Ever gotten part way into a story and realized that in order to really tell the it properly…you needed to go back and fill in a few details?  Maybe you thought you could give an overview or sketch the big picture, and then as you were telling the story it got crystal clear that without the details, the nitty gritty details, it just wouldn’t be an accurate telling.

Ever had that happen?  It happened to me yesterday.

I started out yesterday giving you three keys to a coaching tune-up.  I wrote it and then published it.  And then several hours later I got an insightful comment that said:

“Loved 1 & 2 but #3 really?!? Help me understand the ‘ask If you can count on them in the future.’ you’re basically firing them and I was hoping for some tips on doing that more delicately… Any other suggestions?” (If you missed yesterday, you might want to go back and read it to catch up)

And when I read the comment…I realized that I had assumed you all were already thinking about coaching the way I think about it.  And I realized that I had assumed that you all were already setting up your coaching structures the way I work to set them up.  And if you want to know the truth, I said, “Dohhhhhhh!  Missed it on that one!”

So today I want to begin to talk about how I want things to look and feel when coaching is developed properly (at least, according to me).  (more…)

You made it through the holidays.  You’re getting ready to start the second best run for new groups (see How to Build an Annual GroupLife Calendar).  Now is a great time to evaluate the performance and readiness of your coaching team.

First Key: Evaluate Your Coaching Team

You’re really looking for two things.  First, you’re looking for fruitfulness.  You want hundred-fold players that are actually doing to and for your leaders what you want your leaders to do to and for your members.  It’s as simple as that.  After all, this is not a role that you want to fill slots just to have a certain number of coaches.

Second, and this is just as important, you’re looking for fulfillment.  It’s not enough to find people that are fruitful…but unfulfilled.  You really want both.  You really need both.  Coaches who are fruitful and fulfilled stay in their role for a long time.

Why not run a simple yes/no evaluation on how closely your coaching team members match what you’re looking for?  You can see that it’s pretty easy to determine whether they’re fruitful, right?  Did their groups survive?  Are their leaders flourishing?  Do they have chemistry?  You can think up the right questions.

Second Key: Invite the Right People to Continue

Once you’ve determined fruitfulness, you’re ready to move on to testing for fulfillment.  So…what about fulfillment?  If they need both, how can you test for fulfillment?  Here’s how I do it.  Once I’ve determined whether they’re fruitful, I simply ask them “what it feels like to know that their effort, their engagement in the lives of the leaders in their huddle has made a difference?”  Sometimes I’ll say, “4 of your 5 new groups are continuing!  How’s it feel to know that you made that kind of difference?  Is it something you’d like to continue doing?”

The ones that are both fruitful and fulfilled get asked if they’d like to continue.

(more…)

We’ve all launched new groups and known that a key to new leader effectiveness is the presence of a coach.  We’ve seen it in many other venues as well, whether it’s been in sports, music, or blogging.  It just pays off to have someone walking alongside who knows the secrets to doing it well and can provide the keys to success.

Whether we’re talking about new small group leaders or 9 year-olds learning to play baseball…we all understand the need for a coach.  I think most of us even get a highly paid major league baseball pitcher benefiting from the observations of a keen observer.  Dancers, artists, singers, basketball players, golfers, sprinters and distance runners all benefit from the expertise of a coach.

How about you?  Do you know what you need to know?  Could a small change or two make a big difference in your effectiveness?  Would it make a difference for you to talk with a small group ministry coach?

What if a 60 minute conversation would help you see the one strategic shift that would help you launch 50% more groups in 2011?  What if a short call could help you begin to collaborate more effectively with your senior pastor?  What if you could get started for as little as $75?

Benefits of Coaching

• Maximize the results of your connection events
• Fine tune your annual calendar of events to leverage impact
• Collaborate more effectively with your senior pastor
• Learn to identify more and better leaders
• Identify the subtle changes in your ministry calendar that will exponentially change your results

(Learn how to set up a coaching call)

Got Any References?

I’ve been coaching small group ministry leaders for almost 10 years.  In fact, I’ve provided strategic coaching for many of the most effective small group ministries in the country.  Here are a few observations from satisfied clients.

