Developing Leadership Teams: Developing an Owners Manual

Developing an Owners Manual

This course explains a process of helping groups of unit or productlevel managers function effectively as a leadership team. Instructions: Clicking on the right arrow will take you through the course one slide at a time. If you are interrupted, there are links that can take you to a specific slide without having to go back through the slides you've already seen. Chapter 1 - Introduction Chapter 2 - Defining a Unique Mission Chapter 3 - Critical Leverage Areas Chapter 4 - Ownership of Critical Leverage Areas Chapter 5 - Operating Principles Chapter 6 - A Road Test Meeting Chapter 7 - Moving Ahead Certificate of Completion Quiz

Chapter 1 - Introduction
What you will learn: What is a Leadership Team, why they are unique, and the major events needed for improved teamwork. , Purpose of the Program

Purpose of the program

To provide the tools to facilitate: - the major events necessary to become a leadership team - a road test meeting based on these major events - a leadership team becoming a functioning unit.
Who Can Be A Facilitator?
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Who can be the facilitator:

An internal person with facilitation skills and who has the confidence of the team. An outside facilitator (like uswe have done this for a number of leadership teams), The leadership team leader (this is hard to be a neutral third party).

What is a leadership team?

A small group of managers, each responsible for a unique organization product or unit, that meets periodically to provide leadership in support of the total organization mission and goals. Examples of leadership teams

Examples of leadership teams:

Plant levelPlant Manager, Operations Manager, Human Resources Manager, Purchasing Manager. Staff levelDirector of Human Resources, Manager of Compensation and Benefits, Manager of Labor Relations, Manager of Organization Effectiveness, Manager of Safety, Manager of Selection and Development. Regional sales/product line levelRegional Manager, Product line "A" manager, Product line "B" manager, Product line "C" manager. Executive levelChief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of Operations, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Executive Vice President of Administration, Executive Vice President of Research and Technology.

Why are leadership teams different?

Why are leadership teams different? They:

- dont interact daily - are a parallel organization - are a servant providing leadership to those people they serve Their Product is leadership!
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The parallel organization

Stumbling blocks for teamwork

Individuals are rewarded on their organizations accomplishments not on this teams accomplishments. Information systems reinforce silo thinking versus team effort.
Major events on the road to becoming a team

Chapter 2 - Our unique mission: what will happen on our watch?

What you will learn: The importance of and process for developing a unique leadership team mission. Why develop a unique leadership team mission? Guidelines for defining the leadership team mission
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Examples of leadership team missions A process for defining the leadership team mission Why develop a leadership team mission?

Why develop a unique leadership team mission?

Shifts the focus from activities to outcomes/deliverables, The process forces the group to define their unique products, Without a unique product, the myth of teamwork disappears, they are a group of people meeting to exchange information, not a team.

A MISSION STATEMENT MEETING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

1. It contains answers to the following questions: Who are we? What do we do? Who do we serve? How do we do it? Why do we do it? 2. Concise - Maximum three sentences 3. Use energy words.

Example of a leadership team mission

REGIONAL BUSINESS UNIT WE PROVIDE LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE TO OUR INTERNAL CUSTOMERS THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF CORPORATE, LOCAL, AND DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENTS. WE SERVE AS ROLE MODELS AND OWNERS OF THE CULTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION. WE ENABLE THE DEPARTMENTS TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR MISSION

A process for defining the leadership team mission

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1. Divide the leadership team (LT) into small groups (3-5 people per group). 2. Each group is to develop, independently, a mission statement for the LT and write it on a flip chart. (15 minutes) 3. Each group posts their statement and others: ask questions for clarification, identify what they like in the statment (underline these things). The entire LT develops a common mission statement. 5. Chart it, read it, and go around the room and ask each person to say "yes", if not change until all can say "yes". 6. Assign one person to clean up the statement for review at the next meeting 4.

Chapter 3 - Table of Contents

What you will learn: The importance of, and, how to help the team develop critical leverage areas. Why define critical leverage areas? Examples of critical leverage areas A process for defining critical leverage areas

Why define critical leverage areas?

To focus the teams energy and efforts on the critical few things, in their control, that will make a difference in business results.

Examples of critical leverage areas

IN ACCOMPLISHING THE LEADERSHIP TEAM'S MISSION DIRECTION SETTING ALIGNMENT
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 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION INTERFACES (INTERNAL & EXTERNAL) ORGANIZATION CULTURE (SEE ATTACHMENT) COMPETITION MONITORING TEAM SKILLS ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS - PROCESS OWNERS INFORMATION DECISION MAKING TRAINING HIRING & SELECTION PERFORMANCE REVIEWS RECOGNITION AND REWARDS COMPENSATION ETC.

A process for defining critical leverage areas

1. Show the LT examples of critical leverage areas. 2. Based on the LT mission statement, brainstorm what they should be for this LT. 3. Develop the final list on a flip chart 4. Each team member puts one of the following letters by each critical leverage area: A. Focus efforts, a major push B. Focus efforts on a part (include which part) C. Important in the future, but not now 5. From the voting, select the top four critical leverage areas that will deliver superior results

Chapter 4 - Ownership of critical leverage areas

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What you will learn: the importantce of, and, how to help each team member take ownership for a critical leverage area. Why establish ownership of critical leverage areas? Guidelines for ownership responsibility A process for establishing ownership

Why establish ownership of critical leverage areas?

Ownership creates responsibility to make something happen, if everyone is responsible, nothing gets done. An owner provides energy, focus, and direction

Guidelines for ownership responsibility

Focus team's effort to accomplish results in this area. Clearly define specific end results for element and it's components. Develops agenda for critical leverage area discussion in Leadership Team Meeting. Leads that portion of the meeting. Provides necessary pre-work. Distributes notes on decisions and assignments. Coordinates effort - doesn't do everything. Coordinates with resources outside of the team. For each of the four top critical leverage areas defined in Chapter 3: 1. A separate person on the LT needs to take ownership for each. 2. The owner records on a flip chart a brainstorming discussion with the LT of the outcomes expected from that leverage area. 3. For the next meeting, the owner will clean up and
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A process for establishing ownership

make a straw person recommendation to the entire LT.

Chapter 5 - Team Operating Principles

What you will learn: the importance of, and, how to help the team develop realistic operating principles. Why have operating principles? Cautions! Guidelines for defining operating principles Examples of operating principles A process for defining operating principle

Why have operating principles?

Explicit operating principles serve as ground rules to help the team function. Operating principles foster discussing the undiscussable. Explicit operating principles facilitate monitoring and adjusting individual and team behavior.

Cautions!
Some teams will resist this because: 1. Been there, done that, it makes no difference. 2. Its soft and we need to be focused on running the business. 3. We are mature adults and beyond this. The more they resist, the more they need to define operating principles, be persistent as a facilitator!

Guidelines for defining operating principles

Operating principles need to be developed in three areas:
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1. How do we act when were together? 2. How do we act when were apart? 3. How do we organize ourselves to maximize efficiency?

How We Act When We Are Together

Respect each other and their views. Be open and honest with each other. Make decisions as a team with the end result in mind. Build on individual skills and diversity to achieve results. When the skills are not present in the group we will seek them elsewhere. Support one another. Seek first to understand; then be understood. Have fun and keep a sense of humor. Encourage everyones input and recognize each other's contribution to the team's success. Direct work toward customer first. Respect confidentiality. Follow through on commitments. Team communications should be distributed to all team members in a timely, accurate, and concise fashion. Keep communication lines open for input from outside sources. Share our new skills. Speak and act as a team. Support one another. Walk the talk.
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How We Act When We Are Apart

How Do We Organize Ourselves to maximize efficiency?

 Schedule meetings three months in advance. At the last meeting of the month, we will schedule a new month. Start and end on time. Our standard agenda distributed in advance. Identify targets and milestones and track progress. Each team member is responsible for "catching up" if a meeting is missed. We will use the buddy system to obtain information. Take stretch break at mid-session At end of meeting clarify assignments, highlight next meeting topics, and critique. Use a gatekeeper to keep us on agenda and timetable, but remain flexible. Notes will be distributed five working days after each meeting.

A process for defining operating principles

Put the three operating principles categories on a flip chart: How do we act when were together? How do we act when were apart? How do we organize ourselves to maximize efficiency? 1. Divide into 3 sub groups by allowing the LT to select which category they want to develop. 2. Define a category owner. 3. For the next meeting, each category team will present a straw person proposal to the entire LT.

Chapter 6 - Road Test: A Leadership Team Meeting

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What you will learn: how to structure leadership team meetings. Why structure leadership team meetings? Guidelines for leadership team meetings A sample agenda - TIPO A sample standard agenda items/meeting flow.
Why structure leadership team meetings?

A sample agenda: TIPO

Name of group:______________ Date:______ Start:_________ End:_________ Place:_____ Background material to be read: ______________________________________ Please bring:___________________________ Time | Item | Person Responsible | Outcomes (TIPO)
Guidelines for leadership team meetings

Guidelines for leadership team meetings

Agree on an agenda format Define standard agenda items/meeting flow

A sample agenda: TIPO

Name of group:______________ Date:______ Start:_________ End:_________ Place:_____ Background material to be read: ______________________________________
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Please bring:___________________________ Time | Item | Person Responsible | Outcomes (TIPO)

A sample standard agenda items/meeting flow

Review agenda and modify. Designate an individual to take notes. Start with review of operating principles, whats working/whats not. Each member selects one operating principle for "How do we act when were together" and champions it during the meetings. During the critique have each member talk about their evaluation of the team in this area. For each item, insure all members understand the outcome of the discussion. Critical leverage are owners progress review. End the meeting with a critique. Build next meetings agenda.

Chapter 7 - Moving Ahead Want a Certificate of Completion for this course?

Click the right arrow and complete a self-test to see if you have mastered the material and to obtain a certificate.

Examples of leadership teams:

Plant levelPlant Manager, Operations Manager, Human Resources Manager, Purchasing Manager.

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Staff levelDirector of Human Resources, Manager of Compensation and Benefits, Manager of Labor Relations, Manager of Organization Effectiveness, Manager of Safety, Manager of Selection and Development. Regional sales/product line levelRegional Manager, Product line "A" manager, Product line "B" manager, Product line "C" manager. Executive levelChief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of Operations, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Executive Vice President of Administration, Executive Vice President of Research and Technolog

Job aid: Developing the habit of coaching

Topic: Slide: Table of Contents 1 of 14

This job aid explains a system of providing coaching over a 21 week period so that it becomes a natural habit. Instructions: Clicking on the right arrow will take you through the job aid one slide at a time. If you are interrupted, there are links that can take you to a specific slide without having to go back through the slides you've already seen. Table of Contents: Topic 1 This is for you if Topic 2 Our Goal Topic 3 Why this Job Aid? Topic 4 Overview Calandar of Events Topic 5 Week 1 Activities Topic 6 Week 2 Activities Topic 7 Week 3-21 Activities Topic 8 Planning Tools Topic 9 Sample Planning Form Topic Ideas to Advance Your Goals
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10 Topic: Slide: This is for you if: 2 of 14

You believe coaching does not add value and is an unproductive use of your time. You feel guilty because daily fires keep you from spending time coaching others. You believe coaching others on performance, delegation, responsibility, accountability, and change is the solution to "draining the swamp", not the problem. You know that others wont make coaching a priority, if you dont. Our Goal 3 of 14

Topic: Slide:

To implement an effective system of providing coaching over a 21 week period so that it becomes a natural habit.

Topic: Slide:

Why this Job Aid? 4 of 14

Others have said it better: - "People who are coaches will be the norm. Other
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people wont get promoted." Jack Welch, CEO, General Electric - "Psychologists have concluded that it takes 21 days of conscious action to form a desired habit. However, if you miss one day, you will have to begin all over again and go 21 more days before your new habit is formed." Jim Davidson, author of How To Plan Your Life. - "Were going to ask for 21 weeks of effort to form this productive habit." Matt M. Starcevich, CMOE - "The chain of habits are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken." Warren Buffett, Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

Topic: Overview Calendar Of Events Slide: 5 of 14

Week 1 - Developing your coaching goals.

A. Identify your top 5 leadership responsibilities, include coaching as one of them. B. Make a commitment to invest at least 2 hours a week
coaching others. We know you work more than a 40-hour week, but that leaves at least 38 hours for your other 4 leadership responsibilities. C. Using something like the Sample Planning Form: - Write a coaching mission statement (a sample). - Develop specific coaching goals (a sample). D. Prioritize your coaching goals (high, medium, or low).

Topic:

Week 2 Activities
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Slide:

9 of 14

For your top priority coaching goal: - Define the specific action(s) you will take this week during your 2 hours of coaching time. - Write out your commitments on something like the Sample Planning Form. - Schedule this weeks action(s) as appointments.

Topic: Slide:

Sample Planning Form 12 of 14

Experiment, don't let this sample be a substitute for good judgement/innovation!

