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Video (4 min. 15 sec.)  Reference Whitmore, John Coaching for Performance Nicholas Brealey Publishing 2009 Questions Tool for Coaching Download pdf (text of video) Text of Video (3 - 5 min. reading time) In this article you will learn why coaching is so important to effective leadership and how to coach when it feels like there is No Time.
Video (5 min. 50 sec.)  Instructions to access Resource Guide The Resource Guide for strategies which accelerate deliberate practice is available for subscribers only. Obtain a link to the guide by subscribing for free monthly articles at Subscribe. You may unsubscribe at any time. References The full reference list for deliberate practice is available for subscribers only. Obtain a link to the list by subscribing for free monthly articles at Subscribe. You may unsubscribe at any time. 1. Ericsson Anders, Pool Robert Peak: secrets from the new science of expertise Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2016 Download pdf (text of video) Text of Video (4 - 6 min. reading time) This article is for experienced, seasoned leaders who feel, or who have felt at some time in the past, the aspiration to bring their highest values, skills, and passion to any and all situations, including those that are very provocative and difficult.
Video (5 min. 36 sec.)  References
Download pdf (text of video) Tool for Ongoing Review Meetings for Improvement Initiatives Available for subscribers only. Subscribe for free monthly resources and obtain a link to the tool by clicking on the subscribe button below . You may unsubscribe at any time. Text of video (4 - 6 min. reading time) In this article you will learn that secrets to successful healthcare innovation too often stay hidden, why this happens, and what is needed to uncover them.
Here are two brief stories of improvement initiatives told at conferences in which critical success factors emerged only when I later talked individually with the presenters. Video (5 min. 40 sec.)  Additional resources for developing norms
Brief overview and list of references for “Beware of the Potential Harms of Trust”
Download pdf (text of video) Subscribe for free monthly resources and a link to articles and tools for subscribers only. Text of video (4 - 5 min. reading time) In this article you will learn about the potential harms of trust and five safeguards or ground rules to prevent them. How we define trust is the important issue.
Video (5 min. 38 sec.)  References
Additional resources Provides more details about indicators of "reactivity"--another term for "messiness." Explains a method to reflect on personal behavior to identify our own messiness. Explains why team norms are so important and why it is so easy not to set them. Download pdf (includes text of video) Subscribe for free monthly articles and videos and links to tools for subscribers only. Text of video (4 - 5 min. reading time) Imagine someone has video-recorded you during every minute of your work the last week and you are now watching it. What are the odds that you will wince in some parts because of mistakes in the way you behaved or communicated?
Video (5min.)  References
Download pdf (text of video) Text of video (4 - 5 min. reading time) Our beliefs about what causes problematic behavior in others substantially impact our ability to influence change.
Video (6 min. 30 sec.)  Tool A Four-Step practice--Guiding Questions References 1. Ellis, Albert The Road to Tolerance Prometheus Books 2004 2. Kahneman, Daniel Thinking Fast and Slow Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2011 Reference List on Reactivity Download pdf (text of video) Subscribe for free monthly articles and links to tools for subscribers only Text of video (4 - 6 min. reading time) In this article you will learn about a four-step practice for a major leadership challenge—seeing our own contribution to problems. I discovered this challenge in my first leadership position supervising a staff of doctors and nurses at a hospital.
Video (4 min. 39 sec.) Links to brief articles Having trouble motivating others?--a quick diagnostic Active telling--the art of assuring people listen to you Reference
Download pdf with text of video Subscribe for free monthly articles and links to tools for subscribers only Text of video (4 - 5 min. reading time) It is nearly automatic to feel that resistance is about the people resisting—that resistance is IN the resistors.
When caught in this perspective, we tend to focus on our “messaging” (the content of what we are saying) in order to convince them or motivate them or get them to buy-in. This approach creates substantial risk that people will feel we are trying to change them leading to push back or passive compliance with a negative impact on results. There is a more effective way but it requires a shift in perspective. We need to see that it is not true resistance is IN others.  A common concern of even very successful leaders I work with is lack of sufficient confidence about giving and receiving feedback in the midst of day-to-day work.
