learning system - approachable leadership · experience the power of asking and being asked the 3...

LEARNING SYSTEM LEARN & LEAD HUDDLE

THE 3 QUESTIONS GREAT LEADERS ASK

FACILITATOR GUIDE

ABOUT APPROACHABLE LEADERSHIP

Approachable Leadership is a management consulting company dedicated to improving leaders worldwide.

We help organizations achieve results through improving relationships between leaders and those they

lead. We are experts in leadership, employee engagement, change management, productivity, execution,

coaching and education.

Product and program information can be found at http://ApproachableLeadership.com or by calling 800-

888-9115.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

©Approachable Leadership, a Labor Relations Institute, Inc. Company. All rights reserved.

Approachable Leadership owns or controls all proprietary rights and copyrights to the content herein. No

part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or use of any information-storage or retrieval system, for

any purpose without the express written consent of Approachable Leadership. This product may not be

resold. This publication is provided to you for individual use only.

Printed in the United States of America. Registered and/or pending trademarks of Approachable

Leadership in the United States and foreign countries are used throughout this work. Use of the trademark

symbols ® or ™ is limited to one or two prominent trademark usages for each mark.

Trademarks understood to be owned by others are used in a non-trademark manner for explanatory

purposes only, or ownership by others is used herein under license or indicated to the extent known. All

persons, companies, and organizations listed in examples and case studies herein are purely fictitious for

teaching purposes unless the example expressly states otherwise. Any resemblance to existing

organizations or persons is purely coincidental.

©ApproachableLeadership | All rights reserved 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 4WhatYourLeadersWillLearninThisHuddle..............................................................................................4

Quick Start Guide .............................................................................................................................. 5ForFacilitatorsWhoWanttoRock..............................................................................................................5

Welcome! ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Preparation ......................................................................................................................................... 7HowtoReadYourFacilitatorGuide.............................................................................................................7

Preparation ......................................................................................................................................... 8PreparationChecklist...................................................................................................................................8

Preparation ......................................................................................................................................... 9OverviewoftheMaterials............................................................................................................................9

Preparation ....................................................................................................................................... 10Timeline......................................................................................................................................................10

Welcome ........................................................................................................................................... 11GettheHuddleStarted..............................................................................................................................11

Kickoff ................................................................................................................................................ 12GrabAttentionfromtheStart....................................................................................................................12

Content .............................................................................................................................................. 13KeyLessonforthisLearn&LeadHuddle...................................................................................................13

KeyLessonforthisLearn&LeadHuddle...................................................................................................14

Content .............................................................................................................................................. 15

Exercise .............................................................................................................................................. 16PracticeContentforthisLearn&LeadHuddle..........................................................................................16

ApplicationtoYourDaytoDayLeadership................................................................................................17

Exit ...................................................................................................................................................... 18FinalThoughtsandConcludetheHuddle..................................................................................................18

Appendix: How to Use this Resource ........................................................................................ 19TipsforCreatingtheRightLearningEnvironment.....................................................................................19

SetExpectationsforProductiveHuddles...................................................................................................19

EstablishCoreValues.................................................................................................................................20

FacilitatorTipsandCommitments.............................................................................................................20

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................21


Executive Summary What Your Leaders Will Learn in This Huddle

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This Huddle teaches the 3 Questions (and assumptions) of Approachable Leaders. They

are:

1. Do You Have What You Need? This is the resource question. Assumption: Nobody

wakes up thinking they are the villain of their story.

2. What Would Make Work Better? This question is all about reducing the friction

that makes work harder than it should be. Assumption: The leader’s job is to

reduce friction.

3. Where Are You Going? This is the progress question. Assumption: People want to

make progress in their work and their lives.

KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will:

1. Experience the power of asking and being asked the 3 Questions;

2. Understand the assumptions behind the questions and why those assumptions

make each question so important to ask;

3. Be comfortable asking each question by considering how to best phrase them for

their team and environment; and

4. Commit to take action after the Huddle by choosing an accountability partner,

asking the 3 questions during their workdays, and utilizing an Action + Leadership

Journal to aid in follow-up and to track progress.