Coaching Others: One of My Top 5 Leadership Responsibilities

My coaching mission statement:

Reflections on last weeks coaching efforts. (What went well, what was problematical, what did I learn, what will I do differently when coaching others next week?)

Coaching Goals

Priority (high, Actions For the Week When (min. 2 medium or of: hours per week): low)

For our unit: For the staff: For me:

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Weeks 3-21 - Reflect, refine, define and implement new actions.

Topic: Slide: Weeks 3-21 Activities 10 of 14

Reflect, Define New Actions, Implement - Reflect on last weeks actions (what went well, what was problematical, what did you learn, what will you do differently when coaching others next week). - Define the specific action(s) for this week (relative to your top priority goal or the next critical goal). - Write out your commitments on something like the Sample Planning Form. - Schedule this weeks action(s) as appointments.

Topic: Slide:

Planning Tools 11 of 14

Paper planners, Electronic organizers like Palm Pilot, and Computer Software like Microsoft Schedule+ or Lotus Organizer Whether the specific tool is paper or electronic the key is to find one that you feel comfortable with. - Select one day a week and record an appointment with yourself. Re. Coaching Planning Time. - Go through the process of "creating an appointment". - If using electronics, select the "alarm" and "repeat" options creating the same appointment every week. If using the paper planner, record this appointment for the next 21 weeks.
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- During this planning time, use something like the Sample

Planning Form. - Go through the process of "creating appointments" throughout the upcoming week to implement your coaching plan for this week. - Honor these appointments as priorities.

Topic: Slide: -

Ideas To Advance Your Goals 13 of 14

Have lunch, coffee, coke chat, etc. with the person to build rapport; focus on only the person and the relationship for now; save the performance issue for later. Read Chapter 9 of The Coach: Creating Partnerships For A Competitive Edge. (If you go there, press the "Back" button on your browser to return to this screen). Write a 3-phase description of the results you would like to see come from your coaching efforts with a particular person; what you would like to see Now, Later, Eventually. "As a result of my coaching efforts, Fred will . . . (Now/Later/Eventually) (describe results). Ask the coachee to give you a list of three things that you can do in the next two weeks to help them on their goal(s). Brief your team on 1 or 2 key concepts from the coaching workshop that you think are most valuable for them. If someone you are coaching is responding positively, ask if they would be willing to help (coach) someone else in turn. Ask someone you are coaching to write a brief summary on what the two of you have worked on over the last 4 to 6 weeks and what progress they think has been made. Read Win-Win Partnerships; Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coaching. (If you go there, press the "Back" button on your browser to return to this screen). Ask your organization about advanced coaching skills
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training. Read 1001 Ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson. (If you go there, press the "Back" button on your browser to return to this screen). The first week of each month, check http://coachingandmentoring.com for updated coaching and mentoring news. (If you go there, press the "Back" button on your browser to return to this screen). Write a short article on coaching for your in-house newsletter, or professional group newsletter. Find someone to help coach you.

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Coaching-the-Coach
Available in English and French

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Who? Anyone in North America desiring to be more comfortable and obtain better results when coaching their Direct Reports, Peers, and/or Managers. If you are faced with a difficult coaching situation and would like to have a neutral sounding board with coaching expertise to ensure positive outcome, this is for you. What? One-on-one Personal Coaching, designed around your time commitments and mutually agreed schedule. Why? You are a pretty good coach but want to take your skills to the next level. Your current coaching approach is not working. You want your skill development to be confidential. You can't take the time away from work to attend a training session. You don't want to work with a group of strangers from different organizations who may or may not understand your unique situation. You want more focused, individualized practice and feedback. You need the help fast. You want the personal attention and follow-up with an experienced coach.

How? We focus on your coaching situations and challenges via a combination of: Telephone conversations to help, offer options, be a sounding board, and explore different approaches. E-mails to spot check progress or when short immediate help or damage control is needed. Internet based support materials.

Our record We have trained over 75,000 coaches plus in-house trainers for organizations that read like the Fortune 500. The coaches range in responsibility from individual contributors to executives. Our book, The Coach: Creating Partnership for a Competitive Edge is a sought after resource. What we offer is research proven, practical and it works. What it is not This is not executive coaching or personal/life coaching. We are trainers and experienced coaches working with you on one important skill, how to be an even better coach. This is a developmental program using your on-the-job
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and work life situations. We will listen, make suggestions, provide feedback on your proposed actions, challenge you, and suggest alternative tools or processes to solve your coaching problems or opportunities. We won't do it for you. Costs

The first Exploration Discussion/Interaction is FREE! Continued Coaching will be billed at $100 per hour (minimum of 1/2 hour), with no long term contract or obligations. Either party can terminate the relationship at any time.

The Next Step: Complete the following no cost or obligation form and we will follow-up with a FREE telephone call anywhere in North America to discuss your needs, our approach and determine if there is a productive fit.

Coaching Behaviors of Transformational Leaders

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Matt M. Starcevich, Ph. D. Transformational leaders make a difference in organization and individual performance?a higher level of commitment from followers, innovation, loyalty and productivity. [1], [2] The literature suggested that Transformational Leaders exhibited these characteristics: Sharing the vision Building a learning environment Being a positive role model Recognizing individual abilities/values Reinforcing self-confidence/independence Supporting their employees Driving out fear Encouraging participation/self-expression Fostering continuous improvement Fostering initiative and responsibility Encouraging persistence Emphasizing intrinsic outcomes Advocating shared leadership

Transformational Leaders as coaches: How would these transformational leadership characteristic play out during coaching discussions between the leaders and their employees? Do transformational leaders behave differently during coaching discussions with their employees from those non transformational leaders? These are critical questions given the ever increasing importance of coaching others in the overall leadership role. Coaching Research Design A sample of High, Medium and Low scoring Transformational Leaders from a group of 77 first through middle level leaders in two organizations was selected.[3] We gave them the same two coaching cases. These cases were dealing with discussion with another person aimed at helping them become more empowered and personally responsible for their growth and changes. We trained two people to play the role of the employee in these cases. The leaders were told that they would be video taped during their discussion and that they were to use their natural style and approach. Over two days, we conducted 24 role play coaching discussions. Before each discussion, we asked the leader to describe their strategy and after each discussion, we asked for their evaluation of the results. We also had the employees provide feedback immediately after the role play and in comparison form at the end of the two days. Coaching Research Results

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Content analysis confirmed that the transformational leaders utilized the Eight Step Coaching Model in these positive, empowering coaching discussions.[4] Only those who scored as "high" transformational leaders saw their role as helper, facilitator, partner, or ally. The "lows" saw their role as a boss. The employees said the conversations with the "highs" were enjoyable and productive while they saw the "lows" as jerks that didn't really care about them as individuals. The "high" transformational leaders utilized engaging interpersonal communication skills.

The following two charts illustrate the difference in some fundamental communication skills, asking questions versus making statements, and sharing the conversation versus dominating the conversation, between those scoring high on the Transformational Leadership (TL), medium and low. Questions Versus Statements LOW TL QUESTIONS STATEMENTS 7% 93% MEDIUM TL 24% 76% HIGH TL 40% 60%

For the High Transformational Leader the coaching interchanges were a discussion for the Low more of a monologue. Inquiry/exploration versus telling, dictating and commanding. This is reinforced when examining the number of lines of text from the employee versus the leader: Employee Versus Leader Lines LOW TL EMPLOYEE LINES LEADER LINES 15% 85% MEDIUM TL 26% 74% HIGH TL 40% 60%

Along with the use of more questions the High Transformation Leaders were more willing to share the conversation load versus the Low who dominated the air time. Summary The Transformational Leaders clearly utilize more engaging interpersonal communication skills during their coaching discussion which we believe contributes to the positive organization and individual performance factors outlined at the beginning of this article. Since we did not define the coaching training received by these leaders we can only assume that this is part of their natural, intuitive style of interacting with others. 24

Is there hope for the other non transformational leaders? Our experience in training thousands of leaders is that the coaching and interpersonal skills that the Transformational Leaders find as natural can be developed. Maybe not at the high level possessed by the Transformational Leaders but at a higher more effective level than what they would do without the training. Coaching is a skill that can be learned and we would argue needs to be learned to increase organizational and individual performance.

[1] Bass, B. M. (1999) Two decades of research and development in transformational leadership. European Journal of Work and Organizational
Psychology, 8 (1), 9-32.

[2] Otto, Carol, A. The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Employee Loyalty, Employee commitment, and Employee [3] Otto, 1993

Perceptions of Organizational Justice. A dissertation submitted to Michigan State University, Department of Educational Administration. 1993.

[4] Starcevich, Matt M. The Coach: Creating Partnerships For A Competitive Edge, revised edition. The Center for Coaching and Mentoring,
2008.

What Can Guide Dogs Teach Mentors and Their Partners? Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)
"We create a profound partnership between person and dog-and help to unleash the potential in both of them." http://www.guidedogs.com As a life long dog owner, I have always been intrigued with dogs and their abilities, especially those working dogs that are highly trained for a specific purpose. In observing and reading about dogs that have been trained as companions for the blind, I am struck with some lessons both mentors and their partner can learn from this special group of dog-people partnerships.

What Mentors can learn:

1. A good guide dog, among other things, listens well, is inquisitive, trustworthy, adaptable to the needs of their partner, wants to do a good job, and their only agenda is their owner's needs. Good mentors are good listeners and build a trusting relationship with their partners. It is not about the mentor but where the partner wants to go, grow and develop. He needed "someone to just care about him as him." 2. Guide dogs receive 4-5 months training. A Mentor, like many managers receives little or no training, one day they are one. As a mentor are you committed to developing your mentoring skills? Can you facilitate the other persons self discovery and have you developed a range of activities to 25

engage your partner in their journey. What reading have you done to prepare yourself to be an even more effective mentor? 3. Guide dogs walk side by side to the destination. As one partner stated "She really taught me to believe in myself." Like the guide dog a good mentor builds the partners confidence in themselves to try new things, to take risks, and to not be afraid of failing. " Mentors must be patient and let a person make mistakes and learn from them and discover answers on their own." 4. Time is spent getting know one another-their strengths, habits, and how to communicate with each other. California law mandates a 28-day training program when a partner is paired with a guide dog. Mentors and partners need to spend the time to get to know one another, from this solid foundation develops the deeper discussions. Honest feedback is a key building block and can occur only after the two are comfortable with each other. In support of this mentors have said:

"I 'm very honest with her and I let her know what I think; I don't mince words." "A good mentor is encouraging and a cheerleader for you, however, they can be your worst critic, but in a positive and constructive way."
5. Each guide dog and their partner are unique; time is spent matching the guide dog with the right partner. A mentor discusses their needs and limitations and seeks a similar sharing from their partner before entering into the mentoring relationships. Do you know when not to enter into a mentoring relationship, the chemistry or situation is just not right? 6. Guide dogs can only enable, assist, and anticipate dangers. Mentors do not make decisions for their partners "He never said, you've got to do it my way, he'd offer suggestions or say, let's think about it this way...I really admired him for that." 7. Guide dogs are very smart-in addition to leading a person safely around obstacles, they also are trained in "intelligence disobedience", they are taught when not to obey an unsafe command. Mentors are chosen based on a record for achievement and success, they are not passive but have a right to state an opinion. The key is to then allow the partner to make the decision.

What Patners can learn:

1. Guide dogs and their partners work as a team. It's your journey all the mentor can do is facilitate the trip-trust them, work with them, be vulnerable in return for their support. 2. Guide dogs take their cues and commands from their human partners; it's up to the person to determine the routes they take and if it is safe to cross a street. All a mentor can do is facilitate your self discovery and provide you some tips and clues-don't expect them to set the course or determine the speed-that's your job. 3. Partners, like the blind, must put forth the effort, be subject to the risks and reach their goals through their own skill and determination.

End notes:

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* Matt Starcevich is the founder of the Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc. He has written The Coach: Creating Partnerships for a Competitive Edge, designed and facilitated workshops on the Coaching Process with thousands of leaders and employees. 1. An excellent four minute video on the relationship between a guide dog and their partner, Soul Mates, can be seen at: http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=resources_video Click on the "Soul Mates" video choice. 2. Interesting and thought provoking quotes about dogs:

"They [dogs] never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation." - Jerome K. Jerome
"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." - Gilda Radner
"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made." - Roger Caras

INTERNET SURVEY RESULTS

Coaching and Mentoring: Are the Generations Expectations Different? Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs) With people living longer and staying in the workplace longer, four generations are likely to find themselves working together. Popular literature suggests that ones generation makes a difference in work ethic, values and career expectations with a resulting potential for collision, conflict and confusion between the generations. One of the keys to effective coaching is recognizing that people are all different and not to ascribe my motives, values, and goals but to understand and adjust to these differences. Our question: Are the coaching and mentoring expectations different, unique or similar across generations? During the third quarter of 2007, one hundred and twenty-three people responded from the following accepted generation groups: Estimated population size[i] 75 million (25% still in workforce) 80 million

# of respondents 10

Generation group Traditionalists or Seniors Baby Boomers

Born between 1920-1945 1946-1964

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42 38 33 Generation Xers GenY, Millenials, GeNext 1965-1977 1977-2002 46 million 76 million

Forty nine percent were male and fifty-one percent female. Our hope is that these results will give some insight to the notions that the generations are different and not to suggest an impossible prototype for how to coach these millions of individuals.

