Coaching

You can think of Coaching as a form a Quality Assurance for talkin' events. It is a chance to guide the experimenters and bring in your expertise. While the experimenters have the expertise about their prepared topic, you have the expertise about talkin' events, the expected group setting and how to create a successful event.

Setting

Coaching happens before the event, it usually takes around 30 min and can either be online (call), or in person. It should be mandatory, unless the person already has experience in guiding groups and it is to be expected that they don't need any help. 

It is also an option to do the Coaching right before the event, but in this case the concept itself needs to be reviewed and discussed beforehand.

If it is helpful for you, you can ask the experimenters to send a short description of the program to you in advance.

Why?

• Quality Assurance: Improve the experience of the people joining the event
• Get a feeling of how confident the experimenters are, to anticipate how much support they will need from you and the talkin' team
• Guide experimenters and boost their confidence: Improve the experience of the experimenters
• Combine your and their expertise to create a great event
• Support self reflection of the experimenters and help them better anticipate what could happen during the event
  

How?

• Review the topic proposal and give specific feedback on the exercises and time considerations/constraints
• Ensure the proposed exercises are balanced
• Ask questions!
  
• Make space for the experimenters to ask their questions.
• Remember that it's still the event of the experimenters. As a coach you give your input, but ultimately it's for the experimenters to decide what they do (unless something is really problematic or dangerous).

Things to look out for and tell the experimenters

While every talkin' event is unique, there are a couple of things that have proven successful over the years. It is in your judgement whether you want to guide the experimenters towards a "common format", or whether you want to try out something completely new.

• Introduction round/Warmup: Short exercise where every person shares their name, usually combined with some fun Improv exercises
• Time: Experimenters should plan for an event duration of 1.5-2h. They should also be prepared to either cut out planned exercises if the event takes too long, or have 1-2 additional exercises prepared if things go by too fast. Flexibility is key.
• They should take their time to explain the exercises and repeat themselves, repetition helps people remember stuff
• Repetion helps people remember stuff
• Tell experimenters to stop exercises, when they become too long. They should always scan and read the room. You should too, and you can give them signals to end an exercise and continue
• Let them know that we are there to support them, and let them know that they are in control: during the event they should be friendly, but also directive
• There should be a combination of exercises in small groups, and exercises where people "perform on the stage" in front of the whole group. talkin' should offer a way for people to challenge themselves and get out of their comfort zone, if they want to
• Make sure there is a balance between sitting/reflective exercises, and movement/fun/impro exercises. Both are important.

Great Resource for Impro/Warmup/Ice-Breakers

https://improwiki.com/en 

Helpful Phrases

If I would organize this event, I would…

Pack in a suggestion on what to change.

If you would like to X, you could… 

Make an offer to change something based on a value you think the person has e.g. 
   - "if you would like to make this more funny, then you could…", 
   - "if you would like the participants to get to know their partner better, you could…"
   - "if you would like the participants to listen to you, you could…"

What do you think will go very well?

Boost confidence, help self reflection.

What could be challenging for you?

Help self reflection, make them prepare for situations that could be challenging for them.

Anything you could do to prepare for that?

Make the preparation specific: what could be done in this situation?

Can you explain this exercise to me like I'm 5 years old?

Help them break down the exercise and simplify it. Experience has shown that a lot of people either overcomplicate things when trying to explain an exercise, or completely forget and leave out important information.