Planning For Success
Planning For Success
Eastern Division RFL Summit 2011
Facilitator Guide
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Planning For Success
Workshop Overview
Audience:
 American Cancer Society staff and volunteers
Objectives:
 Discuss event planning committee’s and different approaches to building a
Relay.
 Be able to describe the benefits of a positive coaching experience.
 Demonstrate different types of feedback and communication.
 Experience resistance and ways to overcome resistance
 Practice positive coaching as a strategy to deepen and enrich conversations and
relationships.
Length of Session: 75 minutes
Supply List:
 Handouts (examples included in back of facilitators guide)
 Flip Charts and two easels
 Handouts of the Scenarios
 8-10 blown up balloons (no helium)
 5-7 Koosh Balls
Agenda:
 Welcome/Introductions/Agenda Review
 Planning Committees
 Positive Coaching
 Feedback
 Wrap Up
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5 Minutes
10 Minutes
35 Minutes
20 Minutes
5 Minutes
Planning For Success
Flipcharts
Agenda:
 Welcome/Introductions/Agenda Review
 Planning Committees
 Positive Coaching
 Feedback
 Wrap Up
Planning Committee Positions
Coaching is:
 Focused on future behavior
 Developmental. Looking at ways to achieve a goal
 Inquiry oriented. Asking a lot of deep probing questions
 Used to help move ahead by releasing potential in a way that works
best for the coachee AND the coach
Coaching is not:
 About imparting wisdom on another volunteer
 Task-oriented. Not a “to-do” list
 Focused on the past. Think about the goal.
 About the coach.
Four questions:
o What’s the goal?
o What’s the situation now?
o What are the different options?
o What are you going to do?
Feedback is:
 Focused on past behavior
 Evaluative
 “Telling” or “Advice” oriented
 Often used to help poor performers change behavior in a prescribed
direction in a way that works best for the organization
5 Types of Feedback
 None (absolutely quiet – no feedback at all)
 Cheerleading (woo-hoo!, rock star!, you’re awesome!, way to go!,
etc. no matter how good or bad )
 Evaluative (good throw, bad throw, etc.)
 Descriptive (specific -- throw to the left, right, up by 6 inches, down a
foot, etc.)
 Self-monitoring (volunteer can take off blindfold and throw)
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Planning For Success
Hi-Tech Recognition
Low-Tech Recognition
Call to Action:
 What is one step you can take to immediately “plan for success”?
 Who is one person you need to build on that success?
 When can you talk to them?
 Give yourself a deadline to contact that person.
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Planning For Success
Welcome/Introductions, Agenda review, Objectives (5 minutes)
 Welcome everyone! There is one thing we know about Relay For Life—it
requires planning!! The way we plan can help determine how successful, or not
successful, we all are in building Relay.
 Over the past year, you may have heard something about coaching as a means
to achieve goals. Today, we are going to look at coaching in terms of Relay and
how by being strong coaches, we can build strong committees.
 Throughout the year and post-Relay, it is important to provide feedback, but to
also note the differences between Feedback and Coaching.
Agenda:
 Welcome/Introductions/Agenda Review
 Planning Committees
 Positive Coaching
 Feedback
 Wrap Up
By the time you leave this workshop you will:
 Understand the different dynamics of planning committees.
 Be able to describe the benefits of a positive coaching experience.
 Demonstrate different types of feedback and communication
 Use recognition programs to help inspire and motivate volunteers.
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Planning For Success
Planning Committees
(10 Minutes)
Say:
 When you start planning Relay For Life, one of the first things you do is form a
planning committee. This group builds the event this year and forms a group to
continue the event in the future.
Ask:
 What are some different positions on your planning committee (Flipchart
responses)?
o Answers may include (but should not be limited to):
 Team Development Chair
 Team Recruitment Chair
 Team Retention Chair
 Luminaria Chair
 Logistics Chair
 Entertainment Chair
Planning Committee Positions