Generalizations Made About Changing Expectations:

Work is not the most important thing.
The Now Generation (Xers and GenY) are often depicted as detached and uninvolved in work. Our data does not support this generalization. When asked: I would describe myself as working to live versus living to work. On a 1-5 scale,with 1=Strongly Disagree and 5= Strongly Agree, average responses were: Seniors 4.10 Boomers 3.69 Xers 3.84 GenY 3.64

Clearly the Seniors, as expected feel work is important. What is surprising is that the other three generations on average are approaching an agree score. One would have suspected much lower scores particularly from the GenY respondents, granted they are the lowest but still in the 3+ range.

Long term careers with one organization are a thing of the past.
Our respondents were not as emphatic. How long do you plan on staying with your current organization? - Less than one year - At least the next 5 years - Plan on staying my entire working life Seniors 25% 25% 50% Boomers 19% 47.6% 33.4% Xers 15.8% 68.4% 15.8% GenY 18.2% 57.6% 24.2%

With retirement approaching the Seniors responses are understandable. However, focusing on the other generations what is surprising is about half chose to respond at least the next 5 years. Economic and geo-political conditions might be contributing to a greater commitment to one organization than thought especially from our youngest generation. Granted roughly less than twenty percent didnt see spending more than one year with the current organization but half or more of the respondents, Now Generations (Xers and GenY) are willing to commit for at least the next 5 years, slightly more than the Boomers, and, almost a fourth of the GenY plan on staying my entire working life. This makes one wonder about the validity of this generalization especially for the GenY respondents to this survey. On a more positive note maybe organizations have changed to make staying for the long haul more attractive.

One career path is a thing of the past.

The Now Generation has been stereotyped as having temporary careers while keeping all options openeverything is transient. Our data does not support that there is a difference between generations when thinking about career paths. Question: I would say that I am trying to build a portfolio of careers with many options versus developing in one career or career path. On a 1-5 scale with 1=Strongly Disagree and 5= Strongly Agree, responses were: Seniors 3.50 Boomers 3.10 Xers 3.29 GenY 3.52

Keeping ones options open, developing career choices, and being willing to change careers is not the sole trait of any one generation. Interesting is that Seniors and GenY have a similar average

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score on this question. Downsizing, mergers, moving jobs off shore, global marketing has not fallen on deaf ears for all our respondents they get the message be flexible and adaptable in an ever changing world.

Job security has been replaced as the primary Performance Reward

Literature suggests that for Boomers the reward for hard work is money while the motivators for Xers are time with family and outside interests and GenY wants work that has meaning. Responses to two of our questions dont fully support these generalizations. Which of the following is your strongest reward preference? Seniors My income package: cash rewards, employee stock options plans, aggressive salary treatment, etc. My career development: acquiring new skills, work in a job/project with better long-term career prospects, opportunity to attend professional training, etc. My job satisfaction: more autonomy in work, opportunity to move to more preferred jobs/projects, etc. 20% 30% Boomers 23.8% 47.6% Xers 21.1% 55.3% GenY 24.2% 51.5%

50%

28.6%

23.7%

24.2%

A fairly constant percentage of the respondents still value My Income Package regardless of their generation. If we add the two categories, My Career Development and My Job Satisfaction the results indicate only a slight difference across all four generations. Boomers are supposed to be driven by money, title and recognition, Xers prefer time with family and outside interestnot according to these results. GenY wants work that has meaning, yes but they are no different than Boomers or Xers. Which of these two choices best describes your Career Drivers or Career Aspirations? Good pay: security of having a job for your entire working life; good retirement benefits; a job entailing a good social status; working for a stable or growing organization, being well rewarded for continuous service; and working regular hours Rewards that are clearly linked to performance: an opportunity to learn new things and upgrade your skills; the opportunity to work abroad/travel; cooperative a supportive co-workers; progressive working conditions e.g., flex-time, job sharing; and the opportunity to use cutting edge technology and facilities Seniors 30% Boomers 47.6% Xers 44.7% GenY 27.3%

70%

52.4%

55.3%

72.7%

Although the Boomers and Xers want more pay and retirement stability, the majority of all the generations want performance based rewards and the opportunity to learn new things in a progressive work environment. Interesting that the Seniors and GenY are about equal in their preferences in this area. This set of data does not support the gaps and differences that the popular literature would suggest for these two generalizations about differences in Performance Rewards between the generations.

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Coaching and Mentoring Expectations and Relationships

Do the generations have different expectations for coaching and mentoring discussions?
During coaching discussions with your immediate manager would you prefer: Seniors The focus be on improving your weaknesses The focus be on improving your strengths 10% 90% Boomers Xers 54.8% 45.2% 50% 50% GenY 66.7% 33.3%

During mentoring discussions with your immediate manager would you prefer: Seniors The focus be on improving your weaknesses The focus be on improving your strengths 40% 60% Boomers Xers 53.7% 46.3% 57.9% 42.1% GenY 54.5% 45.5%

All generations except the Seniors slightly favor that both coaching and mentoring discussions focus on improving weaknesses. Seniors favor that both discussions focus on improving strengths. One explanation is that the Seniors have worked through out their entire career on training, growing and developmental plans: their weaknesses may be few or unchangeable, they want to building on strengths that have been converted from weaknesses or finding where their true niche strengths can best be used by organizations.

Are the Strengths and Weaknesses different in job performance and personal development discussions? An earlier study (http://coachingandmentoring.com/mentsurvey.htm ) suggests that the coach is job-focused while a mentor person is person focused. If this is true, the strengths and weaknesses discussed would be different in the coaching versus the mentoring interactions.

Is there a difference in the style of feedback preferred between the generations?

We are lead to believe that the Now Generation doesnt want one-on-one meetings but prefers instant messaging formats; our data does not support this generalization. I would prefer that my coaching and mentoring discussions utilize the technology of text messaging, email or telephone conversations versus one-on-one meetings. The scale used for all the following questions: 1-5 with 1=Strongly Disagree and 5= Strongly Agree, all scores are averages for each generation group. Seniors 3.30 Boomers 3.57 Xers 3.68 GenY 3.48

During a coaching or mentoring discussion I prefer bite sized pieces of information in a short and concise form versus long drawn out conversations. Seniors 2.20 Boomers 2.50 Xers 2.45 GenY 2.76

High tech, low touch does not appear to be valued during coaching and mentoring discussions. There is slight to little difference between the generations, coaches and mentors need to continue with the high touch face time all generations require.

Is there a difference in the amount of feedback preferred between the generations?

The literature suggest that Seniors believe "No news is good news" Baby Boomers "Once a year, formal and documented is needed" Xers "Give me feedback all the time" and GenY "Electronic connection is fine by me." Our data does not provide that clear of a distinction. I would describe myself as requiring a lot of feedback, reinforcement, support and attention.

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Seniors 1.90

Boomers 2.26

Xers 2.55

GenY 3.03

GenY is supposed to require the least support but they have the highest average score: a 3 is an uncertain score, whereas Seniors disagree. More interesting than the generational differences is the similarity in the low levels of all the scores, maybe they are saying, treat us as adults, let us do our thing, help when needed but dont micro manage, or do all generation desire to be their own boss.

Is there a difference in type of training solutions preferred between the generations?

In our internet, distant learning world one would believe that there is a shift from formal training courses to quick learning events; our data does not support this generalization. If with my coach or mentor we develop a training solution I would prefer this to be quick learning events versus a training course that occurs over a number of days. Seniors 2.09 Boomers 3.07 Xers 3.45 GenY 3.09

A 3 was an uncertain choice, which could be interpreted as it depends." Even with this qualification we expected more agreement especially from the GenY generation, which have been called the Digital Generation." An alternative interpretation is that training remains a personal event where face-to-face interaction with others is valued. Your choice, but the data does not give a resounding vote for distant or internet based learning as a preference.

Is there a difference in type of coaching or mentoring information discussed between the generations?
We are lead to believe that the Now Generation has less identification with their organization - a more me generation so appealing to loyalty and institutional goals and values are irrelevant; our data does not support this generalization. During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to know whats fair and makes sense: e.g., why should I do something, why does it matter and why should I care, etc. Seniors 3.80 Boomers 3.67 Xers 4.03 GenY 3.33

During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to know whats relevant: e.g., whats meaningful and critical, the reason behind the direction or policy, the big picture, etc. Seniors 4.60 Boomers 4.29 Xers 4.37 GenY 4.0

During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to know that the objectives and goals are clear and appropriate. Seniors 4.60 Boomers 4.38 Xers 4.45 GenY 4.09

During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to see how the feedback I receive from my manager, mentor, peers, or customers is tied to direct benefits for me. Seniors 3.70 Boomers 3.69 Xers 3.58 GenY 3.55

Big picture: there are only slight differences between what the generations want during a coaching or mentoring discussion, in one voice they are saying: Why, whats fair and makes sense Whats relevant, the big picture Clear objectives and goals Whats in it for me

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How the context these are related to may be different, but the need is the same, knowing the uniqueness of each individual will help the coach or mentor best determine how to operationalize these wants during their discussions. The important conclusion here is that there appears to be little differences between the generations; organizational goals, loyalty and values are important to all.

Summary
The responses clearly call into question the current stereotypes of generational differences being propagated by the popular press. For the questions asked here there is more agreement than disagreement in their view towards work, careers, coaching and mentoring discussions. This represents a first step at defining what each generations preferences are but does not shed light on how these are different in actual practice. E.g., Verbalizing that I desire a lot of feedback, reinforcement, support and attention does not describe how each generation interprets what this specifically means. As any good coach or mentor will say, it depends on the individual. For us, the bottom line is that stereotypes about millions of people in a given generation are misleading. What counts is do you, as a coach or mentor, make the personal contact and discussion time to fully understand the uniqueness of the other person regardless of their generation? Three responses reinforce this anti-stereotyping of the generations: Additional comments or thoughts that would help us better understand what is unique about coaching and mentoring your age group. People are unique not numbers or ages (Senior) There is a universal need to be understood and heard (Xer) I need to truly connect with the coach or mentor on a personal level (GenY) [1] Lynne C. Lancaster, When Generations Collide: How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. Management Forum Series, March 17, 2004, Synopsis by Rod Cox.

Coaching in a Bargaining Unit Environment? An Interview

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.*
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) I had the opportunity to discuss this topic with George Benskey whose entire career has been involved with supervising, managing and leading maintenance and construction union employee crews for a major telecommunication company. This has included crews of ten people up to over fifteen hundred. Over the years, he has experienced every aspect of union-management relationships as well as been a strong participant, advocate and contributor for our Coaching Workshop. Matt: During our workshop the question often is asked how do I coach a bargaining unit employee.

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George: It goes beyond the actual coaching discussion. I strongly believe the union leadership needs to be included in the process from the very beginning. We asked them to participate in the Coaching Workshops to make sure there was nothing ?hidden or secretive? in the skills and concepts we were building in our managers and supervisors. This openness resulted in the union leadership being less combative and more cooperative once they understood the tools and that management was using these to try and help the employee as a partner. Fear of the unknown was removed from the equation. As an aside, the workshop helped them in their coaching relationships with their members. Matt: Are you saying that you affirmed that the supervisors had a responsibility to be a coach.

George: That plus we continued to make a strong distinction between coaching and discipline. Coaching is what you do with your team every day to help employees achieve their full potential or reinforce the good job they are doing by acknowledging specific behaviors. Disciple is what happens when all attempts at coaching have failed because the employee chooses not to become a partner even though they posses the ability to do the job. The union representative does not have to be involved in coaching meetings where we were partnering with the employee to help them solve their problems. If the employee is not responsive to the coaching process and we moved into the discipline process, they were invited to attend these meetings. Matt: What advice or guidance did you give your supervisors after they had the necessary coaching training?

George: Coaching isn?t a one time event, it?s something you do every day and it usually involves multiple conversations or meetings. The 3 key things to remember, our three P?s were: Matt: Process (Stick to the process, period! Identify and address a specific behavior, not the person.) Preparation (Be prepared, do your homework before the coaching discussions.) Persistence (Change is often not a quick fix or overnight outcome.)

What were the results?