This is not surprising because feedback is inherently uncomfortable and risky. But, providing timely, effective feedback is essential if we are after the highest team capacity for transformation. Confidence in taking this on is enhanced by working with the following five barriers. 1. Lack of a motivating, compassionate purpose for feedback. To counter discomfort, it helps to have a motivating, compassionate purpose. For example: “Feedback is not about correcting bad behavior. Under stress, everyone will, at times, act in ways counter to norms. The purpose of feedback is to help everyone be at their best.” 2. Lack of sharing and assuring mutual understanding of different perceptions. Relational problems usually set off the nearly automatic tendency to leap from limited data to strong but often flawed conclusions. Effective, respectful feedback depends on stepping back from such certainty. Instead of just “giving feedback,” the initial aim should be to stay open and elicit and assure mutual understanding of each person’s view even if in disagreement. 3. Lack of exchange of information specific enough to enable problem solving . Feedback is too often given in global generalizations. Then, the chances are high for provoking defensiveness and not getting to specific information which enables problem solving. For example, a client of mine was told by a colleague: “You are a very negative person.” Resisting her impulse to react, my client asked for a specific example and was told: “When I asked you for help yesterday, you said ‘No’ and walked away.” Such “negativity” had not happened before. My client apologized and they agreed not to use quick hallway conversations to ask for help. 4. Lack of shared norms for feedback. Shared norms promote helpful feedback. Examples are: (a) Avoid global generalizations; (b) Use "I" statements and offer feedback as perceptions, not as The Truth; (c) Give descriptions of words and behaviors from specific work situations; and (d) Seek each person’s perception. 5. Lack of sufficient leadership engagement in giving and receiving feedback. A key objective is to develop feedback-rich team interactions. To do so, leaders have to model giving and receiving feedback--especially receiving it. Do you often ask how others have experienced interactions with you? All leaders make mistakes at times. Do you acknowledge them? Effective, timely feedback is not easy. It requires reformulating what feedback is all about. It reqiures universal respect and compassion. It requires constant practice. Working with the five barriers increases confidence and helps to embed feedback in daily leadership practice. Download pdf Subscribe for free monthly articles and links to tools for subscribers only  When facing difficult relational problems at work, it is natural and nearly automatic for us all to want to diagnose what is wrong and come up with THE right solution as soon as possible.
It is very common to leap quickly to strong but faulty conclusions. One example is attributing relational problems to personality issues or lack of skills. Actually, situational issues are far more often the primary cause of difficult behavior. Situational complexity and stress are inherent in organizational life. These factors easily provoke differing viewpoints and experiences among the people involved. Relational problems arise most frequently when these differences have not been adequately heard and understood. Pushing for a solution prior to such understanding runs a substantial risk of negative reactions and push back. Resisting the rush to diagnoses and solutions and taking the time for “dialogue and discovery” usually leads to much more success. By engaging in dialogue, a process of hearing and understanding different viewpoints, new perceptions and solutions emerge surprisingly often. While there are no recipes or scripts, the following three steps provide guidance. 1. Reflect—recognize and manage leaps to conclusions in yourself
2. Dialogue—first, set aside finding solutions in order to build mutual understanding
3. Decide—seek agreement to meet again (expect multiple conversations for resolution)
The first step can be the most difficult. When the stakes feel high, at times we all have unproductive habits of reaction. These take practice to change and, sometimes, coaching. The productive habit we need to continuously strengthen is counter-intuitive: we need to slow down the rush to solutions and take one small step at a time through dialogue and discovery. This enables the chances for the best success for both task and relational goals. Additional resources Subscribe for free monthly articles and obtain links to articles and tools for subscribers only including the Resource Guide for In-the-Moment Leadership Strategies and the reference list Books That Inspire A “Dialogue and Discovery” Mindset. Click below.  Not only are there hundreds of thousands of books on leadership and associated topics but they offer a bewildering variety of frameworks, models, and terminologies. On the one hand, this is a very good thing. Having served as a leader for many years, I have been deeply appreciative of many great approaches. But, as a leader, I usually faced a huge number of issues every day. It was hard to recall more than a few strategies in the moment. So, all through my career I have sought one short list of strategies for easy reference that would be powerful in problem-solving across many types of situations. Could it be possible to create such a list? Find out more in the Resource Guide for In-the-Moment Leadership Strategies available for subscribers only. Click on the button below to subscribe for free monthly articles and obtain a link to the Guide as well as other resources. Subscribe for free monthly articles and links to resources for subscribers only
You may unsubscribe at any time.  An executive in a recent workshop I led pulled me aside to privately say: “I know I need to reflect on the way I am thinking, feeling, and acting to be a better leader but I don’t know how.” I was taken aback by his honesty. This was clearly hard for him to reveal. He chose not to ask in front of the group. Reflection seems so straightforward. But is it? What 420 leaders say about reflection… It turns out the executive who pulled me aside is not alone. Of 420 healthcare leaders I surveyed at talks on leadership, almost all indicated they face one or more barriers to reflection. Two of the most common, each checked by nearly half of the leaders, were “uncertainty about how to do it well” and “lack of time.” The majority of written comments were about struggles with prioritizing and taking the time for reflection. Some of this was attributed to being “caught up” in issues such as “lack of trust in the organization” or “lack of political capital to get anything done.” One leader attributed his difficulty reflecting to “weakness.” Another wrote that it is “hard to change habits.” What