Bulletin #4807, Farm Coaching to Support Farm-Team Communication: Session 1

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S1: Planting Seeds

Goal of S1: Understand the opportunities and challenges and begin to organize thinking.

Opening: Welcome everyone and review goals of S1, expanding on each concept:

  • Create trust and safety
  • Encourage voice and choice
  • Create a responsive process and aim for flexibility. Coaches will:
    • Flex with childrens’ needs (e.g. crying toddler)
    • Listen to farmer feedback about forms, tools, homework
  • Ask about farmers’ willingness/access to videoconferencing technology
  • Ask if there are any questions about the coaching sessions
  • Hand out a resource binder to each farm team

⇒ Activity: SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges)

  • Review and record individuals’ S & W on one large SWOC doc (flipchart)
    • Each person holds their own S & W list
    • Each person narrates what they want to share and coaches record (in different colors for each farmer) on one large, combined SWOC document
    • Coaches notice and name resonance and dissonance
    • Coaches acknowledge when farmers recognize strengths in self or others
  • Review and record individuals’ O & C on the same large SWOC doc (flipchart)
    • Each person holds their own O & C list
    • Each person narrates what they want to share and coaches record (in different colors for each farmer) on one large, combined SWOC document
    • Coaches notice and name resonance and dissonance
    • Coaches acknowledge when farmers recognize opportunities in self or others
  • Once combined SWOC is complete, farmers circle one S or W that has particular heat or importance to them.
    • Discuss as a group
  • Farmers circle one O or C that has particular heat, weight or importance to them
    • Discuss as a group

⇒ Activity: Introduce Eisenhower Box

  • Introduce, use and model future use of the Eisenhower Box. Use the O & Cs identified in previous activity to populate as an example.

⇒ Activity: Introduce Action Plan

  • Choose an action item/urgent need from the Eisenhower Box and chart it all together in the Action Plan.

Homework:

  • See University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #4808, Appreciation Feedback
  • Use the Eisenhower Box for home, personal and/or farm priorities.
  • Personality/Style Inventory
    • DISC (Dominance-Influence-Steadiness-Conscientiousness) or Leadership Compass activity.
    • Another inventory can be selected based on the coach’s experience and familiarity with the tool.
  • Plan a farm meeting with an agenda.
  • Mission/Vision alignment (Do you have one? Does it need to be revised? Do you need to write one?)
  • Use the Action Plan to chart a few farm or home priority activities.

Closing: Self-evaluation

Closing: Plan next meeting time and place

Send out S1 Notes 5-7 days after S1 meeting
Send out S2 Agenda 5-7 days before S2 meeting

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