By Kathy Russ
Administrative Coordinator to the Dean
Clemson University College of Science
The CU BeTrue Leadership Challenge is a free professional development opportunity at Clemson aimed at solving individual leadership challenges with collective creativity. Organized around your lunch-time or after-work availability, students, faculty and staff form Coaching Circles and practice a small group technique that helps you reframe your challenge with the benefit of diverse perspectives and develop creative solutions within the safety of a group that understands you. Affinity groups are open to those with racial, LGBTQ, men’s, or women’s concerns. The time commitment is one hour per week for six weeks, February 13 – March 31, and attendance at one orientation session on:
Monday, Feb 6, 5-7 p.m. in Vickery Auditorium
OR
Thursday, Feb 9, 12-2 p.m. in the Academic Success Center Auditorium
Coaching Circles will not meet the week of Spring Break.
How is it different from other small group methods?
- It moves dialog from download and debate to empathy and collective creativity.
- It levels the power field by giving equal value to each participant; no one dominates.
- It encourages sharing from one’s own experience and discourages advice-giving.
- It uses empathic dialog to create relational safety and build community.
- It uses silence, intention, and improvisation to form the ground of collective creativity
and synergy. - Each group member gives and receives in equal measure.
Register online at http://www.clemson.edu/be-true/leadership-challenge.html to schedule your orientation and coaching circle.
For more information, contact program coordinator Shelly Geer sgeer@clemson.edu.