George: Our disciplinary cases went way down since we were solving problems not just reacting or treating symptoms and, it freed up the union leadership to focus on the long term health of the management-employee relationships versus day to day performance issues. Matt: Because of your position you were able to implement this strategy throughout your
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organization. What advice would you give to the first line supervisor who can?t involve the top union leadership and must operate within the limits of an existing contract? George: I believe that an individual supervisor can choose to implement these lessons at their level, if that just be working with only one union representative. Don?t make coaching a secret, show them the process and tools; encourage an open discussion to clarify how you are trying to help the employees get where they need to be. Emphasize that coaching is a positive, collaborative approach; it?s about partnering to reach a common goal. Separate coaching from discipline meetings and be clear when each is to occur. Matt: Regardless of union status, some employees are going to resist any attempts to be coached, then what?

George: An important mindset is that the supervisor will move into the disciplinary process only when all their attempts at coaching have been resisted and are exhausted. At that point their role changes from coach to ?record keeper?. Matt: Any thoughts on how you move from coaching to discipline?

George: With the union present, I will have a ?reality check? meeting with the employee and clearly state that they have a choice to make?we have reached a point where all attempts at coaching have failed because you have chosen not to partner with me. In other words, I?m not prepared to invest any more time or effort that you?re not willing to match so the choice is yours; either you work with me or you leave me no choice but to become the record keeper and start the necessary documentation. A second part that I have found very productive is to not let the employee make that decision on the spot but recommend they think about it, discuss what they need to with their union representative and meet with me the following day with their decision. Matt: If I break down the ?reality check? discussion you are basically saying either you?re with me or not, you either want to be coached or not.

George: That?s reality! The good news is that this wake up call is all some people need to realize the seriousness of both their decision and my commitment either to help them through coaching or move into the disciplinary process. This meeting is consistent with my basic philosophy, nothing hidden, nothing secretive. Matt: Thanks for your time and tested thoughts.

* Matt Starcevich is the founder of the Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc. He has written The Coach: Creating Partnerships for a Competitive Edge, designed and facilitated workshops on the Coaching Process with thousands of leaders and employees. #end

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What is Standing in the Way of Creating Partnerships to Improve Performance with Coaching?
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) By : Magella Sergerie, associate, Center For Coaching & Mentoring, Inc. Fifteen years ago, I became involved in a project that was to become a way of managing performance for many organizations. My goal was to merge a "new" competency with a newly implemented program called "Performance Management" and bring this concept into the four walls of my Employer to replace the old "Annual Evaluation Program" utilized with all employees. The difference between the two approaches was tremendous: The Annual Evaluation was used to put in writing an employee?s accomplishments (work wise), and it was also used to determine a rating that would assist in deciding the salary increase allocated to this employee. The Annual Evaluation was focused on what was done in the past. The employee was told what was done well, not so well, and given direction for improvement in the upcoming year. Sometimes, the conclusion of this meeting was "good luck and talk to you next year!". The new Performance Management Program needed to focus towards the future while giving some accountability and connection to both the supervisor and the employee. Each employee was asked to determine what he or she was doing well and what needed development while the supervisor was doing the same exercise with the employee in mind. They both had to determine how they would contribute to the Organization?s objectives for the upcoming year. After this part had been done, they were to unite in a meeting at the beginning of the fiscal year to discuss these objectives and how they would accomplish the tasks ahead. The supervisor?s goal would be to locate an answer of the following questions: What are we going to do? What are our goals for the next fiscal year? This was the first step of this new process. During the year, employees and supervisors were requested to have follow-up discussion(s) with the following questions in mind: How are we doing? Are we accomplishing our goals ? where are the areas for improvement? This involved both parties into a new kind of discussion aimed at improving performance in order to achieve their objectives. During these discussions, the supervisor was expected to use a new competency called "coaching." This new competency was aimed at assisting employee development in the areas identified at the beginning of the year (during the first step of the process), as well as, looking for ways to meet the objectives agreed upon by the employee (often linked together). This second step of the process

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relied mostly on this new competency and training was available to help supervisors and employees develop the required coaching skills. The third step of the process was a final discussion between the employee and the supervisor to put into writing the answer to the questions: How did we do? Did we accomplish our goals ? where did we come up short? If the supervisor had done his or her second step regularly and used coaching discussions effectively, it became very easy to determine what should be going onto this final document for the year. It was also easy to determine what would be the answer to the question of the first step (What are our goals for the next fiscal year?) for the following year. This was an ongoing process and it was helpful to support the continuous improvement initiative present in the organizations at the time. There are a few things learned as we started using the "new" skill and the "Performance Management" Program. I have titled them: The 3M's Standing in the Way of an Effective Coaching Based Performance System: Misunderstanding, Misuse and Misleading. Misunderstanding because a large number of supervisors and employees still believed that Performance Management was just another name for what had been done in the past (Annual Evaluation). They were convinced this meant they only had to use a different form now. Therefore, the discussions were still done in a top-down kind of way i.e.: Here is what you are not doing well and here is what you will do to improve it. Now, go to it! Great for helping employees and developing partnerships?Right! Misuse because the individual using coaching did not want to help the employee. The important thing in his or her mind was to ensure the results were achieved. If that meant pushing employees to get what was needed, we were doing it. In fact, some supervisors used this approach long enough to get a promotion out of it. Someone else had to deal with the outcome later! These supervisors believed it was coaching?? It often sounded like the ineffective coach in professional sports i.e.: The basketball coach says to the players that he wants to see a score of 42 rather than 27 on the scoreboard at the end of the game in order to win?. At all costs. When a player asked for help on how to do that, the answer was: I don?t care how you do it, just do it! Misleading because we have used the word "coaching" in so many ways that employees and supervisors believed that it was just another way to get all the juice out of employees in order to satisfy the shareholder regardless of the impact it had on human beings and ultimately the organization. Many training interventions have been developed to meet the different needs of the organizations with the existing workforce, as well as the new employees that were not part of the "baby boomers" category, and had other values when coming to work. Unfortunately, coaching was used to describe many different things and it was hard to be clear about it. Often, the word "coach" and "mentor" were interchanged. The boss became the coach. Some organizations even allocated a specific amount of time to do coaching on a regular basis. The coach was not always the supervisor or vice versa. Some advocated that coaching was a skill
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needed by the boss, and others seemed to believe that coaching was more a process that could be done by someone else other than the boss. Coaching was a process delivered to a group of employees informally rather than individually. Coach was the new title for a supervisor. Executive coaching was becoming the "in" thing. Coaching Associations and even a Coach University appeared, as it became a growing demand at all levels of organizations. What about the employees, or the "coachees"? Who would they consider an effective coach? What was their definition of coaching? One thing we know for sure (based on different surveys through the years) is that employees need and want effective coaching on a regular basis. Developing a partnership between employees and supervisors to help improve the performance of human resources within the organization is the primary objective of coaching. The outcome is better performing employees producing better results for the organization. The better results are an outcome of the partnerships developed, and effective coaching is the process used to develop that kind of relationship. I am not debating the fact that shareholders need results, I am simply suggesting that the results achieved as an outcome of an effective coaching relationship is long lasting and much more appealing to employees in today?s organizations. It may even be an important strategy for the challenge faced by organizations with regards to keeping and attracting employees. Based on the last two decades spent with thousands of supervisors at all levels in different organizations, I have often heard the following sentence from employees: "Walk the talk" and I will commit to doing everything I possibly can to improve my performance. Perhaps it is time to take leadership to a new level in order to achieve the goals of the employees, supervisors, organizations and ultimately the shareholders.

Voluntary turnover.Losing too many of your keepers?

Tim B. Sparks
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) In today?s competitive labor market, many companies are faced with the challenging and expensive task of originating and hiring talented new employees to replace ones who have voluntarily left their company. The question is, why are some of our best employees choosing to leave and what is being done? In businesses across the country, voluntary turnover is on the rise. Much of this turnover reflects the confluence of three important trends: industry consolidation; increased labor market transparency via the internet; and a growing free agent mentality among many employees. If this isn?t enough, heap on low unemployment and unfavorable demographics over the next decade or more and it becomes evident that the "war for talent" is just beginning. Initially, the action taken by many companies who find themselves facing a talent shortage is to increase their capacity to originate, screen and hire employees. This may be satisfactory if demand for talent is from business growth. But what if the demand for

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talent begins to come more and more from profitable employees who voluntarily leave the company, not from the growth of the business? Picture yourself beginning a white water rafting trip with five of your closest friends. Soon after you push off on your day long trip down river you discover your raft is taking on water. There?s no turning back and you risk capsizing if your raft continues to fill with water. You must act quickly, but what do you do? Instinctively, you start bailing but soon find out that you can hardly keep up. Others are enlisted to pitch in and help bail. Soon you engage enough of your friends in bailing that you get most of the water out of the raft. Unfortunately, once your friends stop bailing water begins filling the raft again. You realize it is senseless to look for bigger buckets with which to bail or to try and improve your bailing technique. You have only one option??repair the leak which is the source of the water. Only repairing the leak will allow you and your friends to resume your journey down river. In fact, it might be the only chance you have of successfully navigating the treacherous white waters ahead. You find the leak, successfully repair it and resume navigating the river. Now, let?s consider for a moment what might have happened if you had not stopped to make the repair but instead decided to focus your party on being better bailers. With no one reading the river and providing guidance to others on how to effectively navigate the white waters, it is easy to imaging the raft eventually capsizing or sinking altogether. Everyone would be focused inside the boat versus outside. You would lose sight of the where you were headed and how best to get there. Your raft would drift aimlessly down the river, a victim of the currents. Many times in business, when it comes to talent shortages, we jump to becoming "bigger, better, faster, bailers". Instead of taking a step back and understanding the problem at hand and how best to eliminate it, we instead feel compelled to begin feverishly working at filling new or unfilled positions. We fall victim of our desire to show results. Eventually volume becomes the proxy for value. Identifying new sources for originating talent, improving screening and interviewing techniques and building better, more efficient selection processes are improvements we devise to increase our capacity to hire. All of this is worthwhile but companies need to first pause long enough to understand what is causing the hiring demand. What if we found that a large percentage of our turnover was voluntary and made up primarily of employees we wished we had retained? If we could stop that flow or "patch the leak" we could vastly improve the ROI of selection dollars spent. We might find we need to "bail and patch". If we don?t identify the root cause of voluntary turnover we potentially enlist ourselves in a never ending job of selection thereby wasting valuable resources in the process. As more and more companies choose to join forces through mergers and acquisitions, many more employees are exposed to increased levels of ambiguity and uncertainty. Some of these employees are displaced but an alarming number simply up and leave seeking greener pastures. Big companies, small companies, growth companies, companies in mature industries all experience some level of voluntary turnover. The key is to manage voluntary turnover at a healthy level for your company. Only until we truly understand the drivers of turnover can we begin to eliminate the unprofitable dollars
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spent originating, selecting and relocating employees being hired to replace those we wished had never left in the first place. Below are seven questions you may want to ask: 1. Do I understand the difference between voluntary and involuntary turnover in my company? 2. What level of voluntary turnover is acceptable and/or "healthy" for my company? 3. How much does it cost my company to originate, screen, interview, close and hire an employee? 4. How long does it take for that new employee to become profitable (effective in their job) for the company? 5. Are the costs associated with voluntary turnover significant? 6. What themes have evolved as the root cause for voluntary turnover? 7. What steps have been taken to eliminate the root cause(s) of this turnover? Additional resource: Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman. First Break All The Rules: What the World?s Greatest Managers Do Differently. 1999, Simon & Shuster. Click on the title for a detailed book review. "Today more that ever before, if a company is bleeding people, it is bleeding value? What does all our research tell us? It tells us that people leave managers, not companies?.It?s not the company that the employee quits?it?s the manager".

Coaching at the Executive Level:

How to Coach the Coach

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)

by Fred Friend
Introduction In our work with organizations to train leaders to be effective coaches, we are almost always targeted to the first line supervision up through middle management and at best senior managers. Typically, we have to address the issue of "rolling up" this training to the executive and senior management levels. There are some noteworthy exceptions, but many of our clients training departments are not focusing on the senior levels for this type of training and support. A survey of consultants and upper-level executives reported in Training and Development magazine, found that 90% of executives resist coaching. The reasons why fell into three categories: 1. 2. 3. They did not feel comfortable with their skills. They have too many demands on their time and felt development was a low priority, or not even their job. They did not value the development of others - "They should be able to figure things out

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for themselves." Our own experience, and the experience of clients we interviewed, supports and amplifies these findings. Here is a more detailed table of barriers and possible strategies to address them:

Barriers Some perceived issues that act as barriers to executives being coaches Executives and senior managers are just too busy to spend time on development and coaching.

