by Doug Gray | Nov 9, 2016 | change, Coaching, Leadership, Managers, positive psychology
Today, the morning after, I have had three sessions with leaders who represent the division and polarity of our country. One is an EVP in technology, born in India, whose 14-year old son is afraid to go to school today because he is Muslim. One is a female senior manager in healthcare who voted for Trump even though she sees him as yet-one-more sexist bully in a patriarchal system with a double standard. One is a director at a F100 who does not know how to respond to the rumors in his organization. Notice the fears from each of these leaders?
Consider 3 lessons:
- Timing. Coaches focuses on the now and the future, by definition. So when should coaches encourage leaders to act on their convictions? Assume that 50% of the people you meet today are delighted because Trump won, and 50% are sad because Clinton lost. Further assume that within each group 50% are hopeful that the election will lead to a better future, and the other 50% are frightened or uncertain. In short, only 25% of the populace is hopeful because their person won, and 75% are uncertain, sad or fearful. Positive psychology coaching requires that we 1) define a hopeful future state and 2) act toward that hopeful future.
Possible actions: Celebrate your freedoms, TODAY, with your loved ones. Plant a garden. Pick up your children early from school. Call your loved ones. Model a hopeful future, with others, immediately. Leaders model a better future. Great leaders model a better future more frequently than average leaders. TODAY is the best day to model your leadership capacity.
- Precedent. For the first time in U.S. history we have a president elect with no experience in the military, and no experience in political office. Trump will require executive coaching. Experienced leaders will need to teach him how to be a great president. Who will share that expertise? If business leaders or political leaders withhold information, or drive agendas that further their best interests, then history will teach us some negative lessons. The pollsters and Washington, DC-based media underestimated the voters. What does that fact mean? There is no precedent for coaching Trump. His advisors demonstrated mastery with the media and attack ads. Does that fact imply that leaders should tolerate foul language in our families, schools and organizations?
Possible actions: Take a stand for your core values, whatever they are. Share hope and optimism with others. Discuss the balance of power in the U.S. constitution, and the global influence of decision-making. Re-read Jefferson’s opinion that revolutions prevent despots from dominating. Model ethical leadership in your organization, family, or schools.
- Embrace change. We just elected another candidate who is thought to represent change. What does that really mean? No one likes to be changed. Yet all leaders like to make changes. At a recent conference I heard a perspective that may be useful. We may complain about the rate of change, especially technologically-driven change that reduces jobs with automation or transparent access to data. However, the rate of change, TODAY, is slower than it will ever be for the rest of your life. As coaches of leaders, that fact implies that if we embrace change, TODAY, then we will be better prepared to embrace other changes tomorrow. How can it be otherwise?
Possible actions: Talk to someone from a different racial, economic or political group and listen carefully to their concerns. That is what coaches do. Hire a coach or ask someone to be your mentor. Select a mentor who is younger, or quite different. Then listen carefully. Assess your psychological capital (Psy Cap). We are a resilient species. When we embrace change from multiple perspectives then we model a more united states.
So, what are you going to do TODAY?
Contact your coach today. Or your clients.
Then let me know what you choose to do TODAY. Contact Us.
To you, at your best, Doug Gray, PCC, call me at 615.905.1892.
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by Doug Gray | Jul 15, 2016 | Business
Your resume, however brilliant, only deserves 6 seconds. At most.
The infra-red images mirror the amount of time a recruiter scans your resume. See this image from my friends at CEB.
And 65% of applicants do not meet the basic requirements for jobs they apply for.
What are you waiting for?
We all need coaching at times. Call Doug Gray, PhD, PCC, at 615.236.9845 today.
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by Doug Gray | Jul 8, 2016 | Coaching, Personal Development
There is a myth that physicians who endured medical residency can endure anything. There is a similar myth that healthcare administrators can overlook anything. Consider these facts:
- Burnout is higher among physicians than for any other professionals.
- Burnout is higher for women than for men; varies by specialty; and varies by career phase.
- Burnout can be defined as the degree of emotional exhaustion, de-personalization, and self-efficacy at work. As one MD told me, “I just don’t have the energy to get up and do what I know I am supposed to do…”
- Clinicians often tell me that they wish for a helping hand “on their shoulder.” In my consulting experience, we all can provide care for the care-givers.
Since the days of Hippocrates, physicians and nurses have been taught to ask others, “How are you feeling?” Some physicians and nurses will state, in confidential moments, that they are feeling depressed, overwhelmed, unexcited about providing care to others, unable to pay their lingering $150,000 residency debts or to save $250,000 for their children to attend a great college. Part of the conflict is that physicians have always been taught to “heal thyself.” As if healing is an easy process.
My question today is “Who takes care of the care-givers?”
You may be reading this article because you are concerned about a physician, or yourself, or your practice group.
Consider these findings from a 2013 survey: 40% of physicians admit regular self- medication (drugs of choice range from alcohol to amphetamines). 15% of physicians have admitted to feelings of suicidal ideation in the last 24 months. Virtually 100% of physicians and healthcare leaders have experienced burnout at some point in their careers. Some of my clients tell me that they appreciate the AA or Narcotics Anonymous meetings in their hospitals. But they may choose to attend AA somewhere else.
