For WORKSHOP Alumni: How to Launch Your Own Den
If you completed the Managing in Uncertain Times program and are ready to launch your own Den, here is a quick overview of the steps we covered at our last Den session:
First, reach out to 8-12 managers in and outside your “bubble”
Who to invite? I recommend including people across the gender/ racial/geography spectrum - I promise that you will get double the value from the time together if the Den is made up of people that are coming from different vantage points.
The goal is to end up with a 6 to 8 person Den, so send out 12 or more invites because some folks will not be available at the selected time. You can pick a time and cadence that works for the majority of folks, or what I do is pick a time that works for me first, then find folks that can attend that time block - either works!If you’re inviting folks who aren’t familiar with Dens, describe them: Below is my go-to messaging, but edit as needed:
Here’s what Dens are:
A consistent place where managers can confidentially share challenges, find solutions, and become better managers through mutual peer support.
Dens are regularly described as “the one thing that’s keeping me sane this quarter” by managers because they help decrease the siloing and isolation we often experience as managers.
A commitment: to be in a Den you have to commit to 4 of the 6 sessions in the quarter. The time and dates for this quarter are: ________________________.
Structured: we use a discussion format that is designed to keep the conversation helpful and balanced, we are rigorous about the attendance commitment, and each Den is maxed at 8 people to support confidentiality.
Stress that this is a six-session commitment (so 3 months if meeting biweekly, or six months if meeting monthly) — Without this accountability, what we’ve seen is that trust is low and Den conversations are not as deeply supportive, so be firm about this requirement :)
At every session, take 2 minutes to review your three ground rules: This repetition signals the importance of the rules, and helps set the tone at each session. My go-to are: the Vegas ground rule, the Bill Nye ground rule, and the 2 Open Questions ground rule, but edit yours as needed.
Be the facilitator at the 1st session (that includes timekeeping and giving prompts):
Remember the easiest Den format is to start the Den with two minutes for everyone to quietly think about a challenge they might want to bring to the Den, and then give each person with a challenge 30 minutes to 40 minutes of peer coaching and support (depending if you have 2 or 3 people with challengs). You can also define the challenge as a FAR: something you would like Feedback on, something you’d like Advice on, or a Resource you’d like to be connected to or help with. If there are no challenges, then do a “Rapid FAR check” as a 360: Ask everyone to take 2 quiet minutes to check in on an F, A or R they could use from the Den. After quiet time, everyone gets 3-4 minutes to share and fellow Den members provide quick tips or make quick plans to connect offline if they can offer help in that area. At the end of each session ask for a volunteer to lead the following session, which includes giving the prompts, taking attendance, and being the timekeeper.At the end of each quarter: you can choose to repeat steps 1 -5 above or take a break for a quarter, whichever you’re feeling.
Lastly: if at any point something feels off about the Den or the conversations, reach out to me! I still get emails from Dens that started 8 years ago (no joke) and I am happy to offer tips if the vibe, tone or conversation topics start feeling less productive or supportive.
Happy Denning!!!
EXAMPLE AGENDA for a TWO HOUR DEN SESSION
How today will work (10 minutes)
- Review 3 sections (2min Roundrobin to hear check-ins, 2-3 Deep Dives, Closing Reflection Round)
- Ground rules (Las Vegas, Bill Nye, 2 Open Questions)2 Min Roundrobin (25- 30 minutes if an 8-10 person Den)
- 2 min of quiet thinking on “What’s a CAF you’re working on right now? I.e Something you might like Coaching on (help exploring/unpacking), Advice or Feedback on?”
You’ll share in the round, but after we hear from everyone, you can also volunteer to have your CAF be one of the Deep Dives"
- 2 min each to share your CAF (listen to see if someone has a CAF you might connect with them on offline too to support each other outside the Den - this is great too!)Deep Dives (65 minutes)
- Two to three folks volunteer to have their CAF be a Deep Dive - where the full group provides them with 20 minutes of focused support on their challenge (using the 2 Open Questions Ground Rule first :)Closing Reflection (10-15 minutes for 8-10 person Den)
- Take a quiet minute to think on what you’ll be reflecting on further after the Den, or an appreciation you want to share (something that a fellow Den offered you want to give props to).
- 1 minute each to share your closing reflection