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How do I learn from experience?

The American educator John Dewey (1938) stated, “We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”  That fact remains unchanged (for at least the last 79 years) because it describes the need to reflect on how leaders develop.  For instance, a leadership shortage may be described by demographic shifts (millennials or global diversity), insufficient training (after promotions) or discouraging mindsets (low engagement or trust measures).  In response to that shortage, leaders need to practice desired behaviors more frequently (Kouzes & Posner, 2016).  Consider this example.  When I recently asked a room full of leaders, “How many of you describe yourself as a leader?” only about 10% raised their hands.  My experience is that many potential leaders do not regard themselves as leaders, largely because they do not trust their personal experiences.  Leaders can learn from experiences, but not all experiences are meaningful (Yip & Wilson, 2010).  This short paper explains how the two top processes of leader development can be applied to executive leadership.  Those two processes, 1) challenging assignments and 2) developmental relationships, described 64% of leader development experiences in the United States 24 years ago (McCall, Lombardo & Morrison, 1998) and are just as critical today.

 

Challenging assignments

 

As a species, humans have always adapted to environmental stimuli.  As leaders, humans adapt to environmental stimuli with internal change (Schein, 2010).  When I ask leaders to share their “personal best leadership story” the results may range from parenting to global reorganizations.  The unifying characteristic of those stories is that they describe challenging assignments; all leaders model initiative, take risks and innovate new behaviors (Kouzes & Posner, 2016).  One useful framework for practicing more leadership behaviors includes these five steps:  1) model the way, 2) inspire a shared vision, 3) challenge the process, 4) enable others to act, and 5) encourage the heart (show appreciation and celebrate successes; Kouzes & Posner, 2016).  That framework focuses on learning leadership behaviors, like a road map, and consequently I have shared that framework with dozens of executive leaders.  Any leader cited throughout history (in any reference book or in any story) has embraced challenging assignments.

 

So, what are useful challenging assignments?  Yip & Wilson (2010) list five types of assignments; 1) increase in job scope, 2) creating changes, 3) job rotation, 4) stakeholder engagement, and 5) cultural exchanges.  Examples of an increase in job scope include redesigning roles or responsibilities, adding people or budget to a current assignment, a career succession pipeline or a job succession ladder.  Examples of creating change abound as leaders respond to technological changes, market adaptations, global choices of suppliers and providers, diverse stakeholders, demands for improved efficiency, effectiveness or new outcomes.  Examples of job rotation include formal systems with regular shifts, as physicians and healthcare leaders often do when training, or informal rotations when leaders shadow colleagues in a different work group or culture.   Examples of stakeholder engagement include cross functional teams (sales and operations) or new market negotiations (vendors, clients, government officials) designed to develop awareness of cultural complexity and the need to negotiate desired outcomes.  Examples of cultural exchanges include foreign assignments, foreign responsibilities, cultural awareness assessments, organizational culture development, language skills, and understanding of global leadership behaviors.

 

The next question may be, “how do leaders increase their probability of success in challenging assignments?”  The answer includes feedback from developmental relationships.

 

Developmental relationships

 

       No leader succeeds alone.  We all need meaningful relational feedback such as coaching, peer or group mentoring, or one-on-one mentoring.  Yip & Wilson (2010) list three types of developmental relationships; 1) constructive managers, 2) difficult relationships, and 3) other venerated leaders.   Examples of constructive managers include regular one-to-one feedback sessions, performance reviews, based on critical organizational competencies or developmental states validated by a career development plan.   Examples of difficult relationships are those conflicts or disputes that were handled poorly, remain memorable as instructive reminders of “what not to do next time”, or lessons from unethical or inappropriate behavior.   Examples of relational feedback from other venerated leaders may include a mentoring session from an elder or historically wise leader, or an exemplary role model in a community or organization.

 

     How do leaders increase developmental relationships?  The most effective answer is to actively seek out wise mentors and regularly ask for feedback.  As Kaplan (2007) states, the person in the mirror may be able to respond to seven key questions with candid feedback.  However, my experience is that executive leaders require external, objective relationships with experienced mentors and coaches who can “speak truth to power” or model new desired behaviors.  The most requested topics for executive coaching engagements have not changed for many years; those topics are (1) executive presence and influencing skills, (2) ability in leading teams and people development, and (3) relationship management (TCB, 2014).  Managers and supervisors may be able to provide insights into those topics, but only executive coaches can observe and recommend new desired behaviors.