So what are you going to do?
Thankfully, resiliency can be taught and developed. Resiliency can be defined as “the capacity to adapt successfully in the presence of risk and adversity.” Examples of developing resiliency abound, from the U.S. military to the British National healthcare system. Note that burnout and resiliency are directly related and inversely related. Just like any coin with two sides.
We have developed evidence-based protocols and worked with thousands of health care leaders. Call for details.
Take a moment to write down where you think you are on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high) on burnout. Then do the same on resiliency.
1. A self- diagnostic question is “How do you know if you are avoiding burnout behaviors?”
2. An organizational- diagnostic question is to ask your team if they have noticed you being less compassionate, hopeful and caring lately?
Or if you are daring, ask your team if they have noticed you being more abrupt, judgmental, or impatient lately?
Amid our current culture of healthcare reform and continued changes in care, there is no more important investment than providing care to our care-givers. You are not alone.
Next steps:
1. Share this article with someone you care about.
2. Take the self-assessment described above 3. Schedule a complimentary session for someone who may be at risk of burnout
3. Call Doug Gray, PCC, at 615.905.1892 today.
Doug Gray is the CEO and Founder of Action Learning Associates, Inc. a company that helps healthcare leaders develop resilience. Since 1997 the company has helped hundreds of individuals and organizations develop the strengths, competencies and weaknesses. They then provide confidential customized consulting. For detailed assessments, digital downloads, or to schedule your confidential, complimentary initial consultation, visit www.action-learning.com or call 704-995-6647 today.
Action Learning Associates, Inc. is a PAHCOM Corporate Member Since 2015
References:
Dyrbye, L. N., Varkey, P., Boone, S. L., Satele, D. V., Sloan, J. A., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2013). Physician satisfaction and burnout at different career stages. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, (88)12, 1358-67.
Scudder, L. & Shanafelt, T.D. (2015). Two sides of the physician coin: Burnout and well- being. Medscape.
by Doug Gray | Jun 16, 2016 | Business
The first Action Learning Summit was held on Friday, May 20, 2016 at the Marriott in Nashville, TN. and was a huge success! If you missed this one, don’t worry, our second Summit is coming up!
What is the Action Learning Summit? Imagine 11 strategic business leaders sharing their expertise to a select group of progressive business leaders. Add excellent food and drink and we have a recipe for success.
Here is some of what you missed, plus some video testimonials..
Assumption: I have no doubt that a select group of smart people (like us) can change the world.
1.You stated that your day would be remarkable if you:
- Increased your network
- Heard some incredible stories from business leaders
- Learn how to delegate; learn to ask for help
- Learn some new information that I can apply immediately
- Use the Action Learning Process with my team
- Solve specific problems; learn how to scale my business
2. At the end of the day several takeaways included:
- Hearing stories from remarkable business leaders
- Selecting accountability steps for me to achieve my goals
- Appreciation for asking questions rather than telling
- Use of the Action learning process to solve a real problem
- Creating new connections with great people
- Thinking about how to apply PsyCap to my business
- Thinking about how to assess social capital
Hold the date: join us on Friday, November 18, 2016.
To Register Click Here Now!
Testimonials from our Summits..
by Doug Gray | Apr 21, 2016 | Business, Coaching, Leadership, Managers
The short answer is, “Corporate coaching works inconsistently.”
Corporate coaching is commonly an internal form of talent development. Think of three pillars in talent development: (1) acquiring people, (2) developing people and (3) retaining desired people. Corporate coaching can be used to develop and retain desired employees. Not everyone is a desired employee.
Like all organizational responses, the success of any initiative designed to provide corporate coaching depends upon the organizational culture. Culture can be described at three levels: (1) artifacts (observable structures or processes, often hard to decipher), (2) stated beliefs and values (goals, values, not always aligned with artifacts), and (3) basic underlying assumptions (unstated or unconscious patterns that often define outcomes. See Schein, 2010.) Get the point? Corporate coaching may or may not work consistently. Consequently most organizations require external consultants to design and deliver results.
Now it is 2016. The trend toward packages that “Assess-Debrief-Design” for Individual Development Plans (IDPs) is now a large market led by KornFerry and DDI and others. Sadly, they are limiting themselves by selling those services as “corporate coaching packages.” Too often they are assessment requirements, often driven by HR or legal compliance needs. By analogy, after a physician diagnoses a concern they recommend but cannot require treatment. So it is with too much corporate coaching. Another provider that delivers corporate coaching globally is CoachSource. (Disclosure: I am one of 28 engagement managers, we provide unparalleled corporate coaching services.)
On a related note, corporate coaching is not a commodity. There is a trend away from resource-based views of talent as a fixed commodity (like a manufacturing unit) to a dynamic resource with unlimited potential and higher engagement. (But that is for another post or direct discussion!)
Should you have any questions it may be better to chat directly by calling Doug Gray, PCC, at 615.905.1892 or by contacting me here.
What are you waiting for?
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