Would it be possible to plan a Relay For Life event without having volunteers
working on luminaria, entertainment, or logistics? Maybe, but probably not likely.
Ask for a volunteer and invite them to the front of the room.
Say:
 __________ (volunteer) will represent our event chairperson for Relay For Life
this year.
 There are no other planning committee members to help _____________
(volunteer), so he/she has to juggle all the different responsibilities themselves.
 In a moment, balloons are going to be thrown at you—each one represents a
different Relay For Life task a planning committee typically performs. Let’s see
how this goes. Your goal as event chair is to keep the balloons in the air and not
let them hit the ground.
Throw approximately 5-6 balloons into the air individually (not all at once). When all
balloons hit the ground or when the activity has gone on for a minute or two, collect the
balloons and dissect the activity briefly.
Ask:
 Why was _____________ (volunteer) not able to keep all the balloons in the air?
o Reiterate that there were too many tasks for one person.
o Even if he/she was able to keep them in the air for awhile, eventually it
became overwhelming.
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Planning For Success
o If he/she stopped keeping the balloons in the air, they would all hit the
ground.
o The balloons represent Relay; therefore, if the Event Chair in this case
stopped doing Relay, the event fell apart.
Invite 4-5 more volunteers to join the original volunteer.
Say:


__________ (volunteer) will represent our event chairperson for Relay For Life
this year, but now he/she has a few committee members to help them
The goal here is the same: keep all the balloons in the air. But now, there are
more of you to keep the balloons in the air.
Throw approximately 8-10 balloons into the air individually (not all at once). When all
balloons hit the ground or when the activity has gone on for a minute or two, collect the
balloons and dissect the activity briefly.

Why was this group more successful?
o Reiterate that there were too many tasks for one person. More people
made it easier.
o They could sustain this for longer than when it was just one person.
o If one person stopped trying to keep the balloons in the air, it may have
made it more difficult, but some of the balloons would still be in the air.
o More balloons, or tasks, could be balanced when there were more people.
Say:
 So, what have we learned? We need to build a planning committee before we
can plan for success! One person, or a small group may be able to keep Relay
afloat for a little while, but success comes with bringing more people into the fold.
 But once we have recruited volunteers, what happens next? They need to be
coached to success.
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Planning For Success
Positive Coaching
(35 Minutes)
Say:
 Now that we understand the importance of bringing more volunteers into the fold,
we need to talk about coaching them to success.
 What is coaching? Well, there are a lot of definitions. But there are some
concrete elements of coaching evident in most definitions.
Coaching is:
 Focused on future behavior
 Developmental. Looking at ways to achieve a goal
 Inquiry oriented. Asking a lot of probing questions.
 Used to help move ahead by releasing potential in a way that works
best for the coachee AND the coach

Coaching is:
o Focused on future behavior
o Developmental. Looking at ways to achieve a goal
o Inquiry oriented. Asking a lot of probing questions
o Used to help move ahead by releasing potential in a way that works best
for the coachee AND the coach

As leaders of Relay For Life events across NY and NJ, we are often faced with a
multitude of tasks. It can be said that Relayers are “doers”. When we need to
build a luminaria ceremony, we know in many cases what to do. But have we
spent the time to let someone else build that ceremony? Have we allowed them
to come up with their own solution or have we given them a list of tasks to
perform to get the job done?
While telling someone how to do something may get the job, that person is no
more empowered or capable than they were when they started the task. If we
coach and guide them to the answer, we as leaders can help mold a new group
of Relay For Life leaders.
Almost as important as the definition of coaching are the different things
coaching is not.


Coaching is not:
 About imparting wisdom on another volunteer
 Task-oriented. Not a “to-do” list
 Focused on the past. Think about the goal.
 About the coach.

Coaching is not:
o About imparting wisdom on another volunteer
o Task-oriented. Not a “to-do” list
o Focused on the past. Think about the goal.
o About the coach.
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Planning For Success

But what does coaching look like? What are the questions we as the coach
should ask? Here are the four primary questions we know the coachee can
answer:
Four questions:
o What’s the goal?
o What’s the situation now?
o What are the different options?
o What are you going to do?
.