KEY LEARNING ELEMENTS: Learning elements employed in this Huddle are:

1. Kickoff exercise where each learner asks and answers at least one of the 3

Questions (followed by discussion);

2. Video explaining each question and the assumptions behind them;

3. Exercise where each learner rewords the 3 Questions in a way that is most

natural for them and their team;

4. Commitment exercise where each learner chooses a co-mentor as an

accountability partner, commits to ask the 3 Questions during the next month,

and learns to use an Action + Leadership Journal to track and journal about

progress.


Quick Start Guide For Facilitators Who Want to Rock

Hop on a webinar with us.

We do at least one Huddle Leader webinar each month and we record them so you can

listen at your convenience. It will take less than an hour and you’ll be good to go. Just go

to http://ApproachableLeadership.com/Huddle-Coach to catch the next one. The

webinar will walk you through all the ins and outs of the Huddle. Leaders who choose

this option can go ahead and skip down to STEP 4 (we cover STEPS 1-3 on the webinar).

If you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer, fine. Run through the steps yourself. You won’t hurt

our feelings. HOWEVER! We personally feel that the engagement and direction you’ll

receive on the webinar will be to your benefit. Plus, it won’t take as long J

STEP 1: Print the Handout and review the PowerPoint deck for the Huddle. Use “notes

view” and you can see exactly what you’ll say or do on each slide. Watch the Video. This

is the bare minimum of preparation. Your peers will walk out saying “meh” and they’ll

probably leave the same as they walked in. But we know you’re a gunner, so go ahead

and move on to STEP 2.

STEP 2: Practice the Kickoff activity and the Exercise activity with another person. This

will give you a feel for the most important parts of the Huddle and give you a sense of

how much time the activity will take. The activities are the most important part of the

learning, so make sure you are comfortable with how these play out.

STEP 3: Practice the “scripts” for each of the slides. Also think of your own personal

experiences you can share during each of the discussion sections. This will help prompt

discussion if there are any sections where people aren’t sure what to say. The best

experiences will not be “veiled advice” about what people should do. Ideally they will be

examples (including “I” statements) of where you have struggled with some of the key

learning points.

STEP 4: Prepare for the Huddle at least one week in advance by getting the Action +

Leadership Journal for this Huddle and making sure the slides work (especially the video

segment). Make sure you have also ordered enough Journals for all who will participate

in this Huddle. Let us know right away if you are missing anything (call us at 800-888-

9115). See the Preparation Checklist on page 8 for more details about being ready to

lead the Huddle.

STEP 5: On the day of the Huddle show up at least 30-minutes early to make sure all the

technology is working. Spending the first 15 minutes trying to get the PowerPoint deck

or the Video to play puts a damper on the whole experience.


Welcome! Thanks for volunteering to facilitate our Approachable Leadership Learn & Lead Huddle (Huddle). You

are taking an important step to grow and develop leaders. Improving leaders has a multiplier effect on

organizations. As relationships between leaders and their teams improve, so do business results.

Approachable Leaders have a proven positive impact on employee engagement, turnover and

resistance to change. Their teams experience higher levels of innovation and satisfaction. Investing in

approachability has a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of your coworkers and the bottom line.

Our learning system is built on three core principles:

• Leaders Leading Leaders: The job of a Huddle Facilitator isn’t to be the “expert.” Instead, you

create the time, space and structure for building great leadership habits and skills. We provide

high-impact learning experiences to make that simple for busy leaders.

• Action, Not Theory: The core principles of great leadership aren’t complex. What is hard is

doing the right thing in the heat of the moment. Approachable Leadership is based on some

incredible leadership research, but theory isn’t what delivers results. That’s why each Huddle

is a brief, action-oriented chunk of content. Your job as a Huddle Facilitator is to guide team

members through the content, assist them through a practice exercise, and help them commit

to take action after the session.

