Leadership Training for Rural Agricultural Associations in Guinea

I had the great pleasure to lead a six-day training with Winrock for 26 Guineans and 6 American Peace Corps Volunteers. Topics included leadership essentials, team building, communication skills (including listening and giving effective feedback), delegation, managing conflicts, problem solving, and decision making. The training design included presentations on key ideas, small group activities, full group discussions, demonstrations, role plays, case studies, and goal setting. We used force field analysis to prioritize activities to reach their goal of becoming the largest vegetable producers in the region. The group agreed on concrete steps to move their associations forward, including clarifying job descriptions, better planning and record keeping, and increasing women leaders. Despite the limited education levels of many of the participants, I was impressed at their commitment and their enthusiasm for the material. I look forward to hearing about the positive future impacts of their work!