First, what is the goal? What is the coachee trying to accomplish.
Second, what is the situation now? What is actually going on to prevent him/her
from reaching their goal?
Third, what options do they have? With this step, it’s important to dig deeper.
What are some potential options the coachee may not have thought of.
Fourth, what are they actually going to do? Committing to a solid plan of action
and executing that plan are as important as what the plan actually is.
Say:
 So now that we have looked at the different types of questions a coach should
ask, let’s see an example of what a coaching discussion looks like.
Facilitators, not the participants, should act out this role play.
Howard is coaching Stewart who came to him to discuss an issue with an event.
Howard:
Hey Stewart, come on in
Stewart:
Thanks for meeting with me. I really am looking to talk to you about
what is going on with this event. It isn’t going well and I am a bit lost on
what to do next.
Howard:
Glad to help. Why don’t you tell me about the issue?
Stewart:
Well, I have no idea how we are going to meet our goals and I feel like
the entire community is tapped out and not wanting the event anymore.
Howard:
Yeah, I know that community, they are always a challenge. Just do the
best you can. Thanks for warning me.
Ask:
 Was this a positive coaching experience? No, this was not really a coaching
experience at all. We didn’t establish a goal, we didn’t discuss realities, we didn’t
ask clarifying questions to learn more about the reality of the situation, and we
didn’t empower the coachee to own or brainstorm their own solutions.
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Planning For Success

This may be an extreme scenario, but this interaction is exactly what we are
wanting to avoid
Say:
 I know that when you leave a workshop like this, you are saying to yourself,
yeah, that is all well and good, but that won’t work in my situation. You don’t
know the people I’m trying to coach. They won’t respond like that.
 We understand the issue. We know that not every coaching experience is met
with unicorns and rainbows.
 The questions we ask in different situations will be very different. But practicing
how we react in different situations is an important step in learning how to be a
successful coach.
 Now it is your turn to practice. Ask participants to find a partner.
 Ask the group who has a real life situation they would need some coaching on.
They should use this situation to practice with their partner.
 In the event a group does not have a real-life situation, use the coaching
scenario handouts for that group.
 Give each person in the group a coaching scenario handout.
Debrief:
 Have a few scenarios acted out in front of the group. As many as time will allow
can be acted out.
 Flipchart coaching positives and potential areas of improvement from each of the
three scenarios.
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Planning For Success
Feedback (20 Minutes)
Say:
 Coaching is hard to define and is often confused with “feedback”, or “advice”.
Before we explained what coaching was, but now, let’s take a look at Feedback.
 Direct participants to the Feedback Handout
Types of
Feedback.doc
Feedback is:
 Focused on past behavior
 Evaluative
 “Telling” or “Advice” oriented
 Often used to help poor performers change behavior in a prescribed
direction in a way that works best for the organization

Feedback is:
o Focused on past behavior
o Evaluative
o “Telling” or “Advice” oriented
o Often used to help poor performers change behavior in a prescribed
direction in a way that works best for the organization

In the end, coaching is about “letting go” of advice-giving and assuming the
person being coached is capable, smart, and understands the best direction to
head in. When we give feedback, we believe that the person we are giving
feedback to requires our advice to figure out the actions they need to take.
There is a time and place for feedback, as there is for coaching. But they are not
the same. To help illustrate this let’s take a closer look at feedback.

Activity: (15 Minutes)
 Step 1:
o Ask for one volunteer and have your co-facilitator take them out of the
room and blindfold the volunteer.
 Step 2:
o To those left in the room, explain the 5 types of feedback and have those
listed on a flipchart for the participants to read and understand.
5 Types of Feedback
 None (absolutely quiet – no feedback at all)
 Cheerleading (woo-hoo!, rock star!, you’re awesome!, way to go!, etc.
no matter how good or bad )
Having
 Evaluative (good throw, bad throw, etc.)
hanging
 Descriptive (specific -- throw to the left, right, up by 6 inches, down a
on the
foot, etc.)
wall for
reference
 Self-monitoring (volunteer can take off blindfold and throw)
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Planning For Success

Step 3:
o Explain to the audience that that when the volunteer outside of the room
comes back, that volunteer will be asked to throw Koosh Balls at a target
o As they throw the Koosh balls at the target, we will be demonstrating the
different types of feedback

Step 4:
o Bring the volunteer back in the room and instruct him to listen to the
feedback from the audience and try to hit the target.

