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Action Learning Associates and Partners

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We provide solutions for any-sized organization, virtually anywhere.

Our coaching, assessment, professional and community partners include:

Global executive coaching expertise

Global executive coaching expertise

The Professional Association of Health Care Office Management

The Professional Association of Health Care Office Management

ICF PCC logo

ICF PCC logo

ATD Nashville logo

ATD Nashville logo

So call us today at 704.995.6647. Or schedule a complimentary confidential session here.

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

Society for Human Resource Management

Society for Human Resource Management

Williamson County, Nashville, TN

Williamson County, Nashville, TN

Brentwood, TN Rotary, Paul Harris Fellow

Brentwood, TN Rotary,
Paul Harris Fellow

Webinar content: How to address physician burnout

Recently I was asked to deliver a webinar on physician burnout.  You may know that burnout is higher among physicians than for any other service professionals.  The effect on nurses, patients, loved ones and administrators is significant, and preventable.

For complimentary assessment, a confidential session or the 30-page ebook, please contact us today.

For a riveting version of the content please visit here.  

The other side of burnout is resilience, our ability to adapt successfully in the presence of risk or adversity.

Sound familiar?

We can help you increase your resiliency.  Today.

The Coaching/ Consulting Process in 4 Phases

The goal of coaching is behavioral change toward a desired personal or professional outcome.   For instance, Sarah may need to develop her business development skills to grow her new franchise by 50% within the next 6 months. John may need to develop an assertive meeting style with his new manager, in the next 30 days, or risk opportunities for promotion. How do these leaders attain their goals?

 

Some leaders like to imagine the coaching process in the following 4 phases. My experience, since 1997 with hundreds of coaching engagements, is that coaching engagements rarely fall into the neat categories of these 4 phases.   One reason is that learning is a messy process. The process is ongoing, iterative, client-focused, both an “artful craft” requiring practice, and a scientific management consulting process requiring expertise.   The action learning process implies that coaches and leaders jointly learn what works, and why it works, so that the leader can do more of that behavior.

 

That said, the process of organizational development can be described in these 4 phases. (Source: Gallant & Rios, 2014).

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  1. The start-up phase requires candid assessment of what is working, what is not working, and what is needed. The selection of a coach or consultant is crucial. Leaders should not select someone they like as a potential confidante or best friend. Leaders should select the most expert consultant who can help them master a new behavior. For instance, if a leader needs a woman who speaks Spanish to help prepare for relocation to Mexico City, then I am not qualified. The goal of this start-up phase is to define boundaries of the engagement, and to mutually agree on those boundaries in a written contract.

 

  1. The diagnosis phase includes learning what the leader thinks about their reputation, brand, strengths, and weaknesses. That self-assessment often conflicts with data gathered from others. Techniques include surveys, interviews, assessments, observations, and video. The word “diagnosis” is not accurate, because it implies a gap or deficiency that is static and needs correction. I prefer the words “development” or “focus” or “assessment” because they accurately describe the ongoing quality of coaching engagements that reinforce the strengths of leaders.

 

  1. The intervention phase is the core of any coaching engagement. The process includes ongoing assessment of the client’s agenda, review of behaviors, feedback, and constructive actions. There is both art and science involved in coaching. The art requires constant attention to the leader’s words and actions, following intuition, and what I call “dancing with curiosity.” The science requires ongoing consideration of recent research in evidence-based behavior or world-class tactics that may be useful to the leader.

 

  1.  The transition phase occurs at the end of every coaching session, in monthly written summaries, after any feedback session or observation, quarterly frequency reviews, and opening and closing meetings with the leader, HR business partner, direct manager, and the coach. Those 4-way meetings insure that behavioral outcomes have been exceeded. As a 4th step in this model, the transition phase reminds all stakeholders that coaching has a beginning and an end. There are some “executive coaches” who boastfully declare that they have provided value to a leader for years. I sincerely hope that they regularly review the behavioral outcomes and business needs so that each phase of that engagement is closed. If not, they may be describing a dependent relationship that has little to do with a leader’s need for behavioral change.

 

This neat model with 4 phases may be useful for those who like structure. Accountants and engineers and some HR managers may find them useful.

 

One final thought: if the client needs a more fluid model, then these 4 steps can be twisted into a circle or a spiral.

 

Call us if you need to assess step 1 above, the start-up phase.

 

If we cannot help you, then we will refer you to someone who can do so.

 

Reference:

 

Gallant, S. & Rios, D. (2014). The organization development (OD) consulting process. In B.R. Jones & M, Brazzel (Eds.), The NTL handbook of organization development and change (2nd ed.) (pp. 153-174). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

 

learning and development: loop 2 of 6 in talent management

How do you measure learning and development?

The Greeks believed that the “rope of one’s life” was defined by three fates, who spun the thread of life, measured it, and then cut it.

Instead,  imagine that your career can be described using a 10’ long piece of rope. If you dropped the rope at your feet it would look like several messy loops. Most of us choose to believe that we have some impact on the “rope of our careers.

