Followership Workshops

Increasingly, it is clear that leaders need to surround themselves not with “yes men” but with professionals who will be genuine partners for organizational success. These partners, or “courageous followers”, will provide both support and honest feedback about the leadership’s decisions and actions so these can be continually improved, just as a leader expects continual improvement from those below. In an era of increased competitiveness, board scrutiny and regulatory watchfulness, forthright honesty and effective interaction with senior levels of the organization are crucial for success.

Objectives Followership Workshops>/span>

These workshops are designed to:

• Raise awareness of the equal importance of exemplary followership behavior to leadership behavior.
• Identify styles of followership and directions for growth.
• Increase understanding of how hierarchical structures do not need to produce less-than-candid hierarchical relationships.
• Examine the sources of courage that enable followers to give leaders important information they may not want to hear.
• Identify the numerous ways in which followers can give better support to their leaders.
• Develop an awareness of the elements of effectively providing leaders with sensitive feedback.
• In longer workshop formats, develop the skills for doing so.
• Provide leaders with the awareness and tools for creating cultures in which followers will more readily act as partners.

Methodology Followership Workshops>/span>

• Participants will assess their own followership styles. Using hypothetical situations, they will examine the ramifications of different styles and identify their personal growth needs. They will explore their own value structures and how these can enable them to act with courage when necessary.
• They will also examine the tools they have as leaders to foster courageous follower behavior.
• In full day workshops we will use high-quality video scenarios to examine key followership behaviors.
• In two day workshops, participants will use coached role playing to reinforce the skills needed to provide successful feedback in difficult situations.
• Workshops for the most senior levels of an organization will focus on creating effective open-door policies that support cultural change.

Workshop Leader

Ira Chaleff is the author of the book The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To and For Our Leaders and co-editor of the book, The Art of Followership: How Great Followers Make Great Leaders and Organizations. He has designed and conducted workshops for a wide range of private sector, government and educational organizations. When not personally available, Ira will make referrals to other facilitators qualified to conduct workshops on this theme.Workshop designs are available from two hours to two days. Senior Executive briefings are typically two hours to one day. They convey the basic models and ensure executives are equipped to support the creation of true partnership cultures.

Length

Full Day and Two Day formats are most often used when the workshop is an integral part of a cultural change process within an organization.

Train-the-trainer models are also available to support strategic cultural change efforts and certify the organization’s own facilitators.

Half Day and Full Day Workshops are most common when the workshop is conducted as a module in a larger management development program.

Costs

Costs are based on our day rate with variables for customization, travel and other factors. Please enquire for a specific quote.