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Coaching - Where to Begin?

Haakon Gould, MiniPD Coach, writes,

Coaching.  That word itself might need further clarity when it comes to roles and responsibilities.  There are several thought leaders who can provide some direction, as well as a plethora of resources that can help aspiring leaders build their tool-kits.  I highly recommend Cognitive Coaching.  Ochan Powell, Stephan Dare, Jennifer Swinehart, and the rest of the entire team were expert facilitators.

It might seem overwhelming at first, and honestly, coaching takes practice.  Narrow your focus.  For instance, the power of mediative questions is absolutely transformative when it comes to inviting the coachee into – and sustaining - the conversation.

Feel free to reach out to explore this practice or discuss others!

Haakon Gould - MiniPD Profile Coming Soon

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What are educators saying about MiniPD leadership coaching for continued professional learning?

"Thank you for helping me gain a clearer picture of how to move forward with my team. I really [...] value working together."

Get connected at minipd.com

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Professional Learning with MiniPD

Explore MiniPD Core Courses, MiniCourses, 1-1 and small group coaching conversations for you, your team and your school.

Create an account to stay up to date. It's free.

Receive a monthly newsletter to keep you up to date with what's happening

Questions? Get in touch with us at hello@minipd.com

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay connected.

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Next? Explore MiniPD's resources on Leading at all Levels

Leadership focused:

#MiniPDchat on Twitter

Padlet Calendar for actionable strategies and practical resources

Free live session with experienced MiniPD Coaches in Conversation - Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 18th!

Register here for this and future live events.

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Find events hosted by Faria for educators and schools staff. Obtain professional development and systems knowledge from expert staff and speakers.

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5 Characteristics of a Successful Leadership Development Strategy

The MiniPD Team writes,

Middle leaders should consider the development opportunities their organizations are providing. The Center for Creative Leadership offers insights into 5 characteristics of a successful leadership development strategy to guide induction, orientation, and ongoing support of middle leaders. Are you, as a middle leader, getting what you need to be the best you can be?

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Adaptive Schools Resources

The MiniPD Team writes,

The Thinking Collaborative offers a collection of resources associated with their Adaptive Schools model of developing deep, collaborative teams. Here you will find supporting documents and resources for sustaining the journey, building craftsmanship, and self-reflection.

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Adaptive Schools Resources | @ThinkCollab

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How to Make a Difference as a Middle Leader

The MiniPD Team writes,

In this article, Pavlopoulos (2021) identifies five areas of challenge common among middle leaders. She also offers suggestions for how middle leaders can address each of the challenge areas in order to improve their experience. In particular, Pavlopoulos encourages middle leaders to raise their voice with senior leaders and line managers to improve transparency around expectations and practices.

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Create Alignment: Manage Up

"For Middle Leaders in particular, having a good relationship with your manager also gives you a direct route into the senior team of the school. Not only can this lead to improved opportunities for you to gain experience beyond your current role, it is also a good way to help ensure  that the members of your own team are on the radar of of your senior colleagues." (Andy Buck)

Here are a few suggestions that you can help you manage up:

Ensure you are clear about your manager's expectations of you

Talk to your manager about the ways you like to work and the things you find energising

When faced with a problem, go with possible solutions about how the problem might be solved

If you have disagreements, ensure you solve this sooner rather than later - check out the difficult conversation questions stems on the 15th card

Be as honest as you can - trust can be quickly eroded

(Andy Buck)

The MiniPD Team

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Navigating Collegial Relationships

The MiniPD Team writes,

The National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) offers a deep database of free activities and protocols that support deep conversations, team building, and professional inquiry. These are key tools for middle leaders to know how and when to use effectively.

The NSRF offers Critical Friends Group Coaches' training which can support middle leaders in their horizontal development (skills and tools) and their vertical development (capabilities and mindsets).

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Protocols are structured processes and guidelines to promote meaningful, efficient communication, problem solving, and learning. Protocols give time for active listening and reflection, and ensure that all voices in the group are heard and honored. Using protocols appropriately in meetings with colleagues, students, parents, and others helps you build the skills and the culture necessary for productive collaborative work.

Although protocols are not needed for some meetings (such as those for disseminating information or updating participants without inviting feedback), once a group becomes accustomed to using protocols, they're more likely to collaborate more efficiently and effectively even when protocols are not being used.

Like guardrails along a highway, NSRF protocols, under the leadership of a trained coach, provide guidance and a safe place for honest and useful feedback. They also ensure that the group involved arrives at the proposed destination rather than being pulled off-track.

