Pioner handbook

This is a work in progress. Compleeted version launced July 20th.

What is a pioneer

Background

To secure the desired outcome and effect of the Future Leaders program, the the pioneers withhold the most important role in our entire organisation. Change does not happen in program development, organising or marketing, it happens through day to day interaction with the participants. The role of the pioner is to guide the participant through their development.

To create long lasting change within self leadership, leadership and impact that will withole over time it is crucial to create a safe environment, securing a trust based dialogue within the groups. This is fundamental to ensures all participants the opportunity for personal coaching and expectations based on their starting point, needs, and desired effect.

From the first program i Oslo in 2013 the ambition has been to build Future Leaders to a global movement, and to do so it’s been crucial to find a solution to secure personal and high quality follow ups for all participants. The pioneer structure secures the quality of the program, and serves technically with two major functions:

  • It gives us the opportunity to see each individual no matter the number of participants. Everyone gets a personal pioneer that secures that they are both challenged, supported and empowered throughout the program.

  • The pioneer structure allows Future Leaders to scale both as a global movement, and when running corporate programs. Participants can become pioneers and that way one participant can become 6, 6 can become 36; the ability to scale exponentially is enabled.

Desired effect of a pioneer

So; why are the pioneers so important? Each pioner is responsible of a group of 6-8 participants. The groups are designed and put together based on these permisess, the pioneers are matched with the groups based on needs for development, personalities and field of expertise.

The pioneers follow their participants from start to end, securing a personal follow up before, during and in-between gatherings.

Throughout the process the pioneer are responsible for

  • Securing a professional and personal comunication with all participants

  • Securing that all participants follow up on comittments, implements methods in real life

  • Securing that all participants get personal coaching and follow up based on needs.

  • Secures that the group has a good dynamic

  • Secures that all participants takes responsibility for the development of themself and their peers.

At the gatherings the pioneer are responsible for

  • Building a trust wihtin the group opening up for faster development

  • Fasilitating the dialouge

  • Ask questions

  • Setting the levele/ beeing a rollemodel on how to do the tasks.

In between gathings the pioneers are responsible for

  • Follow up each participant

  • One on one coaching

Important structures to create the desired effect with the pioneers

With the Future Leaders program we’re not looking to historic structures to define our methods. The world are changing; the global dynamics in business and politics are being re-defined. We can’t solve today's problems with the same mindset that created them. Therefore we’ve built a new educational structure. Over the last three years we’ve developed the rolle of the pioner to fit the needs and possibilities within the new structures.

One on one

All participants have access to a personal pioneer. This person is available throughout the entire program, both to assist on practicals mathers - but mainly to guide the participants through all tasks, facilitate a safe environment and work as a role model.

Peer to peer

  • TBA

How to be a pioneer

Congrats on becoming one of this years pioneers! The pioneers are key to secure a good delivery with participants growing to become robust Future Leaders - so we hope you give yourself some credit for this achievement! :)

As a global society we are facing some of the biggest challenges of all time. We are in need of new global structures, systems and solutions that are social, economical and environmentally sustainable. The most efficient way to create this change is by empowering the next generation of leaders; giving them the tools to create change. Your role as a pioneer is to do what you can to empower your participants to be capable and engaged to follow their passion and do purposeful work.

We have gathered some tips from previous pioneers. If you want further insight you can get a pioner mentor here

How to prep for a gathering?

  • TBA

Trust the program - and also yourself

The program is developed by a kick ass team that has both experience, expertise and a good understanding of how to create maximum effect.

There are few coincidence - down to the details; what task comes when? what is the focus, what is the time span of a task, how should it be done? - everything is carefully planned out. Therefore you should be able to follow it and create amazing results. Still; sometimes unplanned events, settings, culture perspectives or challenges acure - we trust you, so if you don't find the suggested plan to work out for your team. Do what you think is needed.

It is always smart to ask your fellow pioneers for help, and also discuss with your pacesetter before doing any major changes.

And: If you do something new, please keep the academia team informed so that everyone can learn from it! :)

Set clear expectations from the start

There is one statistic that has become quit clare over the last years; those who set clear expectations to their participants from the beginning achieve the best results - by far.

We especially see this within some fields. So be direct, and have your participants commit!