brain science says about reflection… At the heart of things, creating a reflective practice is creating a new habit. We all know changing habits like diet and exercise is hard. But I think reflection is much harder. In reflecting, we work to shift from being “caught up” in our thoughts and feelings to looking at them to expand our understanding of situations and open to more creative and effective options. Brain science has indicated that experiential information we take in is coupled to automatic, habitual ways of explaining events. Our brains are hard-wired for us to leap to conclusions from limited data in nanoseconds. It takes work to “decouple” ourselves from such automatic processes. But, even brief reflection such as taking 15 minutes to write down lessons learned from experience can yield more objective understanding of events and better options. (1 – 2) Hard-wired to avoid transformation Transformation involves getting to new perspectives. Because our brain hard-wiring can easily trap us into biased conclusions, we benefit from developing a regular practice of questioning our own thoughts. This is not easy for the ego. It is humbling. The tendency is to jump quickly to feeling “right” rather than leaving ourselves open to uncertainty. Think about how easy, common, and seductive it is to be sure other people are “the problem” rather than looking at our own contribution to problems. Missing the true level of our accomplishments Another challenge is that our automatic responses can make it surprisingly easy to miss the true level of success we have had. Seeing our successes accurately is crucial to changing habits. For example, in the middle of a longer conversation, almost as an aside, a leader mentioned she had resolved a conflict with a team. I said “Wait! At the start of this conflict, what would you have estimated for the chances of achieving this level of success?” She replied “No more than a 20% chance.” Suddenly, this event became one worth reflecting on. How did she pull this off? Three steps forward you can take right now I guarantee you have already had multiple experiences of “decoupling” yourself from automatic thinking. The challenge is to turn such experience into an intentional and systematic practice. There is no way around carving out time. But, you can start small. For example, carve out one half-hour a week to reflect on a past or current situation. Next, start trying out a consistent set of questions for guidance. Be willing to change them over time to find out what works for you. Here is a quick set to work from: What happened?; What were my thoughts, feelings, and actions?; What did I do that was helpful and unhelpful?; Where did I leap to conclusions?; How did I contribute to the problems?; What options might I consider?; What will I try next?; What do I hope to accomplish? Finally, be sure to keep the goals for actions small to build confidence. For that leader who resolved the team conflict, her first step was to simply listen to the team and explore their concerns. That was transformational for her instead of needing a solution in one meeting. Consider engaging an extra set of neurons The journey of developing a reflective practice also benefits from episodes of coaching and consultation. In my own work with clients, I think of myself as offering “an extra set of neurons” to increase power in countering hard-wired responses and generating creativity. In the wild complexity of organizational life, two brains can sometimes be better than one. Obtain tools for situational reflection and action planning by subscribing now for free monthly articles. You may unsubscribe at any time. References
Download pdf  The worst mistakes I made over 24 years as an organizational leader were how I told things to people.
I know excellent leadership depends on great listening—I was a natural with that. Each moment of listening is a step forward in building commitment. But, early in my career, my way of telling too often led to pushback or withdrawal into silence—it was like three steps backwards with commitment. A recipe for people not really listening At that time, I was driven by a need for success which led to a need to convince people of my ideas. So, I worked hard to present ideas in a powerful and inspirational way, minimizing weaknesses and flaws. I was well-prepared and could quickly counter any perceived limitations or risks. The trouble was that people almost always had concerns—few organizational actions are risk-free. Too often, my quick retorts made them feel not listened to. This would provoke debate we could not resolve well or silent discontent which slowed or blocked the actions I wanted. A paradox of skillful telling As I sought research and advice about telling, I discovered that even the most inspirational speech is lucky if it gets even 20% of people on board! (1) The large majority of people have to talk their way toward commitment over multiple conversations. Paradoxically, people are more likely to pull together around an idea if they are able to freely express and explore concerns. Also, people need to be able to talk things over to figure out how an idea connects to what is important to them. I even had to face the humbling reality that my best ideas had holes and flaws. In complex systems, no one person has the full picture and everyone has a perspective to learn from. It was very hard, but I gradually learned to link success with actually seeking out negative reactions. A method for skillful telling To tell effectively I first prepare myself by remembering “My best ideas are just theories to be tested and improved upon.” Then I proceed with a cycle of Ask-Tell-Ask (2):
Several cycles of Ask-Tell-Ask get a lot out on the table. People are more likely to feel taken seriously. Concerns can get then converted into issues for problem solving and action. Risks and traps in active telling I call this approach active telling because, like active listening, it is two-way—the goal is to assure mutual understanding and exploration of ideas even if there is disagreement. I have experienced first-hand several risks and traps. Watch out for the inevitable lure back into convincing others. Also, I have learned to be careful that helping others feel heard does not lead to premature abandonment or revision of my ideas. The reverse can happen--dealing with negativity can easily pull us all, at times, into getting more rigid and discounting feedback. Human affairs are never perfect. There is no guarantee these methods mean people will really listen to you. But, the chances for getting to true commitment are much higher. Resources
References (1) Baker, Neil The Impact of a Visionary Speech. (2) Adapted from multiple sources including Miller, William R., Rollnick, Stephen Motivational Interviewing The Guilford Press 2012. See the tool on active telling for full list of references. Download pdf  Success sometimes depends on where you look.