NSRF has a vast array of protocols and activities to help participants:

Address complex dilemmas with fresh perspectives

Improve their work quickly with thought-provoking questions

Share and learn from successes

Introduce ideas, topics, or programs

Expand thinking, find essential messages, discover other perspectives

Interpret data

Observe classrooms and environments to improve teaching, coaching, learning, or other work

Brainstorm and improve projects, plans, or materials at any stage of progress

Look at student work with specific objectives and needs in mind to improve outcomes

Our Protocols A-Z List is free and provides access to our original protocols, alphabetized by their given titles and downloadable as PDF files.

Our most updated and complex protocols are exclusive to Annual Members and trained Critical Friends Group® Coach Members. NSRF is a small non-profit office, and your paid memberships help to support our office which works to support YOU as an educator!

Our paid members have access to newly constructed, extended, searchable Protocols Libraries! Members' and Coaches' Protocol Libraries have detailed search filters that allow searches by categories such as "Planning & Brainstorming" and "Working with Data." You can also preview brief summaries of purpose per protocol or activity. These libraries also contain activities, downloadable cards, documents, and applicable articles. You can view our protocols and activities as interactive web site pages through the Linked Title, or you can download them as PDF files. We hope to gather even more materials for you in the days to come!

To view these exclusive, extended libraries, be sure to log in with your username and password and to purchase your membership through our Store. Find the library links under "Protocols" in the top main menu. These are BIG libraries, so you might give them a few seconds to upload. We have a lot to offer, especially to our trained CFG Coaches!

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Supporting Middle Leaders

Share a story of impact on our Twitter chat

- Share a real story this month of how you have supported yourself or others in building Middle Leadership capacity.

@FariaMiniPD #MiniPDchat

The MiniPD Team

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The Center for Creative Leadership

The MiniPD Team writes,

The Center for Creative Leadership's mission is "We lift leaders who lift the world". They offer a deep library of white papers, research articles, webinars, and podcasts on an exhaustive list of leadership-related topics.

Subscribe to their monthly newsletter for regular updates on leadership resources.

Follow them on social media channels for their insightful bite-sized resources and infographics on leadership.

Center for Creative Leadership on LinkedIn
Center for Creative Leadership on Twitter.

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We don't just train.
We transform.

At CCL, our human-centered approach to leadership development delivers results that matter and change that lasts.

Introducing an all-access license to our expertise

Leadership Development That Drives Impact

Great leadership is the kind that improves bottom lines — and lives. As a top-ranked, global, nonprofit provider of leadership development, our human-centered, transformational leadership experiences produce lasting impact:

1

Countries where we’ve conducted programs

0 +

Alumni worldwide and counting

0

Years pioneering the industry’s best practices

0 %

Of our participants say they’re stronger leaders

0 +

Languages available for content delivery

2/ 2

Of the Fortune 1000 have worked with us

Insights

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Equitable organizational practices and policies are essential to the sustainability of your investments in diversity & inclusion – and your ability to retain top talent.

Insights

Federal Government

We understand the complexities leaders in government agencies and defense organizations face, and can partner with you to help them meet these challenges.

Stories of Impact

Join these organizations who are already partnering with us for leadership development, and start transforming your workforce today.

“For our core leader training program, we combined key organizational knowledge and skill needed, with the powerhouse of the CCL name and years of extensive research in the leadership field, to offer a distinguished, holistic program to our leaders — one we believe is definitely ‘Best in Class.’”

Buffy Morris Director of Learning & Development, Arch Mortgage Insurance Company

“The whole experience has given us leadership muscle to do things we didn’t think were possible. CCL has been a part of this success by helping us build leadership capabilities to take advantage of opportunities and create value for the shareholders.”

Rob Van Nus VP, Human Resources & Corporate Services, Graymont

“CCL has given us a theoretical framework for dramatically rethinking our organization and how we get the work done, as well as the tools and strategies for translating that framework into action. They do not have a ‘canned’ approach. They know us and our challenges, tailor their programming, and shift as we need them to with speed and consistently high quality of delivery. The gold standard for executive education and professional development.”

Paul LeBlanc President, Southern New Hampshire University

“What I learned can be taken into the workplace, and I can also apply it to how I’m talking to my family and to people around me every day. I think CCL has done a great job of utilizing the knowledge that they have and the technology that’s out there and leveraging that together in a way that allows engagement for participants and advocates for the learner’s perspective.”

Edwin Moy Learning & Development Manager, Alteryx

“With such a diverse group from multiple time zones and different countries, we wanted to steer away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach to leadership development. The virtual experience [with CCL] was the best solution for our needs.”

Gloriana Garro Director of People Development & Learning, Crowley Maritime

“Early in my career and shortly after my promotion to management, I had the chance to attend an intensive, life-changing learning experience with the Center for Creative Leadership. Fortunately for me, I worked with a team that valued and prioritized leadership development and early into the role gave me that opportunity.”

