Format of Business Coaching Sessions
These coaching sessions bring together serial entrepreneurs, domain experts, investors, and sponsors to work with the founders to develop their company strategy. Theyare held in a group format, either in person or virtually. One-on-one meetings with entrepreneurs are encouraged but at the coaches’ discretion and should be based on mutual interest.
Each two-hour session will start with short updates from companies from the lenses of the theme of the meeting. Then a lead coach/invited speaker will present content on the topic, followed by a discussion of the information covered specific to each company.
Examples of Business Coaching Session Topics
Please note that topics are subject to change based on the founders’ needs and availability of presenters.
Introductory Session
Each awardee will provide a quick pitch that covers their value proposition, market opportunity, intro to the entrepreneur, and self-identified areas of need.
Strategy and Priorities
Each awardee will present their aspiration and vision for their company, the biggest risks, and short-term plans. Feedback on company strategy and priorities will be provided by coaches.
Understanding Your Stakeholders
Identify and understand the stakeholder expectations for all parties (individuals, groups, or organizations) to ensure their needs are met. Discussion on the choices of key stakeholders and how to address gaps in knowledge about them.
Strategic Partnerships
Understand Strategic Partner’s needs and priorities. Discussion on partnering process, timing (and time) expectations, and best practices in deal making.
Negotiating Financing
Overview of commonly negotiated issues in financing term sheets for early-stage life science companies and what to consider when taking money.
Building Your Team and Establishing and Working with Your Board
Overview of best practices in hiring/managing a team and other important human resources considerations for your company as you grow. Overview of the composition of your board, and how to strategically choose independent members of the board and other advisors for early-stage companies.
Regulatory Strategy
Overview of how to determine what regulatory approvals are needed for your product and how to begin conversations with the relevant regulatory bodies.
Introduction to Market Access, Pricing and Reimbursement
Tools to form a strategy around reimbursement, estimating product price, evaluating product affordability, and how to discuss these topics with investors and potential partners.
Best Practices for Pitching
Best practices on how to pitch yourself and influence your different stakeholders (your team, board members, investors).
Pitch Bootcamp
Entrepreneurs will present their investor pitch, and the coaches will provide feedback and constructive criticism of the pitch.
MassNextGen 2.0 Executive Coaching Sessions
Format of Executive Coaching Sessions
These coaching sessions bring together the MassNextGen entrepreneurs to work with a leadership and executive coach to develop both soft and leadership skills. Theyare held in a group format, either in person or virtually. Ad hoc one-on-one meetings with entrepreneurs are encouraged but at the coaches’ discretion and should be based on mutual interest.
Each one and one-half to two-hour session starts with short updates from the entrepreneurs on recent activities to share progress and jointly celebrate wins. Then the executive coach presents content on a relevant topic of interest to the entrepreneurs, followed by a discussion and Q&A. The meeting also includes time for a round-table discussion on various topics of mutual interest and benefit to the entrepreneurs.
Examples of Executive Coaching Session Topics
Please note that topics and the meeting schedules (of approximately every 4-8 weeks) are subject to change based on the founders’ needs and availability of the coach and entrepreneurs.
Introductory Kick-off Session
Each awardee will provide a quick update on their business, team, funding status, and areas of need in the executive and leadership arena. The executive coach also works with the entrepreneurs to identify relevant leadership and management topics to be delivered as part of that year’s program.
Communication Styles and Effectiveness
Includes a complimentary DISC behavioral style assessment for each entrepreneur and comprehensive report of communications and work style, motivators, and a foundational emotional intelligence score along with tips to enhance personal and professional effectiveness.
Mission, Vision, Purpose and Values for Your Venture
Includes tactics and background on how to effectively craft each that helps create a compelling story for investors, partners, and potential team members. Also includes the importance of and process for defining key core and company values.
Strategic Coaching and Delegation Skills for Leaders
This provides organizational leaders with the skills to unlock the talents and problem-solving abilities of others. Effective leaders know that their primary role is not to solve problems but to unleash the problem-solving capacity of those around them. Until they gain this skill, they are functioning as “worker bees” instead of leaders.
Negotiation Skills
Negotiating is a skill that can be learned by study and practice. During this session you will learn how to become an excellent negotiator. Developing these skills will enable the entrepreneurs to improve what they are able to achieve for their organizations.
Executive Presence: what is it and how do you develop it
Includes a presentation and discussion on what characterizes executive presence and how to develop it to lead your venture and team more effectively with poise and confidence.
Creating Culture: accidental or intentional
Accidental culture occurs when leaders allow their organizations culture to evolve naturally, with minimal involvement and direction from organizational leadership. During this session entrepreneurs learn how to create an “intentional culture” where the behaviors among employees are continuously aligned with the core values and beliefs that drive highly functional organizations.
People Operations: how to attract, manage and retain top talent
“There are no bad soldiers under a good general.” The leader or manager is the most important single factor in empowering people and motivating them to peak performance. In this session, entrepreneurs will learn how to best select, manage, and empower their staff to peak performance by using methods and techniques practiced by the most effective leaders and managers.
Media Management and Training
Best practices on how to manage your messaging and media to best support the PR needs of your organization.