I’d Love to Help Your Ministry Expand

I am a passionate fan of small group ministry.  I am confident that life-change happens best in living rooms, across dining room tables, or over a cup of coffee at a Starbucks.  I’ve written over 500 articles on how to connect more people in groups, how to launch groups more effectively, how to train leaders and how to build effective coaching structures.  There’s a ton of information here at MarkHowellLive and most of it’s free because I want your small group ministry to succeed.

But most of us could benefit immensely from an hour with a seasoned veteran with a keen eye.  If you’re ready to take that step and invest in your own growth…I’d love to help you.  You can find out how and make arrangements for our first conversation right here.

Getting ready for a year when grouplife really accelerates?  After all you got done in week 1 and week 2 of our 6 week boot camp, you’ve got a break this week.  Sort of.

The number of groups that you hope to launch in January will determine how long it will take to get this week’s assignment finished.  Why?  You really want to end up with a coach, a mentor, for every new connection group.  Since it can be structured as a short-term assignment, it makes a perfect test-drive experience for potential coaching candidates.

Step One: Touch base with your existing coaches to prep them for the upcoming small group connection(s).  To really pull off the connection you’ll need a “monitor” for every table you end up with; someone who can keep the conversation moving, help confirm the leader(s),  and help with any last minute wrinkles.  Since you’ll want to assign each of your new connection groups a coach, it makes sense to have the coach you’ll be assigning them at the connection.  Not to intrude or influence the outcome.  More as an observer.

Step Two: If you don’t have coaches yet, now is a great time to recruit a few of your best candidates to help with the connection.  Here’s a collection of my best articles on coaching.  When you’re preparing for a church-wide campaign or a small group connection, you have an opportunity to recruit coaches for a short-term operation.

Here’s an article describing the kind of person who makes the best coach.  Even though you’re only recruiting for a temporary role (I usually describe it as 10 to 13 weeks), you want to recruit the kind of person that you really want on your coaching team.  You’re looking for a hundred-fold kind of person.  If they say yes to a short-term assignment and then choose to continue…you’ve taken a great step in building a coaching team.

Want a look at the job description we use for a short-term, launch-phase coach?  Email Me and I’ll send you an example.

As you probably know, this is part of a 6 week series.  You can read part 3 right here.

Question: Feelin’ the assignment? Does it make sense? Use the comment section to put in your two cents. You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Had lunch yesterday with a potential coaching candidate.  We had a great conversation as we talked about the coaching concept, his background at a well known church in the area, and some important mutual respect for some of the early leaders in the small group movement.  It was very fun interacting with such an enthusiastic advocate for groups.

And then as I described the unique aspects to the environment at Parkview, the kind of people we attract, their level of biblical literacy, their background, etc., he made a comment that triggered an alarm in my brain.

The comment?  “Span of control.”  He said something like, “How will you not have a lot of wackiness in your groups if there isn’t the safety net of a healthy span of control?”

Now, I’ve been doing this a while…so I think my well-developed sniffer kicked in without him being any the wiser.  But believe me, I was listening for any further indication that the idea of control was part of his M.O.

Why?  What triggered the alarm?  Well, you need to know that I use the phrase span of care all the time.  It’s a great term and reflects my belief that “everyone needs to be cared for by someone but nobody can care for more than (about) ten people.”  A classic Carl George line that is right at the heart of my coaching philosophy that whatever you want to happen in the life of the member has to happen first in the life of the leader.

But it’s not about control.  It’s about care.  You’re not going to build healthy leaders by controlling them.  Health is a function of balance and you’re only going to help someone move toward balance as a result of care…not control.  Building an effective coaching structure is all about care, not control.

One of the most frequent questions about coaching is whether someone has to have led a small group themselves in order to serve as a coach.  I answered this question in my post on the essential ingredients of an effective coach but a related question is “how much of coaching is about helping leaders with technique?”

I’ve found that new leaders really only need help with technique at the very beginning of their group.

The first 90 days sometimes require a nudge in the right direction (i.e., “How can I get the one guy to stop dominating the discussion?” or “How can I get that couple to stop criticizing each other in their prayer requests?”).  In fact, I’ve found that in the first 90 days, about 75% of what happens between a coach and a leader will be about technique.  With the right questions, 25% of the interaction can begin to build a relationship that makes an ongoing role possible (I talk about the right questions in my four part series on Building an Effective Coaching Structure).