Strategies Some possible strategies to address these issues. These are competitive and successful people, their nature guides them to be successful at those activities that are valued, and rewarded, by the organization. Development and coaching must be positioned as an important, if not critical, leadership responsibility that is formally part of their own performance assessment. This will the most difficult issue to deal with unless the very top person is willing to clearly, unequivocally, make it a leadership priority. Unless it is a clear expectation and priority it will not survive the competition for their time and attention. Almost every executive and senior manager we have interviewed said that they DID want to know if what they were doing was working. Again, these are competitive and successful people and they want to know that they are on the right track. The feedback must clearly be positioned as an asset to the executive so they can make their own selfcorrections to be successful. You must find an objective, nonthreatening way to assess their effectiveness. The most likely method is to survey their current and past direct reports, and current and past supervisors about the leaders developmental contribution. To be successful, these need to be objective and candid. Often they are most valuable when supported by a skilled developmental

Performance feedback is not wanted or needed by senior managers, so it is not critical to spend time on it.

They have blind spots concerning their ability to coach others, or find it too revealing to admit to a need in this area.

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resource person (coach-consultant) who can also interview the respondents, then coach the executive in evaluating, interpreting and responding to the information.

Another method would be critical incident analysis by a skilled interviewer, but this depends upon a worthy incident existing that would be meaningful to re-visit and highlight success / non-success factors. Leadership assessments instruments are another method to assess their interpersonal dynamics, but these need to also show a connection between their "style" and real-world results and often need a resource person to help interpret the results into actionable feedback. Leadership assessment centers and scenarios are another approach. Again the key is to produce insights that clearly translate to success in their real world environment. One strategy for addressing this is to gird up and do battle on the issue of leadership responsibility; of "walk-thetalk", "leading the way", and "its got to start at the top!". Buenos Sortie, Don Quixote. Sometimes it works, but usually the windmills win. Here is another approach. The senior levels need to experience this process because: (1.) they need to know what to expect from the people who report to them (the ones they think really need this training); (2.) it will also help lead the way if they role modeled the process themselves; (3.) and, they may find it helps them be personally more successful in certain leadership areas. Many of their concerns can be dispelled by giving them a pre-training briefing on the workshop process and content. By discussing what the training does and does-not do and answering their questions so they feel informed (senior levels hate feeling "unknowing"), you increase the chances of them actively enrolling. An alternative to formal workshop training is assigning them a resource

Executives and senior managers dont want to attend formal training on coaching.

For executives and senior managers, formal group training is too uncomfortable, perhaps unsafe, and takes too big a chunk of time.

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person for one-on-one coaching and support to learn this process. We, and some of our clients, have had good success with this option - especially where the senior person is not likely to attend formal training. A lot of what senior managers do (use of intuition, dealing with ambiguity, etc.) is hard to capture via formal performance appraisals so developmental coaching doesnt happen. The production and financial records information systems usually generate adequate "bottom line" information to assess the actual results. The nature of their work, (often unstructured, uncertain, and ill-defined) means they can usually benefit most from feedback and coaching on their leadership process and behaviors they use to produce those results. In a classic study by the Center for Creative Leadership, four enduring themes for why executives derail reoccurred over time and across countries: (1.) they have problems with interpersonal relationships; (2.) they fail to meet business objectives; (3.) they fail to build and lead a team; and, (4.) their inability to change or adapt during a transition.

In the Center for Creative Leadership study, three out of four of these reasons for derailment deal with leadership style and personal behavior, not with making their numbers. Okay, making the numbers is a critical priority in any organization. But relying solely on these numbers to evaluate executive success is ignoring the rich developmental opportunities for communicating, team building, mentoring, coaching, visioning and leading change. As one of our executive clients said, "results evaluation is easy; its also a cop-out". Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric, perhaps one of the most numbers driven CEOs of the decade, is quoted in Built to Last as recognizing the need for balance between numbers and values. "People who make the numbers and share our values go onward and upward. People who miss the numbers and share our values get a second chance. People with no values and no numbers - easy call. The problem is with those who make the numbers but dont share the values . . . we agonize over these people." Coaching is a critical processes to address this need for balance. Summary Development and coaching are critical leadership skills that can easily take a back seat to "making the numbers" unless a conscious effort is made to position them as a priority. It is needed and beneficial and achievable if you will adjust your strategy to address the particular barriers at the senior levels. There are several key factors that need to be addressed to get more coaching at the senior levels. The strategy and approaches for making this happen must be adjusted to their specific concerns. The approach taken must use a proven, successful process that focuses real-world results. One-on-one coaching and support is a valuable alternative to formal training at the senior levels if you have skilled, experienced, resource people.

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The "Outside" Coach: Developing a personal-professional relationship.

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)

By Fred Friend
There is a growing organizational trend to provide formal coaching for key staff. Part of this trend includes working with a coach from outside of the organization. Here are some thoughts on the benefits and differences when using an outside coach. Outside coaches are beneficial for several reasons:

* An outside coach allows the key staff to be more open and

candid about their development aspirations and concerns. implementation of personal development goals.

* It facilitates the key staffs identification, selection and * It challenges the key staff to be focused, realistic and

proactive without admitting weaknesses to people within the organization. without being defensive.

* It helps the key staff understand accept their blind-spots

Your effectiveness as an outside coach depends in part on a well defined personalprofessional relationship, you have no history to fall back on. Your relationship will go through successive stages. The key staff always has the option to end the relationships. How you behave during each stage will impact this decision. One way of understanding these stages is to compare them to the more familiar stages that a team goes through in a team development model. Stage 1: Introduction This is the parallel to a team kickoff meeting where a team is given its assignment. As an outside coach, the key here is how was the assignment made? How does the person being coached see you - as an asset? - or as a henchman? It is important to reconcile your role as an asset to the person being coached. Establishing rapport is critical to moving ahead successfully. This doesnt mean being charming or charismatic. It means getting on the same side of the issue - the positive developmental experience of the person being coached. To the extent appropriate and comfortable find common experiences and interests and possibly make the first meeting informal over coffee, lunch, etc. The first meeting can be a shorter informal icebreaker where you will talk about the issues and key success factors for making your joint efforts successful. In our outside coaching efforts, we often leave behind some notes, ideas and possible worksheets to help move into the second stage, Clarification. Stage 2: Clarification
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This is the forming stage in teams. At either the first or second meeting, it is important to begin clarification of :
Purpose - why are we doing this? - what results are we looking for? -how do we define success?

Roles and - what is the coaches role(s) (educator-subject Responsibilitie matter expert? - political strategist? - counselors advisor? - Socratic sounding board-challenger? etc.?) Process - will we meet face to face? - weekly? - will it involve direct observations, role plays, exercises, etc.? (There will be some flexibility required to allow the coach to adjust the process in response to changing goals, progress, or lack thereof.) - what are our goals for getting successfully started? - what are their priorities (and the organizations)? - what are our goals for a successful relationship? - what achievements are we looking for from the assignment? - what are the developmental goals to be addressed?

Goals

In coaching, clarification is the stage where issues are addressed that a team sometimes deals with in the storming stage. If addressed proactively, it allows the relationship to move from the forming to the performing stage - storming is not requisite in a coaching relationship. Stage 3: Development This is the performing stage. We move beyond initial definition and continue to develop roles, mutual respect, synergy, processes, norms, routines, productive patterns, intermediate and final goals and produce developmental results. Stage 4: Graduation In the teamwork model, this stage is often called celebrating. In the literature on mentoring, this last stage is often called redefining. Because the coaching has been successful, the person being coached has grown and developed and the relationship between them is being redefined as they become more capable and independent. In an organizational relationship the person being coached often moves into more of a peer role than a subordinate role. As an outside coach you successfully work yourself out of a job as the other person graduates to a new level. Either way, the relationship is usually redefined as one of colleagues rather than coach and key staff. In our experience, it is critical for ownership of the process and its results to clearly belong to the person being coached. The coach, especially an outside coach, should bring significant process expertise to the relationship, but coaching cannot be forced. This is a potential danger where an outside coach is assigned to help someone "get their act
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together". In our view the coach can be both supportive and direct and challenging. They can be a subject matter expert on the process and provide strong guidance on what it takes to be successful, but the desire to be successful and follow the process must come from the other person. In that light, here are a few thoughts on what a coach should / should-not do. DO
Serve as a facilitator Serve as a non-judgmental outsider Take them through a defined process Ask questions Listen Ask for details Serve as a sounding board Challenge their perceptions Focus on the future (starting now Call for action Challenge them to meet their goals

DO NOT
Tell them what to do "Grade" their ideas plans, actions Dictate all the details Provide answers or solve their problems Be the know it all or the expert Dwell on mistakes Act as a therapist Argue they are wrong Dwell on the past Insist Be afraid to give feedback

Ask them to judge their progress Grade Set next goals, as appropriate Think of an ending point

Coaching is a non-authoritative based process and that is why an outsider can easily serve as an assigned developmental coach. In fact, because of their detachment from the organization, its culture, its egos and its internal politics, it is often best to use an outsider. Many of our clients have found outside coaches to be more effective for these reasons. Good coaching and collaborative problem solving, skills are critical. Our experience in coaching and training leaders to be coaches has demonstrated over and over the critically of the coach focusing their role to assist the development of the person being coached. A successful, well designed, coaching program can be one of the most effective development approaches for key staff and new professionals. To learn more about our outside coaching service and the value for you, go to one-on-one.

Hints on what a coach should do:

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Serve as a facilitator Help them gain a vision of what should/could be accomplished and the personal benefits for them. Listen to their views and ask questions that help them gain insights. Share experiences that seem appropriate to the decisions they face but avoid giving advice unless specifically asked or it is perfectly clear that there is a need to do so. Help them develop a plan for achieving results, challenge the plan and their thinking until they (and you) are convinced that they know what they are doing and know how to achieve their goals. Remember you are a guide and you work for them. Serve as a non-judgmental outsider Be an objective sounding board; ask questions about their aspirations and concerns. Ask about the organization, its goals, values and how people succeed. Ask about their relations with key people in the organization. Listen and summarize what you understand. Ask questions for them to reflect on key issues. Without taking sides, help them understand organizational realities in a way that helps them develop. Take them through a defined process Guide them through the four stages of a coaching relationship (Introduction, Clarification, Development, Graduation) and have a series of standard exercises to draw from to clarify desired results, set goals, assess performance, develop plans and gather feedback. When coaching on a specific issue, our 8-step coaching model can be useful. Getting their input and creating a sense of ownership on their part is the key to making the process successful. Ask questions Judiciously use questions to gather information, test your understanding, expand their thinking, reflect on issues, generate insights and sometimes pose important issues that may be too threatening if made directly. Skillfully, and appropriately using questions is an exemplar coaching skill. Learn to use questions to help them develop the answers rather than you providing solutions. Do not fall into the trap of asking questions for questions sake - use them intelligently and with a beneficial purpose. Listen Be a sounding board so they can talk and listen to themselves. Listen so you understand their aspirations and concerns. Listen with empathy when needed. Respond appropriately so they know they have been heard and understood. When you feel an urge to play the role of expert, listen instead. Ask for details The difference between grand plans and results producing plans is usually in the details. Help them understand that and make sure their plans are specific, measurable, achievable, results oriented and time driven (SMART). If you feel it is lacking in these areas, share your concerns and keep asking questions to help them develop the details.
Serves as a sounding board Listen so they can hear. Often people need to talk to express their concerns, aspirations, frustrations, dreams and crystallize their thinking. An important function is getting them to listen to themselves. Encourage them to verbalize their thoughts by listening with interest and appropriate empathy. Dont let them get mired down in pity or unproductive frustration and dont let it get too personal for your own comfort level. Keep them moving in a positive direction, ask for "what they can control - do next - etc.. Let them talk until they come up with their own answers.

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Challenge their perceptions Seek clarification. Use good "implication" questions, anecdotes, metaphors, other experiences, etc. to help expand and clarify their perceptions. Get them to seek additional information and feedback on issues. Share your own view of the situation as appropriate, but frame it as just an alternative view they should consider. Dont make them wrong (even if you feel they are). Focus on the future (starting now) Learn from history, then once the lesson is learned let go - rehashing history generates a need to defend , validate, justify. Shift the focus to what can be done differently to make future outcomes more positive. Successful coaching is empowering and hopeful because it helps us perform better in the future. All improvement takes place in the future so get started now. Call for action "Great! When will you get started on this and what are your first three steps?". Specifically ask them for a commitment to do these things. If they say yes, without any reservations, they have placed themselves on their own hook to get it done. Help them overcome the natural inertia involved in giving up what is comfortable (known) to try something new. Help them find the motivation to move forward, but remember it ultimately has to be their initiative. Challenge them to meet their goals Re-emphasize what the benefits are for them when they fulfill their goals. Support and encourage them. Share particulars as to why you have faith that they can do this ("your plan is very logical and well detailed, I know this is something you can turn around"), etc. Ask them to judge their progress Hopefully you have described the desired results in tangible or observable terms so an objective assessment can be made of their progress. Ask them to self-evaluate and reflect on the degree of progress, rate of progress, successes and lessons learned, barriers and lessons learned and gather outside feedback as appropriate. Without "grading" them, share your own observations and perceptions as appropriate. Set next goals, as appropriate Celebrate and build on success and discuss what can be done to take performance to the next level. Help them select next goals as appropriate. Be ready to graduate them to the next higher level and redefine the relationship as "colleagues" when appropriate. Back to the top of this page

"Compliance or Commitment; Which are You Asking of Your People?"