Step 5:
o Direct the group to shout out the different types of feedback listed on the
flip chart.
o Remind the group which type of feedback they are giving by pointing to
the type on the flip chart.
o Keep score next to each type of feedback on the flip chart on how many
times the blind-folded volunteer hits the target.
Activity Wrap-Up:
 Debrief with the ball thrower/coachee:
o How did they feel with each type of feedback the group gave?
 Debrief with coaches.
o What type of feedback gave the best results?
Ask:
 Do you now understand how important it is for a coach to give his/her coachee
good, appropriate, behavior-based feedback so that they can become selfmonitoring.
 Recognize the behavior that you want to see changed or reinforced – again, be
specific.
 Mention that one size does not fit all—different types of feedback are needed at
different times.
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Planning For Success
Review, Wrap-Up, Call to Action
(5 minutes)
Our objectives for this session were to:




Understand the different dynamics of planning committees.
Be able to describe the benefits a positive coaching experience.
Demonstrate different types of feedback and communication
Use recognition programs to help inspire and motivate volunteers.
Instruct participants to take out a sheet of paper.
Call to Action:
 What is one step you can take to immediately “plan for success”?
 Who is one person you need to build on that success?
 When can you talk to them?
 Give yourself a deadline to contact that person.

WRITE down the answers to the questions in the Call to Action.

Today, you learned how to plan for success. The growth and success of Relay
For Life depends on leaders just like you. Today we took the first step in helping
to build those leaders for tomorrow.
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Planning For Success
Handouts
Types of
feedback
Silent/None
Definition
Cheerleading
Evaluative
Descriptive
Selfmonitoring
Page 14 of 17
Sounds like
Positive Coaching
Coaching Scenario #1:
The Relay For Life of Anytown has a team problem. Last year they had 50 teams (25 of
which have signed up so far this year), and their goal is 60 teams. Right now, there are
only 35 teams signed up, and the event is 2 months away.
Facts:


The 8th Grade Dance is scheduled on the same day as Relay, so many middle
school teams are not returning.
One phone call was made to last year’s team captains 4 months prior to the
event.
The coachee is the team development chairperson for the event and the coach is the
Relay For Life event chairperson.
In the end of this scenario, the coachee should have a clear solution and a plan of
action to reach the team goal.
Positive Coaching
Coaching Scenario #2:
The Relay For Life of Anytown has a survivor attendance problem. Last year they had
75 survivors (45 of which have signed up so far this year), and their goal is 100
survivors. Right now, there are only 55 survivors signed up, and the event is 2 months
away.
Facts:


The Hospital that supported the survivorship efforts has been less involved this
year. Mary was the primary contact with the hospital, but she moved recently
and hasn’t been as involved.
An email was sent to all survivors who had an email address on file from last
year, which includes about half of the 75 registered survivors.
The coachee is the survivor chairperson for the event and the coach is the Relay For
Life event chairperson.
In the end of this scenario, the coachee should have a clear solution and a plan of
action to reach the survivor goal. Fill out the
Positive Coaching
Coaching Scenario #3:
The Relay For Life of Anytown has a planning committee problem. Only 3-4 people are
showing up at committee meetings, including the event chairperson. Last year, average
attendance was 12-15, but many of those people have not rejoined the committee.
Facts:


Bill, last year’s event chairperson, is taking a year off, and many committee
members were his personal friends.
Knowing they were all his friends, no one reached out to many of these past
planning committee members.
The coachee is the event chairperson for the event and the coach is the Relay For Life
staff partner.
In the end of this scenario, the coachee should have a clear solution and a plan of
action to build the planning committee.