Results from my survey of 420 healthcare leaders published in the Physician Leadership Journal in March 2016 suggest that relational barriers to improvement are very common but are all too frequently overlooked or inadequately addressed. (If you wish to read the article, contact me and I will send you a copy.) Since publication, a follow-up survey of 293 additional healthcare leaders adds to the story. New data suggests an opportunity for action. 80% of the leaders in the new survey reported their organizations specify norms and values to guide behavior and communication. But, it appears that the norms and values are not used as often as needed--such as to give feedback to address problematic communication getting in the way of collaboration. In these situations, only 10% of the leaders indicated feedback happens very frequently and only 30% of the leaders indicated it happens even half of the time it is needed. One likely cause is that giving and receiving feedback is quite uncomfortable—even for people with advanced communication skills. It is very easy for anyone, at times, to not take action. Also, it is quite easy to fall into thinking of norms as correcting “bad” behavior which further inhibits feedback. Stress and complexity will cause everyone at times to act in ways inconsistent with team norms. Feedback is not about scolding bad behavior but giving necessary reminders to help everyone more consistently act at their highest level of relational skills. How do you move beyond the discomfort of feedback? You can’t--feedback just is uncomfortable. But you can decrease discomfort by steady practice. This takes courage, determination, and hard work. You could act now by creating or revisiting norms with teams and protecting time in meetings to review what is and is not working. Or, more simply, you could start by reading about relational issues (see references below) and reflecting about what you believe makes for good work relationships--i.e. get clear on your own norms. Practice watching for inevitable times you do not act consistently with your own norms. Test giving and receiving feedback with trusted colleagues. If you find yourself not moving forward, consider getting consultation and coaching. Our task is to keep relational issues from becoming hidden in plain view. Achieving the highest quality of teamwork and the best results are at stake. Resources for team norms and feedback.
Download pdf  One of the worst teams I’ve been part of was comprised of experts on facilitating teams.
Our meetings were chaotic and unproductive as some experts got into intense debates without really listening to each other while some fell into silence. I am embarrassed to say I participated in the mess. When we finally stopped to actually apply our team expertise to ourselves, we transformed and had great results. We did not eliminate all problems but we managed them much better. What helped most in turning this team of experts around? It became clear to us that we had overlooked defining and using team norms. Norms are ground rules or guidelines for how members communicate and behave with each other—like really listening to each other, exploring ideas instead of debating them, giving feedback without blaming, assuring everyone’s involvement, and being clear about how decisions will be made. Even if, like my experts, team members bring a lot of prior experience with norms, every team has to create them yet again. Norms gain their power through development in conversation. Why are team guidelines about communication and behavior so important? Team which do not define and use norms are at higher risk for falling into mediocre performance or failure. In a study of 120 senior leadership teams, only 21% were high performing and the factor most strongly associated with high performance was clarity and use of norms—not brilliance in things like strategy, quality, or efficiency. (1) Defining and using norms leads to better communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution all of which lead to both better results and higher quality work relationships. The latter enhances sustainability and team resilience. Why is it so easy to overlook establishing adequate team norms?
For example, compare “We need to feel safe.” to “When someone offers an idea we will always check understanding to make sure they feel heard.” Or, “When we give feedback we will avoid negative labels and be specific about the situation and behaviors we have observed. We will own observations as perceptions and not The Truth and check out each other’s perceptions.”
Feedback is facilitated by making explicitly clear that it is not about “bad behavior.” Getting off track from norms can happen to anyone at any time no matter how long a team has worked together. Feedback is about helping people be at their best. Leaders can help greatly by modeling feedback including inviting it about themselves.
Transform team problems into learning and creativity. Strong evidence links quality of team experience to better results, resilience, and sustainability. Norms are the rudder to maintain the desired team experience. I am humbled by how easy it is, even for experts, to neglect norms. By remembering this aspect of our humanness, I am better at helping myself and others transform team problems into learning and creativity. Tool to guide creation of team norms In-the-Moment Reminder for Team Norms--available for subscribers only. To subscribe for free monthly articles and tools, click on Subscribe. Reference 1. Wageman, Ruth et al Senior Leadership Teams Harvard Business Review Press 2008. Download pdf |