Saturday, July 24, 2010

Evocative Coaching = School Transformation

We just published our new book titled Evocative Coaching: Transforming Schools One Conversation at a Time. This book grew out of our passion for human learning and our confidence that all schools can be catalysts for that learning. Not just some schools, but all schools. Not just schools with favorable demographics and resources, but schools with the right attitude, culture, and approach. That approach, the coach approach, has served us well throughout our personal and professional lives. Our best experiences in education have motivated us to develop our skills and to pursue our aspirations. Such experiences have opened doors to spirals of creativity, innovation, and accomplishment. They have made us what we are today.

Yet that is not the way education works for many people. The discourse regarding school failure has become all too familiar. Unfortunately, such discourse tends to shift educators into a defensive crouch that limits or even prevents them from making progress. They become so concerned about the consequences of failure and so focused on fixing what’s wrong that they lose confidence in their abilities and awareness of their strengths. Once that happens, the prospects for performance improvements dim and the politics of individual and collective resistance grow.

Although many books have been written and many speeches have been given on the subject of how to turn around this dynamic, we prefer to start with the most basic of building blocks when it comes to school performance and culture: how teachers talk to themselves and to others about their classroom experiences. When those conversations value teachers as collaborators and partners, who need not fear the consequences of sharing their stories, expressing their feelings and needs, exploring strengths, imagining new possibilities, and experimenting with how best to meet the educational needs of students, then resistance diminishes and energy grows for the teaching task.

That is our hope for those who learn and practice evocative coaching. We hope it will transform schools, one conversation at a time. This happens when teachers, coaches, instructional resources, staff developers, and other educational leaders make two significant conversational shifts: from evaluation to valuation and from problem-solving to strengths-building. These shifts are not easy, especially for educators who are so accustomed to grading performance and providing guidance, but when it comes to adult learning these shifts have proven their worth. Adults like to figure things out for themselves, building on what they already know and do well, without receiving judgmental feedback that calls into question either their intentions or their abilities.

To facilitate that kind of learning, we have to turn the tables on the questions we ask, the listening we do, and the reflections we make in our thinking and in our conversations. We have to move beyond old methods of supervision and professional development in order to dance with teachers in ways that generate openness, awareness, understanding, and change. In Evocative Coaching we choreograph that dance as having two turns (The No-Fault Turn and The Strengths-Building Turn) and four steps (Story Listening, Expressing Empathy, Appreciative Inquiry, and Design Thinking). We provide the research base as well as practical, hands-on descriptions for each step. By the end of the book, we hope readers will have a good idea as to how to facilitate an evocative coaching conversation.

To that end, we have launched the Center for School Transformation and a companion website with additional resources, http://www.schooltransformation.com/. The Center offers a training program in Evocative Coaching that takes place in a convenient virtual classroom created by advanced telephone conference technologies. Anyone who can make a long-distance telephone call can participate in the training program. This 20-hour program across 13 sessions provides critical opportunities for people to practice and become more familiar with the techniques. The program has already been well received by trainees in 9 states and 6 countries. The Center also offers on-site training workshops, leadership coaching, and whole-system transformation initiatives.

Drawing upon the best in adult learning theories, growth-fostering psychologies, and organizational development, the Center aims to evoke excellence in education and school transformation — one conversation at a time. We invite you to join us on the journey.

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Creativity Matters

Laser Provision: When faced with significant constraints, it's easy to make them the center of attention. After all, they're getting in the way. But focusing on the problem is not always the best way to solve the problem. It's often better to focus on the possibilities. That shift, from problem to possibility, unleashes creativity and generates enthusiasm. The more significant the constraints, the more creativity and enthusiasm we need. So let this Provision be your guide. Creativity matters when it comes to making dreams come true. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What holds you back from being creative? How could you empower and trust others to think outside the box and contribute their strengths? What could you offer the world that would make a difference? How could you test that hypothesis? Who do you think of as a creative role model? How could you draw yourself closer to their circle of influence?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.