
In-House Training Program for Design Thinking Coaches
Today, more than ever, continuous innovation, constant learning and effective collaboration are essential factors for successful companies. At the Hasso Plattner Institute in Germany, we have been coaching teams through all kinds of design thinking formats for over ten years. Our experience has shown that in order for innovation teams to reach their full potential, they need the guidance of well-trained design thinking coaches. As such, the HPI Academy has designed an In-house Train-the-Trainer Program for Design Thinking Coaches. The program aims to train a cohort of employees from the same organization to become design thinking coaches, and thus ambassadors and multipliers of innovation within their own respective areas of work.
Goals
- Learn to own, apply and teach the methods and principles of Design Thinking in various organizational contexts.
- Become an expert in facilitating teams through the Design Thinking process and acquire the capability and needed skills to recognize and activate the potential of innovation teams.
- Discover your own coaching style and train to be able to act and react in a flexible manner.
- Design and execute different Design Thinking formats and learn to plan them in a targeted yet flexible way.
Schedule a personal info meeting with the certification team:
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Key Facts
Vor Ort
Duration
The total duration is 12-15 Days, spread over a few months, according to prior agreement.
Participants
Suitable trainee coaches should be selected based on their function or role within the organization, as well as their experience with Design Thinking and/or coaching/teaching. Also, they should be given the option to apply the learnings after the program.
Workshop language
The implementation is possible in German as well as in English.
Location
The training modules take place at a location proposed and organized by the customer; we also have suitable training rooms, which we can offer on request.
Target audience
In order to successfully train employees as multipliers of an agile, person-centered work culture, the selection of participants should be done carefully. The following factors play a role:
- Position and/or role within the organization
- Previous experience in design thinking
- Coaching and/or teaching experience is useful
- Individual motivation
- Possibility to immediately apply/further practice what has been learned afterwards
If desired, the HPI Academy can support the selection process.
Costs
Upon request, depends on number of participants
Benefits
For Your Organization:
- Scale collaboration and innovation in your organization by training an internal cohort of coaches
- Work on your own challenges in the scope of the program and come up with workable plans, eg for DT formats to run afterwards
- Benefit from a compact and intense program, where learnings can be implemented straight away
For Participants:
- Gain confidence in your design thinking coaching skills by practicing in a safe environment
- Receive detailed, one-on-one and personal feedback on your coaching from our expert HPI Academy trainers
- Collaborate and network with peers and colleagues to form an internal community of support
Program Structure
The core program consists of four modules: (1) Training: Design Thinking Deep Dive, (2) Training: Coaching a Team, (3) Practice and (4) Transfer: Coaching in Context. The first module last three days, the remaining three modules last four days, thus the entire duration of the program is 15 days. In between modules, we suggest a period of three to six weeks reflection and preparation time.
Module 0: Design Thinking Deep Dive
This workshop allows participants to broaden their understanding of Design Thinking, from a practitioner and coach perspective. There will be an in-depth exploration of the two core elements of Design Thinking: the mindset and the process. Both aspects are examined more closely in an interplay of inputs, versatile exercises, and subsequent reflection and brought into line with previous understandings. Lastly, participants will reflect and discuss the usage of common basic design thinking methods. Given the transition to the second module, the focus of reflection is always on the coach’s perspective.
Module 1: Coaching a Team
In this workshop, participants are given various opportunities to try out being a team coach in a protected space and to reflect on their own coaching style. Different emphases will be set concerning the essential components of team coaching. For example, in the beginning, the focus is on processual coaching, while the second half of the workshop focuses on recognizing and dealing with different team dynamics. Throughout the 4-day training, our experienced coaches from the HPI Academy provide continuous, intensive support and individual feedback to all participants.
Module 2: Practice
In this module, trainee coaches will get the chance to coach external participants through a complete workshop. Here they will always be accompanied by our experienced coaches, who provide support and give individual feedback.
The purpose of this module is to encourage participants to build up their confidence through experience and give them a chance to experiment with different coaching styles. They will also leave the workshop with an expanded toolbox of basic and advanced design thinking methods.
Module 3: Coaching in Context
This workshop aims to place the activity of team coaching within the broader context of the company or organization. As such, this module mainly focuses on the preparation and follow-up work that a coach undertakes in order to lead a successful design thinking project. We start by exploring different formats for design thinking projects. With regards to the aims of the National Training Academy, teams then design a detailed project/format roadmap which takes into account the bigger picture, such as the organization or company’s strategy, internal culture or constraints. At the end, participants present their work and map out a plan of action.