Tameca N. Brown Learning & Organizational Development Manager, Fairfax County Government

Let's talk about what our leadership development solutions can do for you, your organization, and your community.

We're here to help.

Get our latest updates

Subscribe to our newsletters.

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Discover the Center for Creative Leadership’s global, life-changing leadership development research and solutions for you, your team, and your organization.

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Building your Instructional Leadership

The MiniPD Team writes,

Two important facts about middle leadership supported in academic research is that:

1. middle leadership roles exist to support instructional practices to improve student learning, and

2. middle leadership relies heavily on relational skills as they nudge and encourage teachers to change and improve their instructional practices.

In her book Building Your Instructional Leadership, the amazing Dr. Fran Prolman homes in on relationships, instructional leadership, and building confidence in complex situation.

This informative book gives you 300 immediately applicable strategies for implementation and clear research-based background for your instructional leadership.

This title is available online at all of the usual places we shop for professional books.

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Watch Supporting Middle Leaders: MiniPD Coaches in Conversation (60 mins) with Aaron Shelby, Haakon Gould and Dr. Christine Lang.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH at no cost

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Manage Difficult Conversations

"What are the kinds of conversations that everyone in your school can hold: conversations that maintain respectful professional relationships, result in accountability to professional obligations and lead to a culture of 'supportive accountability?" (Dylan Wiliam, 2016)

Managing difficult conversations can take an emotional toll. These sentence stems can provide a useful support.

Further read: Successful Difficult Conversations in Schools: Improve your Teams Performance, Behaviour and Attitude with Kindness and Success, by Sonia Gill.

Sarah Plews, MiniPD Coach & Head of Content & Events.

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How are middle leaders being developed vertically?

The MiniPD Team writes,

When middle leaders are offered opportunities to develop, there is often a focus horizontal development, which "refers to the adding of more knowledge, skills, and competencies" and emphasizes what a leader knows (Petrie, 2014, p. 8).

Researchers in leadership development (McIntosh & Love, 2021; Pavlopoulos, 2021; Petrie, 2014) underscore the importance of vertical development, which "refers to advancement in a person's thinking capability. [...] the ability to think in more complex, systemic, strategic, and interdependent ways" (Petrie, 2014, p. 8).

Read more about vertical leadership development in the first in a series of white papers from the Center for Creative Leadership authored by Nick Petrie.

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Build Team Agreements & Norms

The MiniPD Team recommends Adaptive Schools Live Binder.

Develop shared agreements and use routines and protocols to build trust, psychological safety and an effective collaborative team.

The Seven Norms of Collaboration: A Supporting Tool Kit is great place to start to building and sustaining an effective team.

The MiniPD Team

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Peer Mentoring for Capacity Building

MiniPD Course Developer, Michael Iannini, says,

"The most important role that any leader has is to develop the capacity and capabilities of their team members."

Find out more here about Supporting Peer Continuous Professional Development as a Middle Leader where Michael introduces his STRIDE model to support peer professional development.

Develop peer mentoring skills of yourself and your team and apply the STRIDE model to your practice.

Learn how to do this with Michael on the MiniPD Core Course, Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management.

You and your team will also learn with Barbara Mui who will share best practices for developing positive relationships and behaviours in the classroom.

The MiniPD Team

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The most important role that any leader has is to develop the capacity and capabilities of their team members. When leaders invest time to support the professional development of team members, they will be rewarded with team members that are more confident and motivated to tackle transformative goals. When all team members are similarly motivated, they will collaborate much more effectively, working interdependently to achieve shared goals.

To realize this outcome, team leaders must make clear at the start of the school year what is expected of the team collectively and how each member can align individual development interests with the team goal. It is then the responsibility of the team leader to periodically meet with team members to: (1) identify and reinforce Strengths that they bring to the team and their development objective; (2) reaffirm their Target, ensuring they stay on track throughout the year; (3) take time to understand the Reality of their working environment and it's challenges; (4) Ideate with them to find ways forward; (5) hold them accountable to Decisions made; and (6) Evaluate the effectiveness of those decisions to inform future decision making.

In this 45-minute presentation I will introduce the STRIDE Mentoring Model and how middle leaders can use this model to support team member growth. I will evidence by way of case how mentoring has improved the wellbeing of team members, as well as fostered greater interdependency between team members.

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Supporting Peer Continuous Professional Development as a Middle Leader - Improve School Middle Leadership

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The most important role that any leader has is to develop the capacity and capabilities of their team members. When leaders invest time to support the professional development of team members, they will be rewarded with team members that are more confident and motivated to tackle transformative goal

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Use Social Media for Professional Learning for You and Your Team

Set Up:

A Twitter account if you are yet do so - if you only use it for educational purposes your feed becomes a powerful professional learning tool.

Join:

Join our Middle Leader focused Twitter this month (see the 6th).