By Gary B. Minor
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) In the world of work, there are many ways that people can view their positions. The two opposite polls, compliance or commitment have surfaced in several of the workshops
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that I have led recently. If you think about these two, which would you rather get from your people? If you think that compliance is what you are asking of them, then you will be satisfied with the minimum effort required to meet minimum standards of performance. However, don't be surprised if your people seem bored with their jobs, act uninspired, and treat customers with a casual attitude. Your best people will tend to leave you for other companies and you will spend most of your time putting out fires and "cracking the whip", just to keep them on the road to accomplish the minimum. Sound like your job? Sound like your people? The other approach is to strive for commitment from your people. In this mode, they are not satisfied with mere minimum effort, nor are they satisfied with minimum results. They pursue excellence in all things and work to do the best job they can within the time and resources available. They don't leave for other jobs, as they are engaged in fulfilling work, that they believe matters. They push for more responsibility and the benefits that come with it. Consequently, you are free to look into the future, spending your time on where you want to be, rather than always playing catch up and fireman. Which one better describes your shop? Is compliance what you are used to getting? Do you have to fight heavy resistance just to get that? If so, chances are that you believe that you know what is best for you people, and you tell them what, and how to do their job. You have to constantly inspect their work. You have to continually tell them what to do. You have to continually threaten or punish them to overcome the resistance. If commitment is what you are used to seeing, then you most likely see little resistance. This is because you tell them what and why they need to do what they need to do, rather than what and how. You collaborate with them on the how, so that they have a vested interest in the work itself. You allow them to exercise their own initiate in planning their work, so that they can do it their way at their pace, within stated deadlines. The big differences between the two approaches have to do with the mind set of management. Letting your people know why things need to happen, gives them a sense of purpose by knowing where their work fits into the larger scheme of things. Letting them select the methods by which they will pursue stated goals or results allows them to use their own ideas to achieve a larger purpose, giving them a sense of belonging to the organization. Allowing them the opportunity to have a stake in the end result of a process or project rather than merely going through abstract steps, provides an incentive to see their own ideas come to fruition, developing a sense of ownership in the result. This process of fostering commitment takes time. Too much time, you may think. As with any planning process, though, minutes invested on the front end will save hours in execution on the back end. Do you have the time to keep putting out fires and cracking the whip? I suggest that if you try it, the time needed will actually prove to be a wise investment that pays dividends for years to come. If you want to build a high level of commitment, I suggest these steps:
1. 2. Tell your people what needs to be done, and why. Coach them through the process of discovering how to accomplish the task. 48

3. 4.

Develop a sense of collaboration on the project, that you are working together, to achieve this desired result. Provide corrective feedback when needed, and positive feedback when little wins are achieved along the way.

By developing a spirit of collaboration, you can spend more time with your eye and mind on the long term, rather than putting out today's fires. You will be able to perform better, your people will perform better, and the commitment process will build on itself for years to come. Who knows; you may be able to put away you fireman's helmet. Try It!

Coaching and Contented Cows By Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden*

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) How does one organization achieve sustained success while a seemingly identical competitor is struggling? Consider Southwest Airlines, which has flown above the competition with record revenues and growth for 23 years. Or Wal-Mart. What have they done to beat the pants, T-shirts, and housewares off the other mega-retailers? And what medicine does Johnson & Johnson take to consistently bring impressive returns to its stockholders? You can bet its no Band-Aid approach to running a business. Instead, its a vital premeditated element of business strategy, and it deals not with products, marketing, or capital spending, but with people. Regardless of the industry, its no accident that the organizations consistently identified as winners in their chosen field also happen to be some of the best places on earth to work. Whats the connection with Coaching? A survey by New Yorks Families and Work Institute asked employees in a wide variety of industries and vocations across the country, "Whats important in your job?" The top ranking answer was "Open Communication". Lets be clear, coaching is an open communication skill. Good coaches are honest and open, sometimes uncomfortably so, as they build relationships that help people achieve their full potential. We're not pushing any social or humanitarian cause here, but capitalism at its very best. Or as former FedEx COO and current Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale said when describing the people philosophy at FedEx, "Motivated people move faster!" Pretty simple concept, huh? So simple, in fact, that the folks at Carnation Milk may have put it best years ago when they suggested on their labels that their milk comes "From Contented Cows". (Go pick up a can of Carnation today, and youll see the slogans still there.) A study we conducted on twelve high-profile publicly traded companies shows the stark contrast between the earnings performance of six companies known as great places to work and six less distinguished competitors. The first group, which we call the
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Contented Cows, outearned their Common Cow counterparts by $40 billion in the ten year period 1986-1995! These companies accomplished this while adding on average 79,000 new jobs per employer; the Common Cows, during this same time period, whacked an average of 61,000 jobs each from the payroll. We were amazed at the benefits that accrued to the Contented Cow companies and were compelled to find out what behaviors separated them from their common counterparts. We learned that in almost every case, Contented Cow companies were led, from top to bottom, by people who communicate more like coaches and facilitators, and less like managers and bosses. How do Contented Cow coaches do it? By focusing like a laser on three principles: 1. Contented Cow companies get their people committed. You cant boss someone into commitment. Bosses get, at best, compliance; coaches get commitment. Once, a Coaching seminar participant argued that commitment was no better than compliance. "At the end of the day," he said, "if the person gets the job done, I dont really care if its because he was committed, or he felt he had to. What counts is whether or not the job gets done." He went on to say that for him, in fact, compliance was the only way to go. "I dont have time for commitment," he said. To us, the difference between commitment and compliance is a little bit like the difference between trying to grow a garden in a desert, and trying the same in a fertile valley. You can get a garden to grow in a desert, but it takes constant effort. Youll spend a lot of time trying to grow that garden, and if you work at it hard enough, you will get a garden. Growing a garden in a fertile valley, on the other hand, takes much less vigilant effort. To be sure, you have to nurture it, but the environment does so much of your work for you, that you can go about doing other things while the garden grows and flourishes. And besides, no matter how much work you put into growing the desert garden, it will never be as lush, green, or rich as the garden you grow, with less constant effort, in the fertile valley. No time for commitment? If youre trying to lead a group of people to performance excellence, Id argue that you dont have time for compliance. 2. Contented Cow employees know that they are cared about. We didnt say coddled. But people simply perform better for you when they know you care. What does caring have to do with coaching? Coaching is an intensely personal process. So intensely personal that if you dont care, you wont have the moral discipline to do it. If you do care, and you want to show it, coach people on the job, and start by telling them the truth. Even when it hurts. The most uncaring thing you can do, if youre a manager, is not to tell someone theyre doing a lousy job, and then punish them because theyre doing a lousy job. 3. Contented Cow employees are enabled. Notice we didnt say "empowered. Employees are empowered already, by virtue of their jobs, if we would just get off their necks long enough to let them do their jobs. Do you think an airline pilot has to be "empowered" to make an emergency landing if a passenger suffers a heart attack halfway between New York and San Francisco? A good coach provides this enablement by giving people at least three things: A. Tools. That means both equipment and systems... especially systems. Do you tell people its important to do something, and make it nigh unto impossible for them to do
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it? We know of a company that was concerned about its salespeoples expense accounts. So they decreed that, to save the company money, all expensed meals would have to be accompanied by a credit card receipt. No more honor system; no more cash register receipts. Their northeast district experienced a huge jump in travel expenses as a result, not to mention a noticeable drop in the number of calls they were able to make to prospects and customers. Their salespeople had been catching a $2 hot dog between appointments most days when working Manhattan, but now, were forced, by an incredibly dumb system, to have lunch everyday in a sit-down restaurant that takes credit cardsor go hungry, or pay for it themselves. Dumb stuff! Do a careful audit of the operational systems in place in your company. Get rid of all the "dumb" systems encumbering your workers, and do it soon! B. Trust. Youll get what you expect to get. Coaches expect a lot, because theyre clear about roles, expectations, and performance. If you need a policy manual as thick as the Los Angeles phonebook, youve got the wrong people. Get rid of them, and the rulebook. Train them and coach them to make the right decisions. Nordstrom, the Seattle-based department store, has built a legendary reputation for phenomenal customer service. Their "employee handbook" is the size of a postcard. Their managers are coaches. C. Training. And dont cut training when profits slump. No one ever dug out of an earnings hole by "dumbing down" their workforce. Every good coach knows its much better to coach a crack team of experts than to boss a bunch of people who are at best confused, and worse, confounded, about what it is theyre supposed to actually do to gain success in whatever their field happens to be. Competition these days is tougher than ever. Technology, capital spending, and restructuring alone will not lead to the promised land. The highest return from your investment in people comes from getting them committed, caring about them, and providing what they need to do their best work. Good coaches do these things constantly. If you do them, chances go up that youll attract the gems of your industry, and become one of the best, and most profitable, places on earth to work. * Authors of Contented Cows Give Better Milk: the Plain Truth About Employee Relations and Your Bottom Line. 1998, Saltillo Press, Germantown, TN. ISBN 1890651-04-4

A Parable on Organization Change: Reducing Cycle Time with Large-Scale Technology

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph. D.

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) A review of our new direction will be held at 2:00 PM, in the executive conference room. Reflecting on the memo you wonder what it will be this year. In previous years the "new direction" has been total quality, then re engineering, then the team concept. Each has been announced with a flurry and then atrophied with the passage of time. The rumor is that this year the theme will be empowerment. As the internal Organization Change Consultant the Division
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President has asked you to sit in on this meeting to "see if there is a better way to bridge the gap between the new vision and it's efficient implementation". The meeting with the top ten people in the division is like d??vu. All the heads are nodding approval at the appropriate pronouncements. The ensuing discussion is finger pointing and displacement of the inability to implement past changes to other departments, the union, changing market forces, or a mystical "them". After the meeting you approach the President. Well Preston, what do you think? One of your finest speeches you reply. This has to go beyond just a speech, I am counting on you to develop a strategy to get empowerment implement, be ready to review your approach with me by next week at this time. What can we do differently this time. In the past you scheduled training sessions and unit meetings starting at top and systematically moving down the organization. This didn't work, by the time you were finished there still remained a major disconnect between departments, the top of the house and the various levels of employees. It was like communicating between Styrofoam cups connected by pieces of string. On one end was top management at the other ends were the various departments and units of the organization. No ladders were built or actions defined that would engage the energy of the entire organization in the change effort, a major disconnect. This time it had to be different. What to do wasn't entirely clear. Putting on your consultant hat you decided to call Lucy Sheldon Truback (LST), a colleague who had touted their organizations "new" approach to implementing organization change. The meeting took place the next day. Lucy is straight forward; what I want to describe requires a major paradigm shift in how you and your management think about change. Unless you're ready to entertain letting go of some of your past beliefs about change there is really no need to continue. Somewhat taken aback by Lucy's boldness I stuttered that I was frustrated with our past efforts and needed some help. Okay then let's start by watching ten minutes of video from a two day meeting that was designed using Large-Scale Technology. As I watched the video three things were in stark contrast to other meetings I had observed. First, there must have been 200 people from all levels of the organization, in attendance. Second, rather than listening to well orchestrated speeches all 200 were interacting in small work groups: discussing, reporting out, questioning, strategizing, and reaching consensus. Third, the level of energy and commitment was infectious, they were collectively creating their organization's future. Stop the video, I shouted, that's revolutionary, how did you ever pull that off? Lucy calmly stated that before we talk about how let's discuss the concept of Large-Scale Technology (LST) because herein lies the crux of the paradigm shift. With my full attention she started. It's not revolutionary, LST has it's roots in the 1960's with Richard Bechard and was refined by Ron Lippitt's work throughout the 1970's and 1980's.(footnote). Prior to this change was implemented with separate organization units and top down driven. LST broke this paradigm by thinking about the entire system. At the heart of it was getting "the whole system into the room" and "all the arrows pointed in the same direction." That sounds reasonable, I stated, but why is this so important? On a flip chart Lucy wrote: DxVxF>R This formula that Bechard attributes to David Gleicher, might help. If the product of dissatisfaction (D) with the present situation, a vision (V) of what is possible, and first steps (F) toward reaching the vision are greater than the resistance to change (R), change will occur. If any one (D, V, or F) is zero, resistance will not be overcome. A critical mass of the organization
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needs to share a common understanding and agreement on each of these three element for organization wide change to occur. The implementation of change stumbles if people are not clear on what changes are needed, do not feel ownership or responsibility-it's somebody else's fault, or over a long timeline becomes lost in the crises of running the day-to-day business. LST involves the whole system providing for increased information flow, system focus and quicker response. It replaces silo thinking, turf-related competition, and finger pointing with open communication and ongoing collaborative efforts. Meekly I mention that the model for change that I embrace focuses on helping individuals "unfreeze" and then change. In hearing these words I realized how slow and out of step with the rate of change that was expected in today's environment this was. My individual and small group focus didn't create an energized critical mass in the organization. The need for more crossfunctional relationship, a collaborative, comprehensive plan for the company's future had been staring me in the face. Thinking about change in a total system context was very different yet I could see the huge potential in decreased implementation time, and increased commitment throughout the organization. Top down versus "all in the room" certainly would be a paradigm shift for me and top management. Would they relinquish control for the greater benefits? Seeing my puzzled look, Lucy must have read my mind saying, let's look at how all this is translated into a practical approach that your management will see as clearly beneficial over others they have tried. Great! Start with basics and go slow, I want to take everything down. Reaching in her credenza Lucy retrieved a report where the meeting I had observed was outlined. This takes it from beginning to end, by reviewing this you will have most of your questions answered. On the first page of the report was a quote that is now on the wall of my office: A common data base is critical. Seeing the world through the eyes of each other enables large groups of people to find common ground. As I re read the quote Lucy commented that a common data base is the driving factor in LST and the resulting meeting design. Rather than talk about LST in the abstract you will get a better appreciation for how the key design principles were utilized. Turning to section one we dissected the critical design and actual events of the meeting. Design Team. The change process must be owned by the entire organization. It is not just the consultant's or top management's. To accomplish this a team that mirrored the organization was defined. In our case this was 15 people: external and internal consultants, line managers and front-line employees. Our task was to figure out what needed to be discussed, how it should be discussed, and when it should be discussed. The consultants were our "process" experts, the employees the "content" experts. What if top management doesn't want to work through a design team? Best to forget it states Lucy. You'll be pushing change up hill without the reality check and resources that a microcosm of the organization can provide. Our work began six weeks prior to the actual meeting. Data. Either through interviews or more formal data gathering methods the design team needs a collective understanding of how the stakeholders define the relevant issues facing the organization. For our organization the stakeholders in the change included: top management, employees, union leaders, middle managers, and customers. Was this the design team's "common data base"? Right, said Lucy.

