Adapting style to circumstances

Situational Leadership provides a simple and effective framework for understanding the transformation that takes place as AmeriCorps members and volunteers go from the enthusiastic beginner to the peak performer stage. It also offers strategies for adapting leadership styles to meet changing needs in that process over time.

Use this resource with members to:

• Understand the situational leadership model, including the four stages of the skill development process and the supervision styles that best suit each stage
• Identify the supervisory styles that are most and least natural to them
• Experience using supervisory styles that do not match developmental needs, and practice adapting styles to facilitate better matches with needs

This training module was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

Empowering others to perform

In this training module, participants gain an understanding and self-confidence in the basics of coaching and motivating others to perform their best. Participants take home a strategic process for guiding a coaching session.

Use this resource with members to:

• Learn about circumstances in which coaching can bring about benefits
• Practice specific coaching skills
• Identify their strengths and growth opportunities

Coaching was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

A process that underlies planning and change

Visioning is an indispensable skill for leaders to have, as individuals and as members of a team. It's an early step toward getting things done.

Use this resource with members to:

• Learn about the value of visioning in leadership and project planning
• Learn a shared visioning and an individual reflection/vision process
• Develop a vision statement for a project or a personal challenge they are working on

This training module was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

Building Consensus and Empowering Others

Effective facilitation is a means to involve all parties and points of view in an empowering process, while demonstrating leadership in action. Learn effective facilitation skills in this one-day training.

Use this resource with members to:

• Define concepts around mindful facilitation and describe how it relates to effective work in their organizations/communities
• Identify problem meeting behaviors (individual and group) and learn effective prevention and intervention strategies
• Identify and practice three key ingredients for effective and mindful facilitation
• Learn and use a feedback cycle that aids teamwork and provides coaching practice

This training module was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

How Approaches Differ

The Leadership Compass provides participants a tool for understanding how they approach work and how it can differ from how others approach work. One key to effective leadership is to be flexible within your own work style and receptive to others whose styles differ from your own.

Use this resource with members to:

• Develop understanding and appreciation of each other's work styles and approaches
• Promote a deeper sense of team and teamwork
• Acquire a tool and language to help members work more effectively in teams and within organizations

This training module was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

Facilitating teamwork and active learning

This training module includes an introduction to the DIGA experiential learning model, the ORP (Outcomes, Relationships, Procedure) model and reinforces the group's understanding of these concepts by providing a team-based activity.

Use this resource with members to:

• Learn a model for outcome-driven teamwork
• Engage in a hands-on activity to illustrate concepts of teamwork and planning
• Engage in an experiential learning feedback cycle to evaluate what works and what needs work in a teamwork setting

Balloon Castles was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

Self-Awareness is Crucial for Leaders

This is an activity designed to help members of a group get to know one another better. When conducted at the beginning of a leadership training, it builds trust among team members and sets the stage for more indepth later activities.

Use this resource with members to:

• provide opportunity to learn about one another and what they have in common
• provide opportunity to see themselves as a team
• set the stage for more indepth leadership activities

This training module was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

Supporting teams and leaders with clear expectations and agreements

This activity is designed to open a training day to lead a group through a democratic process of generating a set of expectations of what they would find most useful in the session and/or training as well as their thoughts on what the process might look like. The group members also compose a set of agreements that set forth the ground rules for a successful learning environment and achieving their expectations.

Use this resource with members to:

• Create an open, safe, and democratic learning environment
• Empower the learners by giving them a voice in how the activities unfold
• Give participants an opportunity to learn about one another and what they have in common
• Provide participants a tool for when they facilitate meetings/trainings in the field

This training activity was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.

Managing conflicts and keeping teams on track

Use this resource with members to:

• gain knowledge on how different personalities deal with conflict and will develop strategies for dealing with them.
• reflect upon their own approaches to conflict.
• gain strategies to address conflict and for limiting conflict escalation by engaging one another in an open and respectful way.

This training module provides participants a lens to see how they and others approach conflict, as well as strategies for facilitating a resolution to conflict. Conflict Management was adapted from the Northwest Leader Corps training curriculum written and compiled by Nicole Trimble.