• Consistent Habits: Adopting new behavior doesn’t happen just through will power and

motivation. Creating small simple habits, practicing them consistently and being held

accountable is what leads to lifestyle change. Just ask any Weight Watchers participant! Each

Huddle builds good habits.

You will have a valuable impact on your fellow leaders if you prepare well. Not only does preparation

ensure a great experience for your co-leaders, it will also aid in improving your own leadership. After

all, the best way to learn is to teach. Focus your energy on embracing and modeling these leadership

behaviors and your teammates will follow your lead.

This Huddle Facilitator Kit has everything you need to facilitate a great learning experience for your

teammates. Please review the materials carefully. There are coaching notes throughout the Huddle

that will help you deliver a top-notch experience. We know as a leader your time is also extremely

valuable and limited. The Huddle is designed with ease of implementation in mind. Spend some time

with it, follow our preparation checklist, and your facilitation should go off without a hitch!

Please let us know if you have any questions or if you can think of anything we can do to make this

Huddle or the learning experience better. You are helping us accomplish our mission to transform

people’s lives by improving everyday leadership. Thanks for partnering with us to deliver this Huddle

and helping your teammates become better leaders. And thanks for being a leader.

Stay approachable!

Phillip Wilson

President, Approachable Leadership

©ApproachableLeadership | All rights reserved

7

Preparation How to Read Your Facilitator Guide

Thumbnails of slides are

at the top of the page. Facilitator instructions

and script are beneath the slide image.

Facilitator script

is in italics.

Facilitator notes

and instructions

are boldface.


8

Preparation Preparation Checklist

Four weeks before the Learn & Lead Huddle:

q Get familiar with this Facilitator Guide and the PowerPoint® presentation

materials by reading through the content sections as you go through the slides.

q Sign up to attend the online coaching session for this Huddle here:

http://ApproachableLeadership.com/Huddle-Coach and contact us at 800-888-

9115 with any questions about the Huddle.

q Practice any exercise element of the Learn & Lead Huddle.

q Identify the participants for your Huddle.

q Locate and schedule an appropriate room for the Huddle (available, comfortable

seating for your group, screen and projector, whiteboard or flipchart, etc.)

q We don’t recommend serving food or snacks during the Huddle. Food can distract

and slow things down. If you provide food make sure the room accommodates

and schedule time to eat before or after the Huddle.

q Send out the “Save the Date” invitation in the Appendix of this Facilitator Guide to

Huddle attendees.

q Order Huddle materials based on the number of participants expected.

q Check if there is pre-work for this Huddle. If so, make a calendar appointment to

send out that pre-work to your participants at the assigned lead time.

q Make a calendar appointment for the Reminder Emails.

Two weeks before the Learn & Lead Huddle:

q If there is a pre-work email for this Huddle you will find that in the Appendix of

this Facilitator Guide. Send any pre-work email to all participants. If there is no

pre-work, send the Reminder Email (see Appendix of this Facilitator Guide).

q Order food or drink (if any) that you plan to serve before or after the Huddle.

Two days before the Learn & Lead Huddle:

q Review the Huddle content one more time to re-familiarize yourself with the

material and exercises. Play through slides and make sure all elements work

properly (videos play, slide animations, etc.)

q Contact your Approachable Leadership Facilitator Coach (800-888-9115) with

any last-minute questions.

q Send the final Reminder Email to all participants (see the Appendix).

q Verify food or drink order (if any). Re-verify room accommodates food and drink.

The day of the Learn & Lead Huddle:

q First thing that morning confirm that the room is available and ready.

q Arrive to the room at least 30 minutes early to test your computer, projector, and

sound system. Bring all materials.

q Distribute materials for each Huddle participant.


9

Preparation Overview of the Materials

This is a list of materials you and the participants will need for the Learn & Lead Huddle.

Review this list before you facilitate the Learn & Lead Huddle to ensure that you have

everything you need and to verify that PowerPoint® slides and videos play correctly.