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Meeting Plan. Developing the plan is not done in a vacuum, it is regularly checked with those outside the design team, especially the leadership group. Lucy handed me a copy of the two day meeting design stating that this meeting focused on our strategic plan. LST can be applied to any number of changes from total quality to work redesign. (see meeting design) Isn't this threatening since you are asking each participant to challenge the paradigms they bring to the meeting? Lucy just smiled and said participants must leave the meeting seeing the world differently, they must have some sort of paradigm shift based on this global data base. Lucy, I have one other question, why is there not more teaching, presentation of concepts or focus on problem solving? This meeting deals with real time issues, through the process of grappling with these issues they learn the skills of listening and consensus building. Secondly, one of the most significant conclusions of Lippitt (footnote) was comparing problem solving groups with groups using a "preferred future" approach to planning. The conclusion: the preferred futuring group had higher energy, ownership of the situation, and developed more innovative, future-oriented goals and plans than the problem solving groups. Lucy must have sensed how overwhelming this all sounded. Rather than let up she continued, there are a few other things you need to consider. Evaluate. At the end of the first day, written evaluations were collected from participants With these evaluations the design team and leadership team suggested changes for day two. The evaluations and modified agenda were summarized by one of the consultants and shared with the total group as the first event the following day. This process reinforces collaboration and the belief that all activities add to the common data base. Meeting participants. For us it was possible to "get everyone in the same room". Preston, since you work a shift operation this may not be possible. My strong recommendation is to include as many people as possible rather than excluding them based on traditional practices from the past. My reaction was that that would be a hard sell. Lucy just smiled and said, that's part of the paradigm shift for top management. Limiting involvement to a small team who does the planning for the entire organization is what has made lasting change so difficult in the past. Letting go of that approach is the start to changing the whole system. The Facilitators. During the meeting the objective was to create a learning environment by managing the energy of the group. To achieve this we varied the teams people participated in, sometimes along functional lines at others as vertical slices of the organization. We also varied the type of activities. Lastly, the facilitators have to check their egos at the door. It is the groups meeting, not theirs. Follow-up. I'm sure you know this Preston so I'll just mention that six months after the initial meeting there needs to be at least a one day follow up meeting. This is when the group can review what action plans have been implemented or not, is there a need to update and redefine our collective direction and what new commitments are needed to make the change a reality. Looking over my notes what struck me was the significance of the change. Lucy, from your experience what does it take to make it work. Under the formula Lucy wrote on the flip chart three things:
1. Committed leadership 2. Good business opportunities 3. Energized people 54

I heard a consultant give a talk on LST and these three conditions seemed to make sense to me. Somewhat overwhelmed, I exclaimed that my upcoming meeting with the President would be a good test for the first condition. Lucy cautioned, since this approach may run counter to some widely held belief don't expect the idea to sell itself. I know it fits with your values and beliefs but you have to be prepared to visualize the meeting, sell the benefits, handle the inevitable resistance of risking something new and fight for the critical design principles that will contribute to LST. Can I borrow your video tape? Sure, she smiled, and good luck! Oh by the way if your President wants to talk our President about this approach she would be more than willing to spend the time. Postscript Two years have passed since this discussion. The President, surrounded by bright young speech writers is preparing for the annual new direction meeting. Rumors are that creating a learning organization will be the theme. Preston is quite happy selling shooters at Senior Frogs in Matzalan. Lucy started a successful consulting firm LST, Inc. and moved from Minneapolis to Dallas. Moral, old paradigms never dies the just loose their value, it is better to sell shooters than be shot at, and LST if given a chance can make a difference. REFERENCES: Beckhard, R. (1969). Organization Development: Strategies and Models. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Beckhard, R.(1975). Strategies for large system change. In K. Benne, L. Bradford, J. Gibb, R. Lippitt (Eds.), Laboratory method of changing and learning. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books. Beckhard, R. & Harris, R. (1987). Organization transitions. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Bunker, Barbara Benedict and Alban, Billie T. (Eds.) (1992). The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Special Issue: Large Group Interventions. Sage Periodicals Press. Volume 28, Number 4. Dannemiller Tyson Associates, Inc. (1987). Interactive Strategic Planning: A Consultant's Guide. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Lippitt, R. (1983). Future before you plan. In R. A. Ritvo & A. G. Sargent (Eds.). The NTL Manager Handbook. Arlington, VA: NTL Institute. Spenser, Laura J. (1989). Winning Through Participation: Meeting the Challenge of Corporate change with the Technology of Participation. Kendall/Hunt Publishing. Dubuque, Iowa. Weisbord, Marvin R. (1987). Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for Dignity, Meaning, and Community. Josey-Bass, Inc. San Francisco. MEETING DESIGN DAY ONE:
1. Introductions, Agenda and Meeting Outcomes. Create a shared understanding. 55

Create a shared responses to our key issues. Develop shared action plans. Develop shared commitment.

2. Top Management's Perspective. (Note: events a-c are the same for each "perspective". To conserve space these will not be re-written). A short (20 minute presentation) followed by an open forum. Open forum. Each table will discuss and record on their easels:

- What did we hear? - What are our reactions? - What clarifying questions do we have, (each table can only have 1 question)?
Clarifying exercise 3. The Employees Perspective (a panel of employees). 4. The Front-Line Supervisors Perspective (a panel of supervisors). 5. The Customers Perspective (a panel of customers). 6. Organization Diagnosis. Each table selects a different topic i.e., Communications or Training and brainstorms three lists: Over the past year everything you are glad about, sad about, and mad about. 7. Evaluation-Day One. How did today go for you: Highs?, Lows? What advice do you have for tomorrow? 8. Evening session: Design and Top Management Team. Read and act on the evaluations for day one.

DAY TWO:
1. Feedback for Day One Evaluations. 2. Emerging Themes from Organization Diagnosis-Top Management's Perspective. 3. Preferred Futuring Exercise. Each individual records as many ideas for the Emerging Themes that would answer this question: It is now December 20, 1996. We are pleased and proud of how effectively we have addressed these themes. What do we see happening? What are people doing that lets us know we've addressed the theme? 4. Organization-Wide Action Planning. For each Emerging Theme a group is charged to develop: things happening which will help us move toward our preferred future, things happening which will make it more difficult to achieve our preferred future, and agree on a specific, realistic action plan that we will propose to the larger group. 5. Voting on proposed action plans. 6. Back Home Action Planning. Intact work groups answer: What have we heard that impacts our group? What can we commit to do differently? What help will we need from others? 7. Wrap-Up/Evaluation/Close. 56

"Why Coaching?"
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)

By Mike Akin
You might ask - Why Coaching? It's a good question, and the answer is found in the heart of human nature. We have heard it many times from couples to world councils - communication is the key. Noted author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia declared, "Communication, the art of talking to each other, saying what we mean, saying it clearly, listening to what the other says and making sure that we're hearing accurately, is by all indication the skill most essential for creating and maintaining [key] relationships." Famed psychologist Carl Rogers added that "the basic and most desperate need of our time [is] for more basic knowledge and more competent skills in dealing with the tensions of human relationships." We all know by instinct and experience that communication is crucial in key relationships. No relationship, business or otherwise, will long survive bad communication. But in business, the bottom line depends on people. In today's competitive marketplace, we cannot ignore the need for good coaching and communication. Remember, communication is more than what we say - it is what we are. An old axiom reads, "What you are shouts so loudly in my ears that I can't hear what you're saying." Principled Centered Leadership asserts, "Ultimately, the leadership style one adopts springs from one's core ideas and feelings about the nature of men - whatever a person has at the center of his life." The best seller, In Search of Excellence, indicates that the best-managed companies are still "valuedriven" or "value-governed" and that their leadership is committed to certain values and principles which they translate into organizational policies and programs. As coaches, we should ask ourselves some important questions:
What do we really think of our people? What value do we place in them? Do we regard them with real care and concern? Are they objects we use only for profit? Do we consider their needs? Their feelings? Their individuality? Are we open with our people about problems and expectations? Do we believe ourselves their servant or their overseers?

Questions like these reveal our character. Coaching and character cannot be separated. Character was the distinguishing mark of America's Founding Fathers. Character was their guide and stay. It governed their lives and shaped our history. In The March of Folly, Barbara Tuchman writes, "How fortunate America was to have as one of its Founding Fathers George Washington who had such a character of rock and a kind of nobility that he exerted a natural dominion over others, together with the inner strength and perseverance that enabled him to prevail over a flood of obstacles. He made possib1e both the physical victory of American independence and the survival of the...republic....".

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William H. Wilbur's, The Making of George Washington, describes Washington's character when America's fate hung in the balance. Wilbur records the condition at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777. The winter was cruel and stalked the Continental Army like death. Terrible cold, bitter winds, exposure, and lack of food and provisions literally drove the corps to the brink of starvation. Countless letters and journal entries attest to overwhelming sufferings. Barefoot, hungry, nearly naked, the soldiers were sick, discouraged and forsaken. Had they buckled and left their post, America was doomed. They could have returned to their homes, but loyal to General Washington, and heedless of their sufferings, the men stayed on. Historians call it a "miracle" of leadership. How did Washington do It? What was his secret? What can we learn from this historic leader? Again, we look to Washington's character. Washington was quiet, modest, firm, fair and wise, but his consideration for others was extraordinary. Washington's men knew that he was deeply committed to them. He was tireless in his effort to procure food, pay, clothing and medicines. He took interest in their personal problems. He walked among their huts; he talked with the soldiers; he walked through the camp at night - their condition often moving him to tears. According to Wilbur, General Washington's relationship with his men was a "glorious mixture of respect, loyalty, admiration, faith and affection." Washington was willing to carry the load of others. Hundreds of times Washington got off his horse to help soldiers push a wagon out of a mud hole with the cheerful remark, "One more shoulder does it." His contact was daily, sincere and caring. "AII these things...made an Army [Team]. And they made an Army [Team] that was totally and entirely loyal to one man - General Washington". Some historians hold that Washington was the Revolution. And "when he asked his men to endure suffering, they found it impossible to deny him". Why Coaching? Because Coaching is good communication. Coaching is good leadership. And, moreover, Coaching is a call to character and commitment to people - the kind demonstrated by George Washington. History proves that people can respond - sometimes heroically. Coaching isn't a "quick fix" tool to control people. Washington didn't "fast-talk" his way to victory with the Continental Army. He was committed to them and he gave them his best. He stood as an example of character that others were compelled to follow. When that kind of character is present in our coaching everything else tends to fall into place.

Coach, Mentor: Is there a difference?