Now imagine that you have a work team of 5 people. If they each had a 10’ long piece of rope and dropped those ropes at your feet, then how would you describe that messy image?

Talent management is a cyclical model frequently described with three loops: attraction, development and retention.  Some of those key metrics include efficiency, effectiveness and outcomes.   A tremendous resource for talent managers who want to demonstrate accountability, like any CFO or business leader, is at www.centerfortalentreporting.org

The ultimate goal of talent management should be to retain desired employees, not all employees.

There are actually 6 loops in talent management. Think of your process as 6 inter-related loops that include: talent acquisition, learning and development, leadership development, performance, total rewards, and succession planning.  Here is a definition of each loop, plus some comments.

  1. “Learning and development” services support all of the organizational activities aimed at improving the performance of individuals and groups within the organization. The learning and development process includes addressing gaps in skills, knowledge and competencies, and then building the strategic talent capabilities of the organization through a systematic focus on competence required to meet business objectives. Aspects of learning and development may include job profiles, competency mapping, knowledge management, behaviors, skills, ability tracking, learning content, training, coaching and assessments.

Despite the trend toward digital content delivery, adoption of digital content remains below 20% in most industries. Make certain that you are using short, sensational videos, interactive quizzes, and social followers or gamification to promote goals of instructional designers.   The bottom line? Be careful if investing in digital solutions and expecting high user adoption rates.

The 70:20:10 model for learning and development is a guideline or frame of reference that is now used to both 1) promote learning and 2) restrict learning.   Let us assume that learning results from 70% on-the-job or self-directed learning, 20% from managerial or client feedback, and 10% from courses and reading. Then what does that mean in your organization?

  •             Do you expect to foster innovation internally, by engaging employees or actively managing their professional development plans?
  •             Do you restrict that manager who spends more than 20% of her time and energy on that direct report that has high potential, but lacks procedural knowledge of customer delivery?
  •             Do you invest in external coaching and consulting for your top 20% producers, as a development tool to increase retention some 14 months on average?

We do not need any insight from the Greek fates to measure the impact of learning and development on the “rope of our careers.”

We do need to foster learning communities in order to increase engagement, retain desired employees, and serve our clients and customers.  

If you need help measuring the impact of learning and development for individuals or organizations, then contact us today.

Physician burnout: definition and scope

What is physician burnout?

Let’s start by defining the problem.

The psychiatric definition of physician burnout is embedded somewhere in this word cloud. We do not mean to scare you, really.

Note that each of these words is a harsh description of a “depressive disorder that can paralyze you” or your colleagues.

physician burnout defined

One source estimates that at least 60% of the physicians in your practice group are experiencing burnout right now.  Look to the left.  The look to the right.

Dyrbe & Shanafelt have published several papers in JAMA and the Mayo Clinic proceedings, we recommend “Physician Burnout: a potential threat to healthcare reform (2011) and physician satisfaction and burnout at different career stages (2013)

Another source states that virtually 100% of physicians have experienced burnout at some point in their careers.  Look to your past.  Then look to your colleagues.

In subsequent slides we will share the statistics on prevalence by gender, specialty, practice group, and stages of your career.

The bottom line:  Burnout is high among professionals, and highest among physicians.  The costs are tragic.

Many physicians are NOT willing to consult with their insurer or employer.  You may require confidential consulting.

If so, please call us at 704.995.6647 today.  Or contact us.   Or schedule your initial consultation here.

Nothing is more essential than a physician’s ability to provide self-care, and care for others.

Physician burnout and engagement by specialty

How often have you heard a physician state “I just don’t have the energy to do my job any more.”

According to a national survey in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2012), physicians in the U.S. suffer more burnout than other American workers.

Burnout is typically defined as 1) loss of enthusiasm for work, 2) feelings of cynicism, and 3) a low sense of personal accomplishment.  Survey items include “I have become more callous toward people since I took this job” and “I feel burned out from my work.”

The 2014 Medscape Physician Lifestyle Survey reported an overall 7% increase of burnout reported, in just one year, from 39% in 2013 to 46% of all physicians in 2014.  That statistically improbable increase may be a result of increased attribution from variables such as reduced contact with patients, increased technological requirements for EMR and coding, decreased morale, decreased financial compensation.

So where do you stand?  Burnout rates vary by specialty.

(Source: Peckham, C.  Physician burnout: it just keeps getting worse.  Medscape.  Jan. 26, 2015.  Sorry in advance for this low-quality image, and the busiest slide in the deck… )

medscape

Every physician wants to know how they compare.

For those of you doing critical care and emergency medicine, you represent the highest level of burnout.

One factor is low autonomy or control over your schedule… perhaps because you are the “front line of care.”

For those of you in dermatology or psychiatry, with the opportunity to schedule office visits and regular patient schedules, please do not think that you are exempt from burnout.

These are averages and self-reported scales, so they are descriptive data.  Only.

You are each unique.

To assess your degree of burnout or engagement contact us here.  Or call 704.995.667.  Or schedule your initial consultation here.

Yes, we can help you increase your engagement level.