MATERIALS EQUIPMENT

For the Facilitator: q This Facilitator Guide

q PowerPoint® Slides for this Huddle

q Review PowerPoint® Slides from the

prior Huddle (if any)

q Action + Leadership Journal

q Course Evaluation Form

q Extra Pens and Pencils

For the Participant: The participant materials for this Huddle

include:

q Pens and pencils

q Action + Leadership Journals (one

Journal per participant)

For the Facilitator: q Flip chart or whiteboard

q Laptop

q LCD Projector

q Speaker (to play audio from

computer)


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Preparation Timeline

This assumes a 10AM start time. Content and exercise sections are designed to last

around the times listed below. Adjust based on your own starting time.

TIME TOPIC MINUTES

10:00 AM Welcome Attendees

Offer drinks or snacks (if any) 5 MINS

10:05 AM Meeting Begins – Review

Expectations, Ground Rules 2 MINS

10:07 AM Review Last Huddle 5 MINS

10:12 AM Kickoff Content 12 MINS

10:24 AM Content Section 12 MINS

10:36 AM Exercise Content 12 MINS

10:48 AM Take Action 12 MINS

11:00 AM Meeting Ends


11

Welcome Get the Huddle Started

Welcome Slide

• Show The Welcome Slide

• Say Thanks everyone for coming. I really appreciate it. [If snack is served:

Everybody grab a snack and get seated. We will get started in about 5

minutes.]

• Wait about 7 minutes

• Say We will get started in just a couple of minutes. Before we get started, I

just wanted to thank you again for coming. The purpose of these meetings is

for us to take a few minutes to reflect on what it means to be a good leader,

to remind ourselves of some of the fundamentals of good leadership, and to

practice these fundamentals to build strong habits.


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Kickoff Grab Attention from the Start

Interview Exercise Slide

• Do Hand out one Action + Leadership Journal to each participant and ask

everyone to pick a partner.

• Say For the next few minutes we are going to do some quick interviews with

each other. The interview questions are on the 3 Questions Exercise (page

5 in your Action + Leadership Journal). Ask your partner one question and

jot down a few notes on the guide as they answer. Once you get through the

question, switch roles and let your partner interview you. Have them pick a

different question. We will take about 5 minutes per interview. When we

finish with the interviews we’re going to go around the room and share what

each of us learned about our partner.

• Give people 10 minutes to complete interview. Let them know when 4

minutes pass (one minute to switch), at 5 minutes (switch interviewer)

and when 1 minute remains.


13

Content Key Lesson for this Learn & Lead Huddle

Interview Discussion Slide

• Say What did each of you learn during the interview with your partner?

Next, we’re going to go around the room and take about a minute to

summarize what each of our partners shared. What do they need that they’re

not currently getting? What could make their work better? And what’s their

next goal? As you listen to some of the needs of your coworkers, consider

whether you may be able to help them out. We may not have time to dive

into those details during today’s meeting, but make a note about it. Commit

to follow up with each other later.

• Facilitate Discussion (Use Facilitation Tips in the Appendix)

o Thank each person for sharing.

o Encourage people to think about ways to help.

o If things are slow, mention a way you can help someone with their

need. That can help get the ball rolling.

• This should take around 1 minute per participant, or no more than 10

minutes total.


14


Interview Discussion Slide (Cont’d)

• Facilitate Discussion (Use Facilitation Tips in the Appendix)

o Say How did it feel to talk to your partner about what you need, what

could improve your work, and your next goal in life?

o Give people time to respond – encourage people to contribute.

o Say How did it feel when you found that others in the room might be able

to help you with your need, or your obstacle at work, or your next goal?

o Encourage people to contribute.

o You can ask leading questions like, “Did getting an opportunity to

share a little about yourself make anyone feel better?” “Did it make

anyone feel uncomfortable?” “Does anyone feel like they understand

each other a little better?” “Or like your coworkers understand you a

little better?”