Try:

Take a look at the image above for the what, why and how to run a Twitter slow chat in your own community.

The MiniPD Team

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Go to MiniPD Core Courses to find out more about this course.

Check out Michael Iannini's website, middleleader.com and his book, Hidden in Plain Sight: Realizing the Full Potential of Middle Leaders.

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MiniPD Core Course - Positive Behaviour and Relationship Management

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Middle Level Leadership in International Schools: What makes a transformative middle leader? (5-10 minute read)

Consider, what do Middle Leaders need in order to be the change agents for teaching and learning that international schools need them to be?

- Access more MiniPD Coach articles and resources by creating an account at no cost
- Get to know MiniPD Coaches experienced in language teaching and learning who can support you 1-on-1!

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What do Middle Leaders need in order to be the change agents for teaching and learning that international schools need them to be?
"Relational Leadership offers an ambitious starting point for the development of a different type of Middle Leader in schools, who inform and inspire the kind of agile, whole-school, interdisciplinary work that is needed to create the exceptional learning experience our young people deserve" (McIntosh & Love, 2021).

So, what makes a transformative middle leader? Take 5 minutes to scroll through the strategies for ' Supporting Middle Leaders ' (also see below), or read a MiniPD Coach article below.

Tending to Trust - 3 Ways Leaders can Maintain Their Trusting Relationships by Jill Miller. Jill writes about three ways leaders can maintain trust throughout the school year. She comments, "Most of us already understand that trust helps to define our relationships at home, at work, and within our communities. We also understand that trust takes time to develop and that it's hard to be successful without it, yet we often forget to tend to it as much as we should once it has been established. Just like in our personal relationships, trust within schools and our leaders should be nurtured, and good leaders need the skills to tend to the trust they've worked hard to establish." Jill, MiniPD Coach and Middle School English teacher, has spent two decades working in the U.S.A. and international schools in South Africa, Thailand, and Switzerland. She is also a qualified reading specialist (K-12) and instructional coach.

Developing Sustainable Leadership Criteria by Christine Lang. In this article Christine shares a systematic and collaborative approach to build capacity in Middle Leaders through a supportive and developmental process. Christine says, "Supporting middle leaders by collaboratively creating success criteria can positively impact student learning by developing skills and understanding in the areas of knowledge, effectiveness, impact, and contributing toward professional culture. Christine, MiniPD Coach, is an original author of the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) and her most recent school-based role was as the Primary School Principal at the Vienna International School. Christine is also founder of Core and More Education

We also recommend the following read by Christine, Let's Fix it, Even if it isn't Broken: The Power of Action Research. Christine takes us through action research practical steps that teachers and Middle Leaders can take that can result in large learning gains and improved school culture. She comments, " O nly through questioning our own processes can we position ourselves to make improvements, and this is something that is absolutely possible for teachers and middle leaders to do. There is likely more than one point of concern that warrants a second look where perhaps only a considered small change can bring an impactful result."

If you are an aspiring or current Middle Leader you might also want to check out this online course for current and aspiring Middle Leaders: Middle Level Leadership for Impact in International Schools with Dr. Tami Canale, President of and Director of Teaching & Learning at the American International School of Budapest. The course focuses on Developing Relationships, Facilitating Collaboration, Promoting Team Learning, Measuring Impact and Leading Yourself as a Middle Leader.

Join the Conversation

We invited educators from around the world to join us in a Coaches-in-Conversation on our theme, Supporting Middle Leaders 2022. The recording is shared below:

Wanting to further the conversation?

Needing a thought partner? A critical friend?

Schedule one-to-one and small group coaching sessions with any of our inspirational MiniPD Coaches mentioned above. They can support you and your team to nudge your practices forward.

Want to learn more?
Supporting Middle Leaders

Aguilar, E., (2016) The Art of Coaching Teams: Building Resilient Communities that Transform Schools. New York. Jossey-Bass.

Edmondson, A., (2018) The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. New Jersey. Wiley & Sons.

Knight, J., (2007) Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction. Thousand Oaks. SAGE Publications.

McIntosh., E. & Love (2021) Leading from the Middle: Why we need to invest in Leaders throughout a System. [Online]. Available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/sites/123279/themes/3463001/downloads/EXLJS0bBSRemTpN7vzkr_Leading_from_the_Middle_-_NoTosh_White_Paper_2022.pdf (Accessed 06/12/22)

(MiniPD Coaches (2022) Supporting Middle Leaders - Bite-Size Strategies . MiniPD.

Sweeney, D., & Harris, L. S., (2020) The Essential Guide for Student-Centered Coaching: What Every K-12 Coach and School Leader Needs to Know. Thousand Oaks. Corwin.

