Appreciative Leadership for Managing Change

This program is also presented as:

Coaching Competent Leaders

The ability to lead groups of people through change is rapidly becoming a core requirement of successful ministry. Research on leadership development has shown that leadership is not simply an innate ability of extraordinary people, but is actually the things ordinary people do to get groups of people to achieve extraordinary things. Research has also indicated that leadership can be taught and learned as a series of specific competencies.

The Appreciative Leadership for Managing Change training program is a unique blend of theological reflection, appreciative inquiry, organizational psychology, emotional intelligence, leadership theory, and executive coaching to develop clergy leadership competencies. 

The training is arranged in the following sequential format:

• Pre-Training Personal and 360 degree Leadership Assessment
• One Week Residential Intensive:
  Appreciative Leadership Practices
• Follow-up Teleconference for Implementation Consultation
• Individual coaching via telephone is also available

The week long residential program also meets the Certificate requirements for the Appreciative Interim Ministry Part 11 (AIM Part II) residential program and
Coaching Competent Leaders residential program

Eligibility

Training in appreciative clergy leadership is open to any clergy person who has been ordained for two years and is currently serving in a full time ministry, or for those participating in the Appreciative Interim Ministry Program, or for those in the Appreciative Coaching Certificate Program.

Who Should Attend This Program

• Clergy
• Psychologists, Consultants and Counselors
  who are also clergy or who work with clergy and churches
• Leaders who coach or mentor staff and volunteers

This program will have a mix of people

• Clergy who are seeking to develop the leadership skills
• Coaches who want to learn to use leadership assessments in their coaching of leaders
• Clergy who are taking the Certificate in Appreciative Interim Ministry

While primarily oriented toward clergy this program is also open to those who have substantial experience as a Coach or mentor and who are interested in working with clergy and who can reflect theologically and psychologically on their coaching.
See Continuing Education for details of our approval to sponsor continuing education events for psychologists and counselors.

Continuing Education Credit

The residential portion of this program qualifies for 30 contact hours of continuing education credit.

Pre-Training Leadership Assessment

Upon registration for the training participants will receive instructions and access codes to complete several online assessment inventories that are commonly used in the executive coaching and leadership development field. The results will be incorporated into the intensive training session. One of the instruments the "Leadership Practices Inventory" is a 360 degree instrument and will require several members of the clergy person's congregation to also complete the inventory.  Because this will take time to accomplish early registration and planning is essential.

Introduction to Appreciative Leadership Practices

This five day intensive will use a variety of learning strategies including:

• Didactic presentations
• Personal practice and experience of appreciative process
• Leadership simulation exercises
• Personal reflection and meditation
• Process groups
• Coaching groups
• Corporate prayer
• Opportunity for creative reflection on the past and anticipation of the future

This program is restricted to a maximum of 14 participants per session to allow the participants
to establish a supportive and reflective learning environment.

Training Objectives

• To provide participants a background understanding of the theory and dynamics of leadership as a distinct behavior in contrast to other ministry and pastoral skills.
• To provide participants an understanding of organizational change dynamics and the role of the leader in facilitating and coaching change.
• Participants in the coach training program will be able to use these understandings when coaching clergy to become competent leaders.

Training Outcome

Following training participants should be able to positively and uniquely answer the three leadership questions: 

• Why would people follow me?
• Where would people end up if they did follow me?
• How would they be treated on the way?

Training Schedule

A typical leadership training schedule is as follows. Sessions include didactic presentations, personal reflection, Bible study and the daily offices from the Episcopal tradition.

Attention is paid to managing personal energy during the training program while maximizing participants opportunities to learn. Because this training is intense we recommend people make appropriate travel plans and can begin the first days training rested so as to get the best possible return for your tuition expenses.

Day 1:
9:00-12:00        Session 1
12:00-1:30 pm   Lunch
1:30-3:00 pm     Session 2
3:30-4:00 pm     Walking Meditation and Reflection
4:00-5:00 pm     Session 3
    No Evening Program

Day 2:
9:00-12:00        Session 4
12:00-1:30 pm   Lunch
1:30-3:00 pm     Session 5
3:30-4:00 pm     Walking Meditation and Reflection
5:00-7:00 pm     Supper
7:00-9:00 pm     Optional Session 6

Day 3:
9:00-12:00        Session 7
12:00-1:30 pm   Lunch
1:30-3:00 pm     Session 8
3:30-4:00 pm     Walking Meditation and Reflection
5:00-7:00 pm     Supper
7:00-9:00 pm     Session 9

Day 4:
9:00-12:00        Session 10
12:00-1:30 pm   Lunch
1:30-3:00 pm     Session 11
3:30-4:00 pm     Walking Meditation and Reflection
5:00-7:00 pm     Session 12
    No Evening Session

Day 5:
9:00-12:00        Session 13

Note: The above schedule includes meals for commuters. When residential accommodation is provided, residential participants will also be provided with Breakfast and Supper during the course of the week.

Several follow-up options are available to help implement the leadership strategies.

Teleconference for Implementation Consultation

Bi-weekly telephone based conference calls with a maximum of 12 people are scheduled at several times during the week to enable participants to receive consultation as they implement leadership strategies.

Research has shown that within 2 weeks of a training program participants will lose 85% of the knowledge acquired in the training. Our experience indicates that knowledge retention occurs when participants actively perform the learned skills in their life situations. The follow-up teleconference for implementation consultation is an ideal way for participants to enhance their training investment and assist in knowledge retention.

Individual Telephone Based Coaching

Telephone based coaching has proven an economic and efficient way to enable executives and clergy to implement the strategies they learn in training. Individual coaching, like the teleconference consultation group, has proven an effective means to ensure implementation of learning and the retention of acquired knowledge.

Costs

See Refunds and Cancellations for our refund policy.

Accommodation

Accommodation prices and commuter rates for the intensive vary depending upon location and are available on the schedule and registration page. 

Trainer

Rob Voyle is an ordained Episcopal priest, psychologist, and coach. He has twenty years of ordained ministry experience, with specialization in interim ministry, church consultation, and training and development. In his parish ministry he has had experience leading a variety of congregations such as small rural, mid size suburban and large corporate parishes. He is the Director of the Clergy Leadership Institute. Rob was an original faculty member, and taught for five years at the College of Executive Coaching where he taught and coached hundreds of personal and executive coaches how to use appreciative inquiry as a basis for their coaching work.

Registration for Clergy Leadership Training

To register for the training please go to the training schedule and select register for the appropriate program.
For additional information please contact Rob Voyle