• This discussion should take 3-5 minutes.


15


Video Slide

• Say Now we are going to watch a quick video about these 3 Questions and

how important they are for leaders – and other humans.

• Play Video Clip

NOTE: If you have technical difficulties the script for the video is in the slide

presentation notes.


16

Exercise Practice Content for this Learn & Lead Huddle

Three Questions Exercise Slide

• Show Slide

• Refer to The 3 Questions Tool

• Say Let’s take a few minutes and work on making the 3 questions your own.

You can find the 3 Questions Tool on page 6 in your Action + Leadership

Journal. Take a couple of minutes to review the tool. There you will see

multiple versions of the questions. Circle any of them that seem comfortable

to you. Then work with a partner and brainstorm 2 or 3 other ways to ask

each question.

• Give people 5 minutes to brainstorm 2-3 questions

• Facilitate Discussion

o Say What questions did you come up with? Let’s get some examples from

around the room. As people share, write down any you think could work for

you.

o Encourage people to contribute.

o You can ask leading questions like, “are you more comfortable with

these questions?” or “do any of the questions feel uncomfortable?”

• This discussion should take 3-5 minutes.


17

Commitment Exercise Application to Your Day to Day Leadership

Action + Leadership Journal Slide

• Refer to the 3 Questions Exercise Guide

• Pick someone to be your accountability partner for this month. It is best to

pick someone from this room, but you can write down someone else if you

think they are more likely to hold you accountable. Turn to pages 7 and 8 of

your Action + Leadership Journal. Think quietly for a minute or two about

your most important takeaway from our discussion today. What is one thing

you plan to do over the next few weeks based on what you learned today?

Write that down in your Action + Leadership Journal. Next, write down one

obstacle that could get in the way of you following through on your

commitment. Finally, write down your plan to overcome that obstacle. Take

two minutes to fill out those sections.


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Exit Final Thoughts and Conclude the Huddle

Final Thoughts Slide

• Facilitate Discussion Say Let’s go around the room. Share your number one

takeaway from today and what you plan to work on for the next month. Let’s

each commit to help each other with these goals for the next month.

• Conclude Session Say Thanks everyone for your own personal leadership in

giving your time and attention today. I am excited to get together next month

to see how we are doing with the three questions. It is so important for us to

take a few minutes out of our month to just get a little better at leadership.

Thanks a lot and I look forward to seeing you next month!


19

Appendix: How to Use this Resource

Thank you for facilitating a Learn & Lead Huddle. You get the satisfaction of helping develop

leaders as you grow together.

This Facilitator Guide will help you conduct the meeting and exercises, encourage discussion,

and model Approachable Leadership. Even if you have experience facilitating meetings,

please take time to read through this guide before beginning your Learn & Lead Huddle.

We’ve developed this guide to make facilitating the meeting as easy as possible for a busy

leader. A lot of the preparation is done for you (including scripts and discussion prompts). In

addition, we provide other elements (including video clips, exercises, handouts, pre- and

post-reading, etc.) to help increase learning.

Learn & Lead Huddles are a great way to develop yourself, encourage others to self-develop,

and tighten relationships among your leadership peers.

Tips for Creating the Right Learning Environment

Today’s leaders are busy and pulled in a hundred different directions. That’s why these Learn

& Lead Huddles are designed with busy leaders in mind. As you start your Learn & Lead

Huddle you will want to make sure you create a productive learning environment. Here are

some tips:

Set Expectations for Productive Huddles

• When and Where to Meet – Set a consistent time and place to meet each month. Ask

people to set aside the time in their calendar, prioritize the commitment, and show up

ready to participate. Make sure the meeting space is secured for each date in advance.

• Prioritize the Commitment – It’s not enough to set aside the time. You must also make

it a priority to show up every time ready to participate. This is challenging in today’s

rapidly moving world. Each Huddle member should commit to each other and

themselves to actively participate, show up on time, be prepared, and be engaged.