CEO Center For Coaching & Mentoring, Inc. (For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) In 1998 we conducted an on-line survey to define what partners felt were the attributes of effective mentoring relationships (see http://coachingandmentoring.com/mentsurvey.htm. A resounding YES came from responses to this open-ended question: Is there a difference between a mentor, coach, and supervisor? These differences are summarized in Table 1: Table 1: Differences between Mentoring and Coaching
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By Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

Mentor
Focus Role Relationship Individual Performance

Coach

Facilitator with no agenda Specific agenda Self selecting Comes with the job Position Teamwork/performance Task related

Source of influence Perceived value Personal returns Arena Affirmation/learning Life

Focus Mentors in either a formal mentoring program or informal relationship focus on the person, their career and support for individual growth and maturity while the coach is job-focused and performance oriented. "A mentor is like a sounding board, they can give advice but the partners is free to pick and choose what they do. The context does not have specific performance objectives. A coach is trying to direct a person to some end result, the person may choose how to get there, but the coach is strategically assessing and monitoring the progress and giving advice for effectiveness and efficiency." "Mentoring is biased in your favor. Coaching is impartial, focused on improvement in behavior." In summary, the mentor has a deep personal interest, personally involveda friend who cares about you and your long term development. The coach develops specific skills for the task, challenges and performance expectations at work. Role Mentoring is a power free, two-way mutually beneficial relationship. Mentors are facilitators and teachers allowing the partners to discover their own direction.
"They let me struggle so I could learn." "Never provided solutionsalways asking questions to surface my own thinking and let me find my own solutions."

A coach has a set agenda to reinforce or change skills and behaviors. The coach has an objective/goals for each discussion. In our study, the top four words chosen to best describe their mentors dominant style werefriend/confidant, direct, logical, questioner. Relationship Even in formal mentoring programs the partners and mentor have choicesto continue, how long, how often, and our focus. Self-selection is the rule in informal mentoring relationships with the partners initiating and actively maintaining the relationship. If Im you mentor, you probably picked me. In an organization your coach hired you. Coaching
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comes with the job, a job expectation, in some organizations a defined competency for managers and leaders. Source of influence The interpersonal skills will determine the effectiveness of influence for both coach and mentor. The coach also has an implied or actual level of authority by nature of their position, ultimately they can insist on compliance. A mentors influence is proportionate to the perceive value they can bring to the relationship. It is a power free relationship based on mutual respect and value for both mentor and partners. Your job description might contain "coach" or you might even have that job titleits just a label or expectation. "Mentor" is a reputation that has to be personally earned, you are not a mentor until the partners says you are. Return The coachs returns are in the form of more team harmony, and job performance. The mentoring relationship is reciprocal. There is a learning process for the mentor from the feedback and insights of the partners. "The ability to look at situations from a different perspective, I am a Generation X and he is in his 60s." The relationship is a vehicle to affirm the value of and satisfaction from fulfilling a role as helper and developer of others. Mentors need not be an all-knowing expertsuch a position could be detrimental. In our study the most significant thing the mentor did was "listened and understood me" and, "built my confidence and trust in myself, empowered me to see what I could do." Arena A great deal of informal mentoring is occurring, with at risk youth, in our schools, as well as in volunteer, not for profit and for profit organizations. If I am your mentor chances are you have chosen me to be of help with some aspect of your life. Coaching even in the sporting arena is task relatedimprovement of knowledge, skills or abilities to better perform a given task. Mentors are sought for broader life and career issues. The partners is proactive in seeking out mentors and keeping the relationship productive. The coach creates the need for discussion and is responsible for follow up and holding others accountable. Conclusion Coaching and Mentoring are not the same thing. Our results and experience support the conclusion that mentoring is a power free, two-way mutually beneficial learning situation where the mentor provides advice, shares knowledge and experiences, and teaches using a low pressure, self-discovery approach. Teaching using an adult learning versus teacher to student model and, being willing to not just question for self discovery but also freely sharing their own experiences and skills with the partners. The mentor is both a source of information/knowledge and a Socratic questioner. If I am your coach you probably work for me and my concern is your performance, ability to adapt to change, and enrolling you support in the vision/direction for our work unit. If there is still doubt in your mind visualize how the conversation and relationship would be different if your manager scheduled a coaching discussion at 2:00 this afternoon to
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discuss your roles, responsibilities and expectations, versus if you called your mentor to discuss some things that you have been thinking about.

"Finding A Coach"
CEO Center For Coaching & Mentoring, Inc. (For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) Our writing and teaching efforts have concentrated on the responsibilities and roles of a coach. We have published two books about how effective coaches interact with others and conduct a two day workshop on developing coaching skills. Our work with over 30,000 leaders and managers in helping them become even more effective coaches, has been very rewarding. But this is only half the equation. What about when you are a player, when there is a situation in which you feel awkward or unsure about what to do, or where you would like to get a sanity check on whether you are focusing on the right issues? All top performers attribute a significant importance to the coaches they have encountered in their careers. These top performers initiate the contract with their coaches, hiring, firing and searching constantly for that coach which will give them the competitive edge. Successful coaching is not limited to sports. Privately held businesses often seek outside members for their board of directors to bring a fresh insight. As a matter of church law, the Pope has to have a spiritual advisor. One of the cornerstones of the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous is not only the climate of support and encouragement established in group meetings, but in establishing a culture where members are encouraged to seek out and work with "sponsors" who guide individuals in actually implementing, on a one-on-one basis, the steps of recovery. Some organizations have formalized, providing mentors to a select few high potential employees. The mentor is usually not the person's immediate manager but one who is knowledgeable about the norms of the organization, they know the ropes, are successful in their own right, and are able to provide that gentle guidance, advice and counsel to help this person fulfill their capabilities. We believe that a person, regardless of their potential or talents, who is concerned about learning and growth, should seek out and retain the services of a coach. This takes coaching out of a top down activity and makes it your responsibility to seek out and cultivate coaching relationships. Imagine the tremendous competitive advantage an organization would have if all the employees felt responsible for engaging and utilizing the services of a coach to help them learn and grow. Wouldn't it be refreshing if your manager asked you, "What have you and your coach been learning that is of value to you, our team, and our department"? Imagine the implications if this were true in our school systems. Each student would actually assume responsibility for their learning. As Senge notes, the discipline of learning starts with dialogue. Argyris contends that learning occurs when we detect and correct errors. The implication is that learning is internal and facilitated by others - a coach. Okay you say, I believe I can benefit from finding and utilizing a coach. Where do I start?

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

"Hiring" a coach - selection criteria

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When you go looking for a coach, you are not looking for a clone of yourself - you've already got you. You are looking for someone who has experience or insight you don't have in dealing with a particular subject. The best results will be when you use specific coaches for specific problems or challenges. A good coach can be found anywhere, in or outside of your present organization. The key is how well five specific criteria are met:
1. Your credibility. The coach has got to believe in you, to be convinced that you can be trusted. Generally, when you have this credibility, it is because you continue to and have supported this person in the past. The first thing to ask yourself is: "Am I seen as supportive of this person?" 2. The Coach's credibility. A coach cannot be of value unless they have a unique perspective and information. Information is only reliable and available to those who are trusted by others. The second question to ask yourself is: "Does the organization trust this person?" Equally important is the question: "Do I trust and value them?" 3. A desire to see you succeed. A crucial distinction between your coach and other acquaintances is that they want to see you succeed. Their motivation is not important. It can be to further their self interest, a desire to help others, or a range of other drivers. Therefore the third question to ask yourself is: "Does this person see a personal win in this relationship?" 4. They are a teacher. I don't mean by profession. The issue is, do they enjoy seeing others grow and develop? Are they secure enough to be challenged? Do they have the patience to allow others to discover both the questions and the answers or do they have to always provide and tell others what to do? Therefore, the fourth question to ask yourself is: "Does this person enjoy teaching others?" 5. Your feelings. As a final test, trust your instincts. If you are uncertain about a potential coach, trust those uneasy feelings. If the information and guidance the coach is providing still feels wrong, look at the coach again. If you are uncomfortable with the guidance, you're not talking to a real coach. The fifth question to ask yourself is: "Does it feel right to work with this person?"

Others who are "helpful" but don't meet these criteria

The friend. Clearly liking someone makes coaching more enjoyable but this is not a sufficient condition. You want your coach to like you for a particular reason - because you have supported this person in the past and they trust you. To provide you with helpful guidance requires more than just friendship. Their trust in you is the first but just one of the four criteria of a good coaching candidate. It is doubtful whether a friend can provide that impartial positive and negative feedback that is such a critical part of the coaching relationship. The meddler. The coach doesn't provide just advice or hearsay information. They provide reliable information and perspective that is both unique and useful. To be unique, the information and perspective can only be provided by the coach. However, it must also be useful in helping you achieve your self interest. The meddler cannot meet these two conditions.

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The mentor. A mentor is not necessarily a coach. Just showing you the ropes or grooming you to follow in their footsteps, doesn't help you assume responsibility for achieving your self interests. You might have only one mentor but multiple coaches. The coach is more focused on giving you the guidance in those areas where they can provide unique and useful information. You might work with one coach on your professional skills, another on your interpersonal skills, and yet another on your business skills. Your boss. Ideally, this person should be your head coach. But, this does not always work out that way. If your manager actively provides you the coaching assistance you need, great! If not, don't wait, take the initiative and find those coaches that can help you. An interesting phenomena will be to share with your boss the way these coaches have helped you to learn and grow. Who knows, by example, this experience may rub off and help your boss become a better coach for you and those other employees he/she supervises. The message to remember is that just because your immediate boss doesn't, or won't, provide you the coaching help you need, doesn't cut off you seeking other alternatives for this help with your growth and development.

How many coaches?

Reflecting on your own journey through life should answer the question - at least one coach for every major area of your self interest. The objective should be to have a pool of coaches you can draw on to give you the guidance on specific needs. The best sports teams have many specialty coaches - offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators, batting, pitching, quarterbacking. The list goes on. Why? Nobody know everything. The prudent approach is to develop a network of coaches who have particular knowledge, insight, and experience that is useful to you. The more people you turn to for coaching the better able to triangulate their information and guidance with your own personal values. The more reliable coaches you nurture, and develop the better your position to assess which ones to turn to for help and guidance. Some coaching may be very specific and short in nature. The author can recall asking a senior executive to critique a memo he was about to send to various executives introducing some needed changes in the performance appraisal system. This coach was chosen because of their experience and political savvy. The coaching feedback was very direct and impactful. All they did was circle the number of times "I" appeared in the memo with a note, lets discuss. Although unintended, the overuse of "I" created a very self serving, self engrandizing tone to the memo. The authors good intentions would be lost by the alienating effect of the overuse of "I". The author was blind to this until it was pointed out. The memo was changed and well received. A short, but critical lesson that has remained with him to this day.

Contracting with your coach(s)

A sincere request for coaching is flattering and many people will cheerfully offer their insight if asked in a way that makes it clear that you will not abuse their time nor their confidence. Although your contract is informal, a number of things need to be articulated, understood, and agreed to by you and your coach. The terms. In real life, few coaches get life-time contracts. While you are looking for long-term relationships, don't put yourself in a position where a coach's feelings will be hurt and support will turn to resentment if you stop asking for coaching or have to reject the advice. Be clear on what help you are asking for and realistic on the time you are asking for. Our experience is to ask for a trial period of three to six months then reevaluate if both parties still feel it is a win-win
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relationship. Since you are asking for very specific help not coaching on everything, you should be able to keep your requests on the other persons time to a reasonable level. Ideally, you would interact with many coaches over your career. The focus. The coach should not only know what specific areas you are seeking help in but be able to disqualify themselves. Although flattering, the option to not become your coach should always be there and available without any feelings of guilt. It is also helpful to define your focus. The ground rules. Make explicit your preferred way of being coached. You want advice and insight but you also want to make the final decision on accepting this advice. You are not asking them to do your job for you, just to provide a unique perspective for you to consider in your decision making process. Don't seek advice you don't plan to use. While the decision will be yours, you should only seek advice where you plan to weigh it seriously. Don't waste people's time if you don't intend to listen fully to what is said and have reasons for not following the advice. How will it end. Define how we will know when the coaching relationship has run its course. Either party should have the right to call it quits, without any hard feelings. Our advice is to set up specific evaluation dates when the question will be asked: Are we both still getting value out of this relationship and should we continue?

You're the only stumbling block left.

If you've honestly assessed your strengths and areas where you could use some coaching help, thought through a list of candidates and narrowed them down to those you think could be good coaches for you, the only thing remaining is to ask for their help. This may be the hardest part of the entire process. The only one who can take this step is you. The first attempt will be the hardest but we are convinced that the benefits of supportive coaching and help from a valued other, will far outweigh your uneasiness about initiating this contact. Even though it feels unnatural, our best advice comes from a well know advertising slogan - Just do it!

Postscript:
For thousands of years, it has been considered an act of wisdom to seek guidance and advice, as indicated in the following quotes from Proverbs (New International Version) Pride only breed quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. (13:10). Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (15:22) Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. (19:20) Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance. (20:18) For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers. (24:6)

"Coaching Generation X"

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) It has been said that Generation