WHAT IS AN AD ASTRA PEER COACHING CIRCLE?

An Ad Astra Peer Coaching Circle is a close, confidential network of peers that that utilizes the perspectives and wisdom of everyone in the group.  Circles are not freeform discussion groups but highly structured, professionally facilitated sessions.  In circles, great attention is given to creating a safe place to discuss real-world challenges or opportunities.  This trustworthy environment is created by the participants themselves as they define agreements that guide how they will show up, how they will treat one another, and how they will handle the information they hear in sessions.  The facilitator will help ensure that there is a rich agreement-setting process so that everyone knows exactly what to expect from each other and the facilitator. 

In circle sessions, members share real and immediate professional challenges or opportunities.  In return, each circle member will receive coaching from their peers.  In essence, the circle members become each other’s “thinking partners”, and they do this by being fully present with one another.  Thinking partners bring a non-judgmental mindset and approach each other as smart and resourceful, believing in your ability to come up with your own authentic solutions.  Instead of solving each other’s problems, or offering advice or expertise, thinking partners show up with curiosity; ask questions (sometimes really hard questions) that challenge limiting beliefs, help clarify what is most important when competing values are at play, and help clarify needs and expectations; help design incremental action steps; and finally help you create accountability structures to make sure there is follow-through. 

Sessions will feel supportive, but they should also feel challenging.  Because of how human brains are wired, it is difficult for us to see things clearly.  Often our stories paint us as the hero, or they limit us from seeing the full picture because we don’t explore the story from alternative perspectives.  Often, we need someone outside of ourselves to challenge our thinking and question our potential blind spots so that a fuller picture emerges.  By creating this level of discomfort as we explore what is really getting in our way, we end up with more options to move forward.

At every session, each member gets equal time to talk about their current goal or priority, get coached by their thinking partners and identify specific experiments and actions to take.  Each circle begins with a check-in by all members about what actions they took and what they learned.  This builds a second step of accountability for action directly into the process. 

 

BENEFITS AND OUTCOMES FROM PARTICIPATING IN AN AD ASTRA PEER COACHING CIRCLE

There are multiple benefits and outcomes for participants who lend their full engagement to the circle process. 

Benefits/outcomes include:

  • Practice coaching skills
  • Learn group process techniques and discussion methods that are transferable to other settings
  • Improve your ability to create lasting change and impact
  • Enhance self-awareness
  • Inspire creativity and innovation
  • Tap into and mobilize hidden potential
  • Transform your leadership

 

AD ASTRA PEER COACHING CIRCLE PROGRAMS

The possibilities for implementing an Ad Astra Peer Coaching Circle program are limitless.

Ad Astra Peer Coaching Circles can be utilized internal or external to an organization or group.  Circles are often used with like-minded, or affinity groups like executive directors of non-profit organizations, pastors, superintendents, entrepreneurs, hospital CEOs, city managers, black women leaders, emerging leaders, etc.

And when larger, more systemic culture transformation is desired, Ad Astra Peer Coaching Circles can become part of an overall, bigger program that has a specific purpose or outcome.  The components of a program include the following:

  • Partnership with an Ad Astra Coach Alliance coach to help you design and implement your program.
  • An introductory training session that orients participants to the purpose of the program; offers some basic coaching skills; and gives participants the opportunity to experience the first circle.
  • 5 additional circle sessions over the following 5 months that are professionally facilitated (number of actual circles dependent on program design and outcomes desired).
  • Program impact evaluation.

Because the possibilities are limitless, we understand this may feel overwhelming.  We will be with you every step of the way to ensure your design and implementation are successful.

 

For more information, please contact us at info@adastracoachalliance.com.