This document discusses community coaching, which aims to guide systemic change through empowering communities to identify and achieve their own goals. A community coach supports communities in a process tailored to each community's unique context. The modernization approach to community development was problem-focused and expert-driven, while the postmodern approach is solution-seeking, community-based, and focuses on cultural and social capital. Communities are informal groups that often have common issues and voluntary members needing inspiration. Community coaching provides change that makes sense through clear goals and progress. Coaches encourage risk-taking, reflective practice, sustainable outcomes, and focus on achieving goals. They help communities explore options, refocus on their vision, assess situations, choose actions, and provide follow

1. COMMUNITY
COACHING

2. “Community coaching is an adaptive
process tailored to unique community
contexts to guide systemic change via
participant empowerment.” - Ken Cohen
“A community coach is a guide who
supports communities in identifying
and achieving their goals.”

3. Paradigm Change
in Community Development
Modernization Approach
Problem focused
Expert initiated
One size fits all
Solutions come from outside the
community
Focus on financial and built capital
Importance of knowledge/expertise
Post Modern - Information Age Approach
Solution seeking
Community-based
Place specific applications that emerge
from community discourse
Focus on cultural, human and social capital
Importance of knowledge management and
learning systems

4. Communities…
… are informal
… often have common issues to solve
… members usually fight against something
… are often voluntary associations therefore there
is a need for inner inspiration and motivation
… members have „other stuff to do“
…. and institutions do not reflect the needs (or
even boycott them)

5. Community Coaching…
… change that makes sense and direction with
goal

6. Change that makes
sense...
… simple but sophisticated
… with clearly communicated benefit
… change that can inspire and get support
… people can participate
… clear segregation of duties
… change with visible progress

7. Direction with goal...
… SMART goal
… simple direction with step by step
activities
… eating an elephant - taking one bite at
a time
… roles - active players, supportive
members, backup players

8. Encourages risk taking and initiativeBuilds in reflective practice
and proactive evaluation
Helps groups chart a new future and keep a forward focus
Works toward sustainable
outcomes, approaches
Helps the group maintain focus on goals
Creates space and time for
deeper dialogue around
difficult or complex issues
Builds trust and confidence among the group
Community
Coach

9. Refocus on the Ideal
- What is your vision of success?
- What would be the best possible
outcome for the community?
- Who else shares this vision of
success? Is there consensus?
Provide Follow up
- How will you know when
the goal is accomplished?
- What additional resources
do you need?
- When shall I check back on
your progress?
Assess The Situation
- Tell me about your progress on
your goals.
- What are the key issues you are
wrestling with?
- How (or why) did this happen?
Choose an Action
- Of the ideas you discussed, which
brings you closest to the ideal
outcome you shared?
- What will you do first?
- Who else needs to be a part of this
action?
- How will you measure success?
Explore Options
- What other alternatives have you tried or
considered?
- What other options are available to you?
- Who else has an interest in this effort?
What are their suggestions?
- What are the consequences of the actions
you are considering?
- What would be the community impact of
each option?
Process Questions
Coach Might Ask

10. Community Coaching
Impact…
… community teams will recognize
and credit the coach with helping
them to be more effective in…
… involving others
… sustaining effort
… solving problems
… decision making
… working together
… communicating
… maintaining focus
… resolving conflict
… measuring progress
… identifying resources
… strengthening relationships…

11. Janet Echelman
Role of our team
in community coaching
is…
… to develop community coaching
in the Czech republic
… to connect needs of comunities with
coaches and theirs skills
… to support goals of communities
… to create network of people sharing
experiences, helping each other, giving
inspired examples