Your Own Personal Board of Directors Sessions

The core aspect  of the Women Leaders Emerging Program are three evening sessions per month in which members bring their own agendas to the group for probing questions, powerful insights and focused advice. 

In Board of Directors Sessions, one circle member gets twenty power-packed minutes in which the entire coaching circle is focused on her goals and success. For the duration of the session, the member who is the focus of the session is the “Chair.” Everyone in the circle has the opportunity to be "Chair."

How does it work? The Chair selects one of the following group coaching formats for her Board of Directors sessions:
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1. Fishbowl

The Chair sets the topic. Peers ask powerful questions – and that’s it. Peers are NOT to offer advice or suggestions in this format.  The questioning is a process of self discovery. The Chair answers the questions truthfully and openly for the best result.
  • Fishbowls are powerful for thinking through an idea or exploring why you might pursue a possible option for yourself.
  • This structure uncovers blind-spots, imagines potential and increases confidence.
  • The coach will provide the group with types of powerful questions that can be asked and sample topics that work well with this format.

2. Action Challenge

The Chair identifies an area or value in her career in which she would like to have more satisfaction or proficiency. For example, to become a more motivating leader, or to become braver in taking calculated risks as an entrepreneur. The group asks the Chair questions about the desired growth and comes up with Action Challenge Requests for the Chair to accept or decline. These challenges are possible immediate actions the chair can take to increase her attention to and build habits to support increased satisfaction and proficiency. The Chair will accept 1-3 challenges to take on in the weeks following her Board of Directors session.  The challenge offerers are accountable to check in with the Chair a few days after the action challenges are accepted.
  • Action Challenge sessions are great for those who are ready to take action on clearly defined values and goals.
  • This structure is a creative action and accountability game. You might be challenged to clean your desk and send a pic to the group, wake up at 6 am for a week and text your co-conspirators as evidence, complete a section of a business plan for a new social enterprise by Friday, or re-activate relationships with  3 colleagues in your network by Wednesday. 
  • The coach will provide a list of sample Action Challenges on eConspire.

3. Power Brainstorm

The Chair determines what needs to be brainstormed. This is based on an area of the Chair’s career that could benefit from ideas, advice and guidance. The Chair facilitates the conversation so that ideas are generated from each participant.
  • Brainstorming captures the collective wisdom, resources and experiences to the powerful benefit of the Chair.
  • Brainstorming leverages the Chair’s own ideas, building on them and often expanding what’s possible.

Power of Group Coaching

Members notice that even when they are not "Chair," they reap tremendous personal benefit and insight from engaging in this process.