are clents of color more comfortable sharing experiences of racism with a coach of color
Are assessment requirements a barrier to having a diverse pool of coaches?
Is there a need for cutural awareness training?
Are mid-level managers getting sufficient training/support?
Is this a missed opportunitiy?
What can we learn from the for-profit sector? (published list of "great places to work")
American Humanics WD