 

     The coach training industry is now estimated at 53,500 global coach practitioners and over $2B in annual revenue, with 115 accredited coach training programs (ICF, 2016). The International Coaching Federation (ICF) hosted the largest global survey (n=15,380, with 38% non-members) of coaching practitioners (internal, external or both) and managers or leaders using coaching skills (within Human Resources, Talent Development, or any line of business; ICF, 2016).  That survey identified the top future obstacles for coaching as (1) untrained individuals and (2) marketplace confusion (ICF, 2016). The survey also identified the top future opportunities for coaching as (1) increased awareness of the benefits of coaching, and (2) credible data on ROI/ROE/outcomes (ICF, 2016).  Those findings suggest a significant need for research on the efficacy of coach training.

 

Conclusion

 

When Dewey revolutionized American educational systems, he caused leaders to challenge the status quo and provide developmental relationships for students.  In a similar way, leaders have always accepted challenging assignments and sought candid, relational feedback of their performance.  In recent months I have applied the model from Kouzes & Posner (2016) to several executive leaders because it focuses on frequency of desired leadership behaviors.  If we assume that any leader needs to 1) model the way, 2) inspire a shared vision, 3) challenge the process, 4) enable others to act, and 5) encourage the heart (show appreciation and celebrate successes; Kouzes & Posner, 2016), then we can help more leaders to increase the frequency of desired leadership behaviors.  In other words, we can help leaders practice leadership.

 

Contact Doug Gray, PCC, for details at 615.905.1892 today.

 

References

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan.

ICF (2016).  2016 ICF Global Coaching Study; Executive summary.  International Coaching Federation.

Kaplan, R. S. (January 2007). What to ask the person in the mirror. In On managing yourself (pp. 135- 156, 2010). Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.

Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. (2016).  Learning leadership; The five fundamentals of becoming an extraordinary leader.  San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

McCall, Lombardo & Morrison (1988).  The lessons of experience; How successful executive develop on the job.  (reference not included in text, but cited on p. 64). In Velsor, E.V., McCauley, C.D. & Ruderman, M.N. (2010). Handbook for leadership development, 3rd Ed.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass Publications.

TCB (2014).  The 2014 Executive Coaching Survey.  The Conference Board, Report #R-1568-14-RR.

Yip, J. & Wilson, M.S. (2010).  Learning from experience.  Pp. 63-95.  In Velsor, E.V., McCauley, C.D. & Ruderman, M.N. (2010). Handbook for leadership development, 3rd Ed.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

 

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How can I improve health care leadership?

Leaders practice leadership, just as physicians practice medicine.  Here are some details.

 

Health Care Consulting and Leadership Coaching

We understand the challenges that executive leaders and physicians face. We are experts in individual and organizational behavioral change. Since 1997, we have consulted with hundreds of leaders using the 3A process of (1) assessment, (2) constructive actions, (3) accountability. Our purpose is to help leaders flourish as they achieve business outcomes.

 

Theoretical models

1. Positive psychology (PP) can be defined as the science and practice of well-being or flourishing.  Prior to 1998, over 70% of psychological research focused on mental illness.  Since 1998, a better balance has resulted from new scientific studies in mental health.

2. Psychological capital (PsyCap) is a developmental state comprised of hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism. Our research confirms that PsyCap can be developed, and explains up to 71% of engagement scores and 65% of job satisfaction scores.

 

Value to you
• Modeling evidence-based practices in behavior change
• providing a confidential assessment of individuals and teams
• adding a third party, objective, supportive perspective to your leadership team
• increasing accountability of each leader’s personal and professional goals
• improving specific skills related to each leader’s role, such as supervisory or managerial skills, interpersonal communication, executive presence, conflict resolution, productivity
• sharing world-class techniques from superb organizations that have done similar work
• reviewing strategic business decisions related to operations, customer service, marketing, management or financials
• being a sounding board for communication issues
• preventing problems, thereby avoiding more expensive, time consuming or embarrassing actions
• supporting each leader’s growth past any limiting beliefs

 

Our scope of services
Individual executive leadership coaching typically requires at least 6 months of engagement for over 40 hours. All coaching service levels include an intake session, individual quantitative and qualitative assessments, 360 interviews, written behavioral action plans, milestone meetings with stakeholders, constructive actions, and accountability. We have a network of executive coaches throughout the U.S.  All consulting and coaching services are guaranteed.

 

Your expected outcomes
Develop leadership capacity in areas that are key to each leader’s success

Drive organizational performance through tactical execution, deliberate practice of desired behaviors, and focused strategic thinking

Leverage each leader’s strengths and mitigate risks, so that each leader can increase the probability of achieving key       organizational outcomes

Increase retention of desired leaders

Our clients have experienced up to 1,200% return on investment, up to 60% increase in productivity, and up to 300% revenue growth. There are 100+ client testimonials at www.action-learning.com and on social media. Your outcomes need to be defined.

