Parental Leave Prep: Group Coaching for Expecting Parents
Fall 2024 Cohort Runs
September 25 - December 4
Sign up by Sept 18!
A program that equips, empowers, and builds a supportive community among professionals preparing to take parental leave
Use code COHORT1 at checkout for special pricing!
A coach-led cohort that prepares expecting professionals for your upcoming parental leave, providing you with tools, resources, and community to confidently and smoothly navigate the transition
Who Is This Program For?
If you are preparing to take parental leave starting sometime Dec 2024-Mar 2025, this program is for you.
Any type of parent
- First-time or expanding your family
- Birthing, non-birthing, adoptive, fostering
- Primary or secondary caregivers
- Partnered, solo, or blended family
- Any sexual orientation or gender identityProfessionals working in corporate, startups, non-profits, academia
Folks who are planning to take parental leave (paid or unpaid)
Managers or individual contributors
Why the specific expecting date? We recommend starting parental leave planning around three months prior to going on leave, and in a group setting it’s important that participants are in a similar stage of their journey.
Join our upcoming webinar for free parental leave resources and to learn more about our upcoming group coaching program!
This Group Coaching Program Will Leave You:
Prepared
With tools and resources to ease the transition into parental leave
Equipped
To transition work effectively/hand off responsibilities
Empowered
To manage your career before, during, and after leave
Supported
During this huge life and work transition
Why Parental Leave Coaching is Important
Becoming a parent is not only one of the most significant life transitions you can experience, but employees also rank parental leave as the most challenging and least supported moment in their employee lifecycle (second to offboarding). Only 19% of employees feel supported by their employer during parental leave*
Without a federal parental leave policy, each state and company has (or lacks) their own benefits and policies, creating an unclear and stressful landscape for working parents
While parental leave, especially paid, is great, employees need more during this transition
Most companies and managers fall far short in their support of parents, often resulting in confusing, insensitive, or discriminatory work environments
Societal, work, and personal pressure can create guilt and overwhelm and distract us from what we truly care about
* Source: Enboarder Parental Leave Survey
Coaching Will Help You Confidently Navigate this Transition and Will Provide:
A fresh look at values, goals, and priorities
Improved communication
Reduced stress and increased clarity
Increased resilience and self-advocacy
Community peer support
Renewed career development goals
About the Program
Six, 60-Minute Group Sessions
Together, we will meet every other Wednesday at 10am PT / 1pm ET on Zoom
2.5-Month Program
The program takes place over 11 weeks from Sept 25 - Dec 4, 2024
Session Content
Each session focuses on a specific theme and aspect of parental leave, and incorporates real-life situations you are facing
Learning Mix
Sessions include a blend of learning and resources (~40% of the time) and facilitated group discussion (~60% of the time)
Actionable Preparation
At the end of each session, you will come away with a tangible next step in your preparation for parental leave
Tools & Resources
You’ll be provided a suite of tools and resources throughout the program to support you during parental leave and beyond
Community Cohort
Connect with others in the group during sessions and in our private Slack community. We’re intentionally keeping the cohort size small, so sign up now to ensure a spot!
One 1:1 Coaching Session
The program (optionally) includes one 60-minute one-on-one coaching session on Zoom with one of the program coaches (Lee or Nicole)
Pricing
For our inaugural cohort we are offering special pricing of $499 (marked down from $1299)
Use code COHORT1 at checkout
Use code COHORT1 at checkout for special pricing!
Group Coaching Sessions
Session 1:
Kickoff
Orient to program expectations, fellow participants, and group coaching
Define individual goals, values, and expectations for work and parental leave
Session 2:
Communication
Clarify your communication needs before, during, and after leave (announcements, updates, personal sharing)
Establish thoughtful and strategic communication guidelines at work
Session 3: Transitioning Work
Take stock of your responsibilities and consider how work can best be transitioned
Align your transition plan strategically with career goals
Session 4:
Professional Development
Prioritize strategic self-advocacy to fortify professional development goals
Consider the factors impacting professional development at different stages of the parenting journey
Session 5:
Work/Life Reconciliation
Design and put in place your personal support structure during and after leave
Understand return-to-work considerations and accommodations to integrate into your re-integration plan
Session 6:
Closing
Reinforce an adaptable, flexible mindset to prepare for the unexpected and iterate your plans as needed
Reflect on learnings and insights from the program and map out final steps in your parental leave preparation
Join our upcoming webinar for free parental leave resources and to learn more about our upcoming group coaching program!
Participation Guidelines
Our program principles are intended to encourage a shared sense of belonging:
Focused: We ask that attendees dedicate and protect the time and minimize distractions during sessions to effectively engage with the content and others in the group.
Interactive: In order to get the most out of our sessions, we encourage participants to turn on their videos if possible and engage in conversation and activities.
Inclusive: We welcome and embrace the perspectives of folks from all backgrounds, identities, and family types, and expect this from participants as well.