Beyond 90 days or so, the amount of “coaching” required is usually minimal, the chief reason being that groups rarely survive beyond 90 days unless the new leader quickly solves certain issues.  For example, if they’ve got someone in their group that dominates every meeting…how many meetings will it take before members begin to drop out?  If there’s unhealthy conflict between a husband and a wife, how many meetings will be awkward enough to cause  members to stop coming or find another option?  Unless a leader figures out how to deal effectively with basic issues, the group rarely survives the first 90 days.  Consequently, about 75% of what a coach might do in the first 90 has to do with technique and about 25% has to do with care.

I’ve found that this beginning imbalance can lead to a misunderstanding that can affect an ongoing relationship.  The 25% that reflects care has much to do with whether leaders recognize the need for ongoing coaching.  After all, once the new leader has developed the skills to lead a healthy group…what role will the coach play if it is all about technique?  If there is going to be an ongoing role it is going to shift to care.  Beyond 90 days (or so) the chief role of the coach becomes providing care (encouragement, accountability, mentoring, etc.) but this begins in the first 90 days.  By expressing a genuine interest in the new leader’s life (family, job, prayer requests, struggles, victories, etc.) a foundation can be laid that will be lead to an enduring relationship.

Wondering how to make small group coaching work in your setting?  It’s definitely not a walk in the park…no matter what anyone tells you.  But there are steps you can take to build an effective small group coaching structure.

Here are what I’ve found to be the some of the most frequently asked questions:

• What Is the Role of a Coach? (Part 1)
• What Is the Role of a Coach? (Part 2)
• What Are the Essential Ingredients of an Effective Coach?
• How to Jump-Start Coaching When You Launch Groups?
• What to Do When Your Leaders Don’t Want Coaches?
• What Do I Do About Underperforming Coaches?
• How Much of Coaching Is About Knowing and Demonstrating Technique?

What’s your question?  Use the comment section below to submit your question.

So you’ve got your org chart filled up.  You’ve got your 1 to 5 ratio (coach to leader) and it all looks good…on paper.  There’s just one problem.  Life change doesn’t happen on paper.  Life change is a result of an actual life touching another actual life.

Life change happens when life touches life.  And if you want anything to happen at the member level your leaders need the personal touch of an influential someone who is actually doing the right things.  How do you know whether they’re doing the right things?  That’s not the question today (Take a few minutes and read Diagnosing the Coaches in Your System).

Today’s question is, “What do I do about an underperforming coach?”  And I need to tell you that there is a simple (but hard to do) answer.  You need to do three things:

First, if you recruited them based on a job description, you need to take the time to measure engagement.  If you’re expecting certain things you need to know that only what you inspect will happen.  In other words…you need to have a way to evaluate whether they’re actually doing what they signed on to do.  This might be as simple as asking your coaches to turn in a form that lets them report things like:

• conversations they’ve had
• what are the best things happening in their groups
• what are the worst things happening in their groups
• which of their groups have more than one facilitator
• which of their groups meet at more than one location

In addition, you might want to begin asking your group leaders for general feedback.  One of the questions might be, “What is the best thing about having a coach?”  Another might be, “Is it helpful for you to have a coach?”

If you recruited them without a job description (or maybe you’ve grandfathered them in from an earlier administration), you’ll want to fix that.  Don’t let that condition persist.  Schedule a time to sit down with them, go over expectations, and ask them whether they want to play under these conditions.

Second, since underperformance is sometimes a result of unclear expectations, you’ll want to actually go over the job description with them.  If you’ve never done that, it’s just time to get started and there’s no time like the present.  Here are several questions I’ve learned to ask:

• What’s your favorite part about being a coach?
• What’s part do you like the least?
• How could we improve the experience for our leaders?
• How could we improve the experience for you?

These are key questions because the ideal scenario is one where the coach is both fruitful and fulfilled.  One without the other (either one without the other).  Since it is very possible for some to be fulfilled personally but not actually doing the things that help leaders, asking these questions might help you help them find a way to serve where they can be fruitful.

