Programs scale on advocates, not seats. This guide walks through how to identify advocates inside your cohort, how to invest in them, and how to put their experience to work for the broader program.
The bar is specific. An advocate is someone who:
You will know who the advocates are by month three. They will tell you.
A few signals worth tracking. You do not need to formalize this; you just need to notice.
Signal 1: They articulate their goals clearly in the baseline. Members who write three sentences about what they want to work on (vs. a list of generic skills) tend to articulate growth the same way at the end. Advocates start with specificity.
Signal 2: They reference coaching in unrelated meetings. "I was talking with my coach about this last week, and..." That signal shows up early. The members who casually weave coaching into how they think about their work are the ones who will speak about it externally.
Signal 3: They send unsolicited check ins. A member who DMs you in month two with "this is going well, thank you" is doing two things: telling you they are getting value, and signaling they are comfortable being public about it.
Signal 4: They get promoted, expanded, or sponsored mid program. A leader who is growing visibly while in coaching is the easiest advocate to activate, because the trajectory is the story.
Signal 5: Their manager mentions it. If a manager flags that their report is showing up differently, that report is an advocate in the making.