 

Your next steps
For products and services visit us a twww.action-learning.com/action-leadership-store/  or here

 

To schedule a meeting or conversation contact:
Doug Gray, PCC  here or call 615.905.1892

 

The bottom line
Action leads to learning.
All leaders require executive coaching at times.
Your most critical investment is to retain your desired employees.

 

What are you waiting for?

Download this list of services and investment levels now:

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).

Document2

 

 

 

  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.

 

Telemedicine: What’s the problem and how to increase adoption?

Every U.S. citizen has a vested interest and an opinion about the quality and effectiveness of healthcare delivery, a $3.8 trillion industry with rapidly escalating costs.

The fastest-growing industry in healthcare is telemedicine, which is now used in over 50% of the hospitals in the U.S. to promote remote access to healthcare. Examples range from tele-surgery to tele-emergency care to tele-psychiatry. The reasons for telemedicine abound. It allows specialized care to be distributed from a central hub to a rural location or an underserved population, efficiently and at lower costs.  For instance, in 2012, the Veterans Administration (VA) documented over 1.5 million telehealth sessions, for over 35% of veterans.

Problem statement and opportunity

The primary problem with telemedicine is low user adoption rates because many people resist organizational change. The result is massive waste that can be reduced.   Telemedicine technology and processes exist. However, organizational readiness for telemedicine results from two variables: 1) ability to change, and 2) motivation to change. The innovation diffusion curve (see Figure 1) demonstrates an immediate opportunity for telemedicine initiatives to move from the early adopter phase to the majorities.

Organizational readiness for telemedicine can be measured.   The key variables for organizational readiness include 1) executive sponsors who champion the ability and need to change, 2) buying agents convinced by case studies or ROI data of the economic value for the change, and 3) consumers driven by a compelling need for effective, inexpensive health care outcomes. The need for organizational leadership innovations in telemedicine programs is immediate.

DOI curve

Figure 1: The innovation diffusion curve (in Rogers (2003) Diffusions of Innovation)

Unique opportunity:  Tennessee

Although resistance to telemedicine is a global problem, we have a unique opportunity to provide a solution from Tennessee. Described as the “Global Center of Healthcare,” Nashville, TN has over 400 healthcare companies, spawned from Healthcare Corporation of America (HCA). On January 1, 2015, Tennessee became the 21st state to enact “telemedicine parity” legislation requiring that insurers reimburse licensed health care providers for services delivered remotely just as they would for in-person visits. On February 15, 2015 Tennessee added law stating that telehealth providers will be held to the same level of care as direct care providers (SB 1223). That law “opened the door” for telemedicine services to be delivered remotely, at lower cost, to rural minorities in Tennessee. We are in the right time at the right place to lead innovation in telemedicine.

Sadly, there is resistance to telemedicine from consumers and administrators who do not trust the government, or the technology, or the financial benefits. A telemedicine visit may cost $50 and take 10 minutes (e.g. MD Live, Teladoc); an ER visit may cost $150 and take 3 hours; a hospital visit may cost $15,000 and take 3 days. Telemedicine has demonstrated a 10X cost savings. Unless, of course, there is organizational resistance to change, in which case telemedicine is a waste of time and resources.

One administrator said, “We have 3 telemedicine kiosks sitting in a storage room, hidden by sheets. The vendor who provided them no longer exists.   The technology may be extraordinary, but I cannot get my physicians and nurses to use it.” His experience represents hundreds of wasteful healthcare initiatives.

What can you do to increase adoption of telemedicine? 

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.

2014 Executive Coaching summary from the Conference Board

Hello friends,

I thought you may want to see some recent trend data for external coaching and internal coaching, by industry and size of company.

Highlights:

  1. After the recession, companies are investing more than ever in leadership development and key talent, with both external and internal coaching  
  2. 39% of these 140 companies use internal coaches for leaders who are lower in the organization, and over 75% use external coaches for their senior leaders (directors and above)
  3. The top 3 types of coaching remain 1) development-focused coaching, 2) performance-focused coaching, and 3) 360 debriefs
  4. Fees invoiced at a standard or fixed rate per engagement, rather than an hourly or variable rate, have increased from 26% in 2012 to 38% in 2014
  5. Hourly rates for executive coaching range from $600+/hour for CEOs and direct reports to $300/hour for directors and above; naturally, those rates vary by size of the company, industry, and level of the leaders
  6. The top 3 topics covered in coaching engagements have not changed for many years; they include:  1) executive presence/ influencing skills, 2) relationship management, and 3) leading teams and people development

If you should have any questions, please let me know.

Doug Gray, PCC,  CEO/Founder www.action-learning.com

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