Building Leadership & Community Organizing Capacity: Individual and Team Coaching
- Lorenzo Jones
- May 28
- 3 min read
Building Leadership & Community Organizing Capacity (BLOC) coaching is designed to empower BILPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals and people working in communities across Connecticut. Equipping Leaders and Organizers with the skills and knowledge necessary to be effective is our mission. The goal is to foster a new generation of leaders equipped to drive social change and address basic human needs within their communities.
Our coaching approach is rooted in the principle of meeting people where they are without judgement, and the Iron Rule: We don't do for people what they can do for themselves. True leadership emerges from people who are directly impacted and our goal is to nurture this potential by providing a supportive and inclusive learning experience. Participants will gain access to resources including BLOC workshops, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and 60-90 minute personalized coaching sessions and support from Lorenzo Jones around these areas:
Relationship Building
Leaders have followers to manage and develop. Building effective relationships and rapport with people in your work is critical to your project's success. Being able to facilitate strong relationships will lead to more transparent communication with stakeholders and other leaders. This is crucial for collaboration, communication, and growing your influence.
Communication
Effective communication skills are central to your leadership. Leaders must provide clear delegation and model an open communication style that welcomes feedback and action steps. We will practice tactics like clearly messaging expectations, listening for self interests, and building strong relationships with your team. Promoting a safe environment is core to sustaining an effective team. Leaders must be able to communicate what their team and followers should expect from them in public and private.
Decision-Making
Leaders need to make sound, well-informed decisions that are consistent with the organization's goals. Collecting and considering your team’s perspective will help you manage potential consequences when making decisions. Planning and building a clear process for debriefing experiences and information will help with making decisions in tough times.
Building a Team
Building your team from within requires investing in training and development for everyone, including yourself. Building a regimented training plan can help individuals grow teams of high-performing collaborators that promotes a culture of mutual respect. Effective leaders create a safe environment for open communication, understanding different perspectives, and finding mutually beneficial solutions. Leadership is predicated on delegating effectively in ways that empower team members. Providing balanced workplans where leaders' needs are prioritized allows for consistent and well-planned investment in leadership and team development.
Growing your Influence
Being self-aware of your individual strengths and weaknesses, biases, and leadership style is essential for your personal growth as a public leader. To be an effective leader, you must remember you are always on the spot. Your reputation precedes you, and greatly impacts your sphere of influence.
Time Management
Effective time management for leaders is crucial to prioritizing tasks, successful delegation, and capacity management. Learning to manage your time also includes determining and managing the budgetary consequences of effective vs ineffective personal and team time management.
Coaching and membership in these areas will help you successfully lead your team. Throughout coaching, participants will be advised based on their real-world scenarios, ensuring that participants are not only learning, but also directly implementing tools gained through coaching in their projects and communities in real time. Whether you are a novice looking to step into a leadership role, or an experienced organizer seeking to enhance your skills, this program offers the guidance and support you need to make a lasting impact.
Coaching Fees Schedule
Group or Team facilitation
$350 an hour - Group or Team facilitation. Group settings are ideal for beginning organizers, and/or team members to learn and process with others. These bespoke group sessions are planned in collaboration with leaders and could cover some essential organizing skills, or serve as meeting/event debrief or feedback sessions. The goal is to support team members with developing skills, processing, and determining action steps as a group.
Individual coaching and mentorship
$250 an hour - Individual coaching for professional development and mentorship. These sessions are designed to support individuals working in the fields of advocacy, community organizing, and policy reform leading projects and organizations while managing staff and/or volunteers.
*Preparation for group and team sessions
$150 an hour - Preparation for group and team sessions. *This is not needed for the individual coaching sessions
Together, we can cultivate justice, promote base-building and representation, and build your leadership skills as you work towards a sustainable, just future for all communities.
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