For more reads try the Instructional Coaching Bookstore

Want to keep connected?

You will receive a newsletter at the beginning of each month with pro-tips, tools and resources.

You will have access to information on live events and our bite-size action-based calendar created for, with and by our community of international school educators.

You can access articles published by MiniPD experienced Coaches, IB and non-IB international school educators, on topics that matter to you.

You can connect with our experienced Coaches quickly and easily for ongoing one-to-one supportive conversations.

What topics matter to you?

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Middle Level Leadership in International Schools: What makes a transformative middle leader? - MiniPD

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What do Middle Leaders need in order to be the change agents for teaching and learning that international schools need them to be? "Relational Leadership offers an ambitious starting point for the development of a different type of Middle Leader in schools, who inform and inspire the kind of agile, whole-school, interdisciplinary work that is needed to create the exceptional learning experience our young people deserve" (McIntosh & Love, 2021).

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Practical Ways to Build Emotional Intelligence

Sarah Plews, MiniPD Coach says,

Reflect on the practical actions below - What you might do, don't do or could do? Consider how will these impact/are impacting on your leadership role?

- Self-Awareness: Know your emotional triggers in order to better respond in a controlled way, rather than in an automatic way.

- Awareness of Others: Ask more open questions ,keeping your tone neutral, so you encourage people to say what they really think.

- Self-Management: Learn to reflect in the moment to manage your responses. Use thinking time to detach yourself from the emotion.

- Relationships: Build relationships by paraphrasing and summarizing to show you have listened.

Listen to Daniel Goleman talk about his model of Emotional Intelligence.

Sarah Plews is a MiniPD Leadership Coach, and Head of Content & Events, MiniPD.

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Daniel Goleman Introduces Emotional Intelligence | Big Think

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Team Decision Making

Jill Miller, MiniPD coach, writes,

Whether you’re a part of a small or large team, team decisions should represent the concerns, biases, and experiences of all team members (Rottier, 2001). Most often, team decisions can be made without a formal procedure, but when challenging issues arise, it’s important for teams to have an agreed upon process to help make tricky decisions a bit easier.

The Dot Technique can help a team reduce a list of ideas to a manageable number (3-5 items), prioritize ideas, and help to eventually reach a consensus.

The Dot Technique:

Step 1: The team brainstorms a number of ideas visually (i.e. chart paper or on a whiteboard).

Step 2: Each team member receives three stick-em dots in three different colors (anything can work here as long as you have three different colors). Assign each color a point value of 3, 2, or 1.

Step 3: Team members “spend” their three dots directly on the master list. If a team member feels strongly about one of the ideas, they can place all three dots on that idea, or their three dots can be “spent” across multiple ideas.

Step 4:  Add up the votes.

Step 5: Reflect on the results. If needed, you may need to repeat the process again to reduce the number further, but the highest value dot (3 points) should remain on the list for further discussion and voting.

From: Rottier, Jerry. “Team Decision Making .” Implementing and Improving Teaming , National Middle School Association , Westerville, OH, 2001, pp. 96–107.

Jill Miller
MiniPD Profile

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Jump back into the MiniPD Twitter slow chat

Supporting Middle Leaders
@FariaMiniPD #MiniPDchat

The MiniPD Team

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Build Your Leadership Capacity

The MiniPD Team writes,

Effective leadership involves different dimensions such as, leadership of others, leadership of learning, leadership of systems and structures, individual leadership, and leadership of yourself.

Read NoTosh's Middle Leader Manifesto - What action can you take to develop your own leadership capacity? Read more from Ewan McIntosh and Chantelle Love here.

The MiniPD Team

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Fernando Ramirez, MiniPD Coach, suggests,

Middle Leaders do not necessarily need big, fancy titles. There are plenty of actions that can be taken to identify and empower teachers to lead. Here are three examples:

Subject specific committees that engage in action-research projects. These committees can be chaired by motivated team members

Teachers Teach Teachers sessions (TTTs): These can be done on a voluntary basis or structured to encourage everyone to give a 2-minute presentation on a topic of their choice

Mentoring Programmes that connect experience teachers with new ones

Reach out to me if you'd like to discuss ways to promote teacher agency within your team: Fernando Ramirez MiniPD profile

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Action Centered Leadership (ACL)

The MiniPD Team recommends,

The work of John Adair, a key writer on leadership theory and practice.  He writes on 'Action Centered Leadership' and the idea that our leadership should focus on what we as individuals and our teams aim to achieve.

Adair talks about keeping a a balance between the task to be accomplished, the individuals how contribute to the task and the shared responsibility of the team to complete the task.

Watch this 10 minute video on Adair's ACL model and his anacronym P.I.C.S.I.E.

Thinking about your own Middle Leader context, role and responsibilities, what can you shift for increasingly effective leadership of your team?