This are the top most important ones:

  1. At the first gathering be extremely clare that you expect everyone to be there at all the gatherings

  2. Be extremely clare that you expect people to show up on time

  3. Set personal follow up sessions in between all gatherings with all participants for the entire program the first gathering so that both parts get a fair chance to deliver.

  4. Any thing esle?

The devil is in the details

In Future Leaders we are all about the details - it is what makes the totality in the end.

We as a team have the potential to be the best in the world at what we do; so remember to;

  1. Send your participants a personal message before and after each gathering - reminding them to follow up on a commitment, give a compliment - do whatever - but follow up before and after each gathering! This will further exhale your relationship, build a professional follow up and create commitment!

  2. Read through each task a couple of times before presenting it. In most cases the launge for each sentence is carefully selected to spark different toughtprocessess or results, so make sure you present the full essence of the task!

  3. Prepp the room! The venues should be cool, laid back - but also clean and proper - always have water and some nuts available to keep the focus during a full day of demanding development!

To treat everyone the same you must treat everyone differently

When leading a team it is crucial to also remember that you are leading individuals - individuals who have completely different backgrounds, thought patterns ect. this means that the best way to lead them is to see and recognize all their individual needs. As a leader it is your job and aim to empower them, sometimes that can be done by the same method for everyone - but often it takes individual adjustment.

Remember that to treat everyone the same you must treat everyone differently!

A plan means nothing - Planning means everything

Being a pioneer in Future Leaders you are responsible for the life and personal growth of a young talent with enormous potential. - This is important to both remember and respect throughout the year.

To deliver at the level the participants deserve you need to:

  1. Join all pioneer prep and reflection meetings. If you have not gotten the time and dates for these (the entire year) yet - please remind your leader.

  2. Go through all the tasks yourself before facilitating the participants through them.

  3. Set a personal goal for each gathering

  4. Have a prepared thought on how you can empower the participant further before each gathering.

Be humble

It is totally cool that you don't have all the answers. Be open about it and give the participants the opportunity to help you.

Honesty is the key to growth and good discussions :)

Checklist before each gathering

Academia prepp:

  • Do all the tasks yourself

  • Join the preparation meeting. Come prepared.

  • Create some thoughts on how you can empower everyone of your participant

  • Make sure to have a personal follow up with all participants in between each gathering

Let’s create this an amazing experience prepp:

  • Send a reminder and welcome to gathering each wednesday before the gathering

  • Send a thanks for a great gathering after each gathering

  • Keep the venue nice

  • Do something social together once in a while

Other prepp

  • ALLE: her kan vi nokk legge til mye kult - hva tenker dere på :)

Guidelines on how to be a pioneer

1. A pioneer leads him/herself and others in a way that creates positive change in the group as a whole and for the individuals in the group

2. A Pioneer is able to coach a group without compromising his/her own well-being

3. A pioneer is able to solve unexpected situations, see their own limitations and are not afraid to ask for advice / help

4. A pioneer creates a feeling of security for the participants through their actions and their way of communicating

5. A pioneer challenge him/herself and the participants positively throughout the year and contributes to a platform where the participants can grow and develop themselves

6. A pioneer is a role model through practicing self-leadership

What to expect as a pioneer

  1. To do a good job it takes more time than you think

  2. It is not always easy - but it’s one hell of a learning curve

  3. Amazing relations with amazing talents

  4. A culture where we’re not perfect but learn together.

Expectations to pioneers

To play fair we’ve mapped out what your team expects of you if you are a pioneer in Future Leaders:

  1. You prioritize all preparation meetings and show up prepared

  2. You do all the tasks yourself before taking your participants through them

  3. You join all the pioner development

  4. You follow up all your participants in between gatherings.

  5. You challenge the your fellow pioneers

  6. You let people know if you need help.

  7. Have fun!

Key arguments to presentation:

Good points - bad launge:

  1. The processes each participant goes trough is so demanding that it is curucial that everyone has a personal pioner to help them develop. Witoth the pioners no-one get’s personal follow up.

  2. The pioners are crucuial in fasilitating a “safe space” for development. Without this space no real revelopemt can happen.

  3. The pioners are the solution for scaling.

  4. The pioner training program within it self is a more complicated leadership development program. Year two if you may.

  5. The pioners are key for following up in-between gatherings

  6. The pioners are also rolemodels internaly

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