Finally, any kind of review should lead to either helping them begin to do the things that they’ve committed to do or assisting them in finding another way to serve.  Although it can be awkward…no one is served by simply looking the other way.

One of the most frequently asked questions about coaching is what is the role of the coach?  I believe that this question is a great place to begin building an effective coaching structure…but it’s just the beginning.  Once you’ve determined in advance what the role of a coach is you’ll be ready to do the other things in the sequence that builds an effective structure.

Here’s the complete sequence:

1. Determine in advance what the role of a coach is.
2. Clarify what a win for a coach will be.
3. Build the job description that will ensure steps toward that win.
4. Recruit on the basis of this understanding.
5. Measure engagement.

In part one of this article we covered the first two steps in the sequence.  Here are the remaining three steps:

Building a Job Description

For me the job description includes some very specific details.  I start the job description with the one line win that I’ve clarified.  I also include some values that are threshold requirements (i.e., loyalty to the senior pastor, a proven gift of leadership, etc.).  Finally, I detail the specific actions I’m going to measure (i.e., meet with each of my leaders once a week by phone or in person, hold a huddle for my leaders every 6 to 8 weeks, etc.).

Recruit on the Basis of the Job Description

Since one of the temptations is to downplay the amount of engagement that will be required you’ll need to fight that by reviewing the job description as you’re recruiting each candidate.  If you’ve worked out the details of the description so that it describes the kind of high capacity leaders you hope to recruit and then carefully review the expectations as you’re recruiting…you’ll be far less likely to minimize.  And that is huge.

Measure Engagement

This is another important step.  It’s also the point that many small group coaching structures falter.  Once you’ve built the job description and recruited on the basis of it…you need to schedule a periodic opportunity to review performance.  Even if you only do this twice a year you’ll be ahead of the game.

A periodic review does a couple essential things:

1. a review evaluates fruitfulness
2. a review allows a conversation about fulfillment

Want to build an effective coaching structure?  These 5 steps will help you do it.  Need more?  Building an Effective Coaching Structure, my four part coaching program is designed to walk you through the process (complete with downloadable audio sessions and handouts).

Another very frequent question is what does a coach actually do?   Better, “What is the role of a coach?”   It’s a great question…and it’s actually where you should start in building an effective coaching structure.

Here’s the sequence:

1. Determine in advance what the role of a coach is.
2. Clarify what a win for a coach will be.
3. Build the job description that will ensure steps toward that win.
4. Recruit on the basis of this understanding.
5. Measure engagement.

What Is the Role of the Coach?

In my system the main role of the coach is to do to (and for) the leader whatever you want the leader to do to (and for) the member.  As I’ve pointed out, whatever you want to happen at the member level must happen first in the life of the leader.

Want the leader to actually do more than convene the meeting?  Want the leader to do more than turn on the DVD player?  Want the leader to do more than facilitate a discussion?  If you want the leader to actually provide care for the members, guide members toward maturity, laugh and weep with members…you need to understand that for that to happen the leader will need to experience it first.  And that’s where the coach comes in.

How’s a coach going to know how to do those things?  Someone is going to have to do to (and for) the coach whatever you want to happen in the life of the member.

To accomplish these things I train the coach to ask four questions that start a conversation when they’re beginning to work with a new leader.  I’ve detailed those questions right here.  As I’ve mentioned, when you’re retroactively assigning coaches to existing groups you need to start differently. I’ve detailed that right here.

And that’s the beginning.  At some point early in the relationship I’ll have the coach introduce the Purpose Driven Life Health Assessment and Plan and that will become the basis for an ongoing conversation. That conversation will be intentionally facilitated through one-on-ones and huddles with the coach and several new small group leaders.  The same conversation will be more casually facilitated through brief interactions in the lobby between services and other times.

Clarifying the Win for Coaches

You’ll have to work out this one line summary to fit your own culture. For me, it really is that a win for a coach is when they’re doing to (and for) the leaders what we want the members to experience (care, prayer, love, challenge, concern, warmth, etc.).

Want the rest of the article?  Be sure and come back tomorrow for What Is The Role of a Coach, Part 2 (or you can sign up to get the update right here).