The MiniPD Team

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The Action-Centred Leadership Model and Theory (John Adair)

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Fernando Ramirez, MiniPD Coach, recommends

Collective Efficacy

I found these short videos by Jeni Donhoo very inspiring as I was looking for ways to inspire and empower my team. The principles of collective efficacy can be very helpful when we are trying to identify and support team members that can take leading responsibilities at different levels and in different contexts.

Reach out to me if you'd like to discuss ways to promote collective efficacy within your team: Fernando Ramirez MiniPD profile

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Collective Efficay - YouTube

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Logic Models

Aaron Shelby, MiniPD Coach, writes,

As a middle leader, finding models to help teams identify outcomes and impacts of their actions is super important. As I saw various teams' successes with implementing logic models to brainstorm, plan, and execute action plans in a logical way, I was sold. This model is definitely in my toolkit as I continue to partner with individuals and teams that I support.

I'd love to talk with you if you are interested in learning more about this model and the impact it can have with your work!

Aaron Shelby

Connect with me - MiniPD Profile

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Ashlee D. Lien, Justin P. Greenleaf, Michael K. Lemke, Sharon M. Hakim, Nathan P. Swink, Rosemary Wright, and Greg Meissen
Community Psychology Practice and Research Collaborative, and Community Psychology Doctoral Program, Wichita State University, Wichita KS, USA

Even among people who know and have seen the value of logic models, the term can "strike fear into the hearts" of experienced community psychologists and veteran non-profit staff and board members alike. Add the phrase "outcome-based planning" and you are likely to energize those you are working with to run as fast as possible for the door. Such technical terms may confuse and intimidate community members and grassroots partners who are the foundation of the practice of community psychology. At the same time, organizations can benefit from time spent on outcome-based planning, especially in developing a well-conceived logic model.

Several well-established logic model guides are available, including those developed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control, the United Way, and the Community Toolbox. These complex guides, while used successfully for organizational planning and grant proposals, can be inaccessible to community partners due to technical language and the complicated nature of the process.

As community psychologists it is important to meet people and organizations where they are. By following this principle, we took the traditional logic model approach and translated it into a less daunting process. We call our approach the Tearless Logic Model. It breaks down the logic model process into a series of manageable, jargon-free questions. In fact, we do not even use the terms logic model, outcomes, outputs, or inputs until we have completed this energizing activity. We believe that through this process, organizations and community-based groups can receive the benefits of completing a logic model process without the intimidation factor.
Tearless Logic Model
Having used a number of the highly developed logic model approaches and formats in writing federal and foundation grants, we found ourselves failing miserably when we attempted to use these models collaboratively with community partners. We knew that we needed to try a new approach as we prepared to help a youth-serving organization develop a logic model with a group that included many high school age leaders. Instead of using a traditional approach, we tried a facilitated approach with an emphasis on visioning, grounded in appreciative inquiry and using common language. Our session was wildly successful, producing not only an excellent logic model for the organization, but also a lot of excitement in two hours instead of the four hours we had anticipated. We refined the process we used with the youth to create a tool which can be easily customized to fit the needs of different groups.

Audience
The Tearless Logic Model can be used most appropriately with almost any audience but is especially intended for use with community-based groups, coalitions, faith-based organizations, and smaller nonprofits. We have also used it successfully with government offices, established social service agencies, and even researchers familiar with logic models. This approach "levels the playing field" in terms of experience with strategic planning, research, and grant writing within a group, allowing unusual voices of service recipients, youth, and community members to have appropriately greater impact.

Context
The Tearless Logic Model is best implemented as a facilitated session that walks a broad and representative group of stakeholders through the process one step at a time. Finding a facility in which a "safe space" can be created for the group is helpful; a meeting room at a neighborhood center or in a church basement seems to work better than a corporate conference room or in the seminar room of the Psychology Department at a university.

Using the Tearless Logic Model
Materials
A small number of materials are necessary to lead a group through the Tearless Logic Model process:

Preparation
Preparation and setup for this model are quite easy. First, it is necessary to find an appropriate space in which to hold the logic model development session. As mentioned earlier, this should be a "safe space," where individuals feel free to express their opinions and insights. Collaborative efforts that bring together many stakeholders require a safe space where those with different beliefs relating to the work at hand can raise issues and explore alternatives without fear of judgment or bias. A neutral location is ideal and helps create "equal footing" for all.

