Lesley Symons is an expert coach who is creating a fertile space in Australia for Clean to thrive.
The following is from a skype interview with her on how she has taken our Clean Set-up and used it with a Board level group.
Watch this blog for mini-case studies of useful transferable practise!
How have you applied Clean set-up in business coaching?
Clean Set Up in a group
Last year I carried out the first of many training days with VW Group Australia. I decided to use Clean Set Up at the beginning of each day.
Why Clean Set Up?
I used this methodology because it was the first time this group had together experienced any interpersonal skills or team skills training. This group tended to be very efficient and process driven and got the job done by pushing work through. Departments remained siloed and ideas and encouragement of thinking outside of these silos did not occur.
I wanted to use this method to enable listening skills, foster recognising similarities and diversity in the group, to enable each member to have a voice in the group and the group to honour each member’s contribution to the group.
How I used Clean Set up.
I used Clean Set Up to open each morning of a three day workshop with the group. On day 1 I started with a long version of the set up and took quite a bit of time with the exercise. On day 3 I did a short, quick version. This enabled the group to see how they could use the method in different contexts
Outcomes of Clean Set Up with this group
At the training the following outcomes were observed and commented on by the group:
· The matches and mismatches in the group
· Hear some voices in the group, that had not been heard before
· To acknowledge the different individual outcomes for the day and thus re-evaluate group outcomes
· To have more personal comments with information about how you were feeling in the group
· It gave them a process to hear each other
I also observed the following when experiencing this set up:
· It was the first time, as a group, each member “heard themselves” as part of this group
· It allowed the group to slow down and listen to each other
· It built the start of group trust and respect for each other
· They were able to hear and view the business and the wider context of each other’s roles/ departments within the business
· Take responsibility for their own behaviour in the group
After the training days the group decided to take the method into the workplace and use it for opening their meetings. There are a few that have not totally bought into this method however the group dynamic is still changing and a year on some are still continuing to use this method without support.
Conclusion to VW Case Study
Clean Set Up gave permission for individuals to have a “voice” in a group. It also enabled individuals to observe themselves within the group. It engendered trust and respect and in a group where process is prized it gave them a process to “hear” each other. It enabled the group to start on a journey of greater open communication.
Using Clean Set Up for coaching.
I use Clean Set Up in my 1 on 1 coaching sessions.
Why Clean Set UP?
I start and finish each session with Clean Set Up for the following reasons:-
· To foster an environment where the coachee takes responsibility for the session and their own learning
· To take the “energy” away from me(the coach) to drive the sessions
· To promote self awareness and self responsibility in the sessions and hopefully outside the session
· Modelling how we do this as part of the session
At completion of the session we can go back to our set up and have a conversation around the learning outcome, and how the coachee wanted to be in the session and how I was to support them in the session. It encourages self awareness and self responsibility, feedback and further learning in action.
Clean Set Up in a practice group
I use clean set up to open a clean practice group session
Why?
It was my first clean practice group and I had 9 people and although I did have exercises prepared it did not feel “clean” to open up a clean practice session by telling a group what they were about to do.
What happened?
The Clean set up allowed the group to understand the expectations of the individuals in the group and their different levels of experience – everybody had a chance to hear and to model everybody else – then we could take their diversity and cleanly get agreement about the best use of our two hours together.
At the end, like in my coaching, I can say “Ok we set these desired outcomes at the beginning, what have we done – where are we? What’s gone well, what’s not gone so well? What shall we do next time?” In general people seem to be getting what they wanted. For me there’s something about cleanly modelling a clean group.
This way the group is leading their group rather than me leading it – it promotes the same philosophy you get in individual sessions – you reflect back aspects of what they want and what’s happening and they pick up the lead. The group then takes on responsibility for their own learning and development.
What are your plans for Clean Australia?
I’m becoming an accredited training provider so that I can add weight and rigour to the Australia training. I’m coming over to the UK late Summer and Early Autumn and will be doing the first four days again with Marian Way of Apricot Island then delivering the same four days in November in Australia. I hope to be offering a diverse amount of Clean Training in Australia over the coming year and continue to promote Clean in Australia.