Supportive: We intend to create a safe and non-judgmental space where attendees are comfortable sharing, and feel seen and heard.
Use code COHORT1 at checkout for special pricing!
About the Coaches / Facilitators
Nicole Lenzen
Nicole Lenzen is a solo mom by design, coach, consultant, and facilitator.She is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Certified RETAIN Parental Leave Coach, and Certified Integral Coach who supports clients navigate working parenthood, leadership, and mid-career shifts.Nicole is a seasoned innovation, product development, and organizational consultant, leading multidisciplinary projects for Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits.Her personal experience with a less-than-supportive parental leave led her to work with expecting parents and their organizations to fill in much-needed support gaps before, during, and after parental leave.She enjoys being silly with her daughter, urban exploring by bike, learning every day, sharing yummy meals with loved ones, and remote camping and hiking.
Lee Boole
Lee Boole is a leadership coach, consultant, facilitator, and mom of 2.She received her certificate in Executive Coaching from New York University, and master’s in Human Resources Management from Georgetown.Before pivoting to become a dedicated coach and consultant, Lee spent her career on People teams as a business partner, learning & development leader, and management coach. In her coaching work today, she primarily serves working parents as they navigate transitions and achieve their goals in the workplace.After supporting countless colleagues’ parental leaves and taking two of her own, Lee’s seen first-hand that even with comparatively generous paid leave benefits and inclusive team members, the process of preparing for parental leave leaves many individuals feeling lost and lonely, and managers struggling to support their direct reports in the ways that they really need.Lee loves spending time with her family and is also celebrating her children being out of the baby stage by playing tennis, reading, trying new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with friends as much as possible.
Testimonials
Talking to Nicole felt so easy! She offered great advice and helped me uncover aspects of new parenthood that I might have overlooked. It was super helpful to zoom out and make sure I considered all facets of my life, how they would change, and how I could prepare for the transition.
Nicole provided great tools to help me think about what support I would need in my life before, during, and after my leave, including both professional and personal issues. It's a lot to deal with, so having an objective person help organize your thoughts is more helpful than I realized.
- Jane H | Coaching Client
Lee is an incredible resource on all things related to parental leave planning. She was hugely helpful for me in preparing for and navigating my own leave, and has remained someone I have consistently reached out to for guidance and support, as a fellow parent and coach, in the years since.Lee provides compassionate and insightful guidance that is both realistic and supportive, while also bringing a dose of humor to the table, which brings appreciated levity to the more challenging moments.
- Anna K | Former Colleague
FAQs
What is the time commitment?
- One hour every other week for six group coaching sessions (over 11 weeks) +
- One hour 1:1 coaching session (optional) +
- About one hour per week (optional, or as much as you want) for parental leave prep take-away activities (that you'd need to do anyway!)How many people will be in the program?
- We aim to cultivate a close, trusting, and interactive vibe, so will limit the cohort size to 15 people. In the event that we have insufficient enrollment prior to kickoff, you'll receive a full refund.I’m expecting a child before or Dec 2024 - Mar 2025 – can I still attend?
- Maybe! Contact us and we can discuss if it makes sense!I’m an entrepreneur or freelancer – can I still attend?
- You may attend; however, the content is geared towards professionals working in-house. While there will be some overlap, we won't be covering the nuances that business owners or independent workers face. Let us know if you'd be interested in a coaching program geared toward this demographic!I don’t live in the US – can I still attend?
- Absolutely! We love a diverse group of attendees. If the timing doesn't work for you, please fill out our interest form and we'll reach out about possible additional cohorts, or email Lee or Nicole if you'd like to find out about one-on-one coaching options.Can I get my company to pay for this?
- We definitely encourage you to ask your manager or HR team if part or all of the program cost can be covered! Many companies have budgets for or will approve costs for professional development and coaching. This program has a direct positive impact on business outcomes through improved communication, collaboration, planning, prioritization, work continuity, and productivity. Let us know if you'd like support with this conversation.How do I tell my manager, colleagues, and partner about these calls?
- We encourage you to let your work know you are enrolled in this program (whether or not they are paying for it), so they are aware of the outcomes, and will respect your calendar block. Our activities and discussions are intended to support you and your team with work transition planning, expectation setting, and clear conversations, to facilitate a smoother process before, during, and after parental leave.
- It's also great to keep your partner and/or others in your personal support network in the loop so they are aware of your plans and needs.Are you offering scholarships or payment plans?
- Because this is our first cohort and we are significantly discounting the cost, we do not have a formal financial assistance program. However, we want this program to be accessible, so please reach out if cost is an issue and we will see what we can do.Will the sessions be recorded?
- No, to help ensure privacy and confidentiality, sessions will be live only (not recorded). If you have to miss a session, we’ll share relevant materials and help get you up to speed.
More questions? Feel free to reach out !
Use code COHORT1 at checkout for special pricing!
Join our upcoming webinar for free parental leave resources and to learn more about our upcoming group coaching program!
© Default Projects, LLC
Nicole Lenzen & Lee Boole