• Ready to Participate –This is not a class; it is a work group. Every person needs to

contribute for the Huddle to be successful. An effective facilitator will keep things

organized and ensure the conversation is flowing and on track. But remember, it is

not the facilitator’s job to “teach” or to “deliver” learning. Real learning happens when

the participants engage and discuss with each other.

• Communicate Effectively – Send email reminders about upcoming Huddle meetings

before each Huddle. If someone isn’t able to attend a Huddle, it should be expected

that they will let the group know.


20

Establish Core Values

• Model and Practice Approachable Leadership Behavior – Each Huddle is an opportunity

to model the key behaviors of Approachable Leaders: be open and welcoming to each

other; treat one another with understanding and empathy; and support each other by

following up and following through on commitments.

• Create a Safe Environment – You and your Huddle group will sometimes be practicing

skills that are outside some comfort zones. Sometimes Huddle group members will be

asked to share things they are struggling with. Think about and commit to sharing

your own experiences as you prepare for the session. This will help set the tone that

this is a safe place where people can feel comfortable sharing. It is important that this

meeting be a safe place for people to explore and develop, with an understanding

group of supporters. What happens in the Huddle should stay in the Huddle.

• Solution Focused – Learn & Lead Huddles are not gripe sessions. It is important that if

someone faces a challenge that the group focuses on solutions, not problems.

Encourage people to always present a challenge with a possible solution that others

can help build on.

• Eliminate Power Distance –Listen and act without judgment. People will have differing

points of view and experiences. Encourage this. Try to discourage others from giving

advice and instead encourage them to share their own experiences. This is sometimes

called the Gestalt Mindset (see The Approachability Playbook, page 56). Shrink power

distance whenever you can (see page 21 of the Playbook).

• Value Others –Every Huddle member should feel that their point of view is respected

and valued. People should feel free to express their view and know that their views

will be met with understanding and compassion.

Facilitator Tips and Commitments

Learn & Lead Huddles require some preparation. You should:

• Notify attendees of the Huddle and make sure team members understand the

commitments, expectations and core values of the group;

• Prepare for each meeting. Each session is designed to be easy to prepare for and

deliver, but you still must read through the materials and make sure you understand

how each session is supposed to go. Make sure to participate in a monthly coaching

call to “walk through” the session;

• As you go through the guide, look for these places where you might want to prepare

a personal experience or example that you can share during a discussion to help

prompt engagement among participants – write that on your Facilitator Guide;

• Plan ahead for the meeting time and location – try to make these consistent. Make

sure to remind people of the session ahead of time. Give them fair warning if

anything about the meeting time or location changes;

• Send out any pre-reading or other material to get people thinking about the session

ahead of time and encourage the Huddle members to ask questions and get engaged

with the material.


21

Here are some tips for holding an effective Learn & Lead Huddle:

• Ask open-ended questions instead of questions that can be answered with a simple,

one-word answer (i.e. “What makes you think that is a poor approach?” instead of

“Do you think that is a poor approach?”);

• Do what you can to get people to express how they feel instead of what they

intellectually think is going on;

• Try to get people to tell stories or share personal experiences or examples;

• Get people to apply what they learn to an actual situation in their life;

• If you have any questions or things that you are struggling with don’t hesitate to

write those down and bring them up during the meeting. Remember that one of the

distinctive features of Learn & Lead sessions is that you are one of the learners as

well. Please participate and make the meeting your own.

• Look for ways to apply the learning outside of the Huddle sessions. Share examples,

articles, stories and anything else that you think helps your teammates apply what

the skills and behavior they are learning;

• Make sure you do not dominate the meeting. You should only be talking 10 to 15

percent of the time. Encourage others to contribute and participate.

Conclusion

As a facilitator of a Learn & Lead group you have a great opportunity to help leaders in

your organization grow and develop. You will also improve your own leadership.

Remember every participant should try to get the most out of this experience – including

you. Thank you for stepping up and leading by example. Stay approachable!

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