A blank flip chart sheet for each of the eight steps outlined below should be taped to the wall at the front of the room, visible to all participants. The flip charts are set up to include an empty box at the top (see figure 1), with one or two questions that are to be addressed written below the box. The empty box is filled in at the very end of the process, when the technical terms are shared with the audience. The eight steps are placed on the wall in the traditional order of a logic model found in online visual guide ( http://prezi.com/nq6lm8enl87f/tearless-logic-models/) but the audience will address them in a different order described below. Having a detailed agenda handy is also a prudent idea. One additional flip chart (#9) should be placed on another wall in the room with the heading "Parking Lot." This will be useful for capturing an idea or discussion point that is not relevant to the Tearless Logic Model discussion. Using the parking lot is a simple way to redirect the group to the task at hand.

Finally, because of the realities of group dynamics, it is useful for facilitators to go into a meeting like this with a clear picture of the order of events and the division of responsibility. A detailed agenda for the facilitators helps keep the process on track and ensures that all steps are completed. Detailed agendas for facilitators can take many forms. Below is a simple template with space to include information that we have found useful in such meetings in the past. (See PDF copy for the sample template.)

It is a good idea to have the purpose of the meeting explicitly stated for reference throughout the process. When creating the agenda, think about what you will need to take with you and how you will set up the room. The task of staying productive and on-topic is made easier by a detailed play-by-play including a time column, a task description column, and a special notes column. The more consideration given to the flow of the meeting before it takes place, the less likely it is that the process will be unexpectedly hindered.

Facilitation of the Tearless Logic Model
Facilitators should be geared towards leading an appreciative inquiry session about where the group or organization sees its future. To reduce the intimidation factor, we recommend leaving the words "logic model" off of the session title and invitation to participants as well as out of the facilitation process. Two facilitators are ideal, so that while the conversation is happening, one can record answers on the flipcharts while the other continues to engage the group. Once you've familiarized yourself with the steps, feel free to adapt them to your own group.

It may be wise to conduct an "ice breaker" activity at the beginning of the session in order to relax and engage participants. One possible icebreaker activity is "two truths and a lie," in which the facilitators say two truths and a lie about themselves and the group members guess which of the statements is the lie. Another easy icebreaker activity is a pop-up exercise, in which group facilitators ask a question of the group and those who agree with the question stand up out of their seats. The purpose of these icebreakers is to get everyone talking, get to know each other, encourage participation, and lighten the mood.

Step 1: Anticipated Impacts or "End in Mind"
Recognizing the importance of starting with the end in mind starts with a set of questions related to anticipated impacts. Rather than using traditional logic model language, pose one of the following questions:

If you really got it right, what would it look like in 10 or 20 years?

If our organization were operating at our very best what would we be achieving?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "If we got it right, what would it look like?"

Step 2: Target Population or "Those We Serve"
After establishing the end in mind, vision, or preferred future of the program or organization, the next step is to address the target population or persons served. Ask these questions:

Who do you serve or help? (Think both directly and indirectly.)

Who benefits from your work in the community?

Who are you ultimately trying to serve?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "Who is being helped?"

Step 3: Long Term Outcomes or "Policy Changes" or "Changing the Rules and Nature of the Game"
After identifying persons served, refer back to the end in mind or vision for the program and ask about the types of system change important to reach that vision. Use the following questions to identify changes:

What changes in programs, policies, and practices are necessary to reach your vision?

If we have reached our "vision", what has changed to allow that?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "What rules need to change?"

Step 4: Intermediate Outcomes or "Behavioral Changes"
After identifying the necessary changes in policy, practices, and programs, the next step is to narrow the focus to those behaviors and actions that will lead to these changes. The following questions will help you achieve that goal:

What changes would you expect to see in the behaviors/actions of those you serve?

What will the people you serve do differently?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "Who would change and how?"

Step 5: Short Term Outcomes or "What Needs to Change Right Now"
After identifying behavioral changes, the next step is to focus on immediate/initial changes. Pose the following questions to identify initial changes in attitudes and beliefs:

What changes in knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes would you expect to see in the groups you serve?

What changes would we expect to see in the next year if we are heading in the right direction?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "What are the first changes you expect?"

Step 6: Activities
After identifying initial changes, it is important to identify the essential activities that will lead to this change. Ask the following questions:

What do you need to do to create the changes we have just discussed?

What new or different activities would it take to create change?

What must be undertaken to make this change possible?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "What must be done?"

Step 7: Outputs or "What Can Be Counted"
Most program activities have corresponding outputs or products. After identifying the activities, discuss what the activities will produce. Pose the following questions:

What can you "count" when you successfully do the "activities" we just talked about?

How many do we serve and what do we provide them?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "What can be measured?"

Step 8: Inputs or "Resources" or "What do we need to make it happen?"
After identifying the activities and outputs, it is important to determine what resources are needed to fund and staff the activities. The following questions will determine the resources the organization already has and what they need:

What do you have and what do you need to make this happen?

What will it cost your program/organization to offer the activities we just discussed (people, materials, facilities, hardware, computers, etc.)?

Record the discussion on a flip chart labeled "What do we need?"

Step 9: Revealing the Logic Model
After completing the discussion on resources, briefly review each of the flip charts with the group. Restate the purpose of the meeting. Once this purpose is restated, add labels to each of the flip charts to reflect traditional logic model language. You can then point out that the group has unknowingly created a logic model-without tears!

Step 10: Creation of the Logic Model
Once you have identified the major components, it is important to transfer what you have identified into a more structured logic model. This can be accomplished by an individual or by a small group. The group may decide that it is desirable to have an experienced individual create a final product based on the group's input. With the option of having one person create the logic model, group input is received during the session and is synthesized by one person into the logic model. A small group of individuals can also be used to create the logic model in real time. The small group should include the individual with experience in creating a logic model in addition to several other members of the larger group. This smaller group can analyze what has been decided and bring the content together in a coherent way by aligning the content with the appropriate column using traditional logic model language.

By approaching the logic model in this step-by-step way, individuals involved are less intimidated by the process and are able to focus on accurately answering questions about their program, project, or initiative. This process is also time-efficient. Depending on the size of the group and the personalities present, this process can be facilitated in as little as two hours, less than many other traditional logic models. The Tearless Logic Model is just one example of how organizations can be encouraged to do outcome-based planning and logic model development. Ideally this process and others like it will result in organizations having positive and successful experiences and will reduce their fear upon hearing the words "outcome-based planning" and "logic model."

Author(s)

Ashlee D. Lien, Justin P. Greenleaf, Michael K. Lemke, Sharon M. Hakim, Nathan P. Swink, Rosemary Wright, and Greg Meissen

Ashlee D. Lien, Justin P. Greenleaf, Michael K. Lemke, Sharon M. Hakim, Nathan P. Swink, Rosemary Wright, and Greg Meissen

Community Psychology Practice and Research Collaborative, and Community Psychology Doctoral Program, Wichita State University, Wichita KS, USA

Comments (6)

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Ashlee D. Lien, Justin P. Greenleaf, Michael K. Lemke, Sharon M. Hakim, Nathan P. Swink, Rosemary Wright, and Greg Meissen, Wichita KS, USA Even among people who know and have seen the value of logic models, the term can "strike fear into the hearts" of experienced community psychologists and veteran non-profit staff and board members alike.

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We've only got 4000 Weeks!

Christine Orkisz Lang, MiniPD Coach, writes,

I'm currently reading Four Thousand Weeks

(Time Management for Mortals) by Oliver Burkeman. Warning: If that's how much time we have in an average lifetime, we have even fewer at school. . .

I actually see this as an anti-time management book, and that's what I like about it. The basic premise is to stop trying to do everything as it is simply not possible.

As school leaders, it is essential that we ensure the work that Middle Leaders are doing is manageable and sustainable. Establishing clear shared priorities and regularly checking in on their progress works using the 'what fits on my plate' analogy.  Work together to keep removing action points until shoulders go down and Middle Leaders leave the conversation feeling confident and happy that they have an entire school year (40 weeks?) to achieve their goals.

For more examples of how to use this approach, feel free to get in touch!

Christine Orkisz Lang
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"Help me to prioritize my work."

Christine Orkisz Lang, MiniPD Coach, writes,

"Help me to prioritize my work." This is an impactful phrase we started using in my school, first with Middle Leaders and then with all colleagues. Not only does it potentially signal of a sense of overwhelm that we might need to be aware of, it invites an open conversation about current thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

In busy schools, things change, and it could be that your line manager knows about even a slight direction shift that will influence where your efforts should currently best be placed.

Although time management ideas and tools might be interesting and can certainly provide helpful prompts, checking in and gaining new perspective can be more powerful in truly supporting others, especially Middle Leaders.

Try it, and let me know how it goes!

Christine Orkisz Lang
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Aaron Shelby, MiniPD Coach, writes,

Book Recommendation: Aguilar wrote this book to provide a framework of how to continually to build a team while keeping questions about equity at the forefront. The suggestions and tools that this book provides, has really helped me think about the work I do with my teams. The strategies shared to build and strengthen relationships, identify work focused goals and outcomes, and facilitation tips are easy to understand and try out.

If you are interested in learning more and/or are currently reading this book and would like a thought partner, please reach out!

Aaron Shelby

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Tools from The Art of Coaching Teams Welcome to the downloadable tools for Art of Coaching Teams. Here you will find worksheets, checklists, and other documents to augment and enhance the material available in Elena's Art of Coaching Teams. Chapter 1 Exhibit 1.1 - Dimensions of a Great Team - A Tool for Reflection Exhibit [...]Read More...

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For Middle Leaders & Aspiring Middle Leaders

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For Middle Leaders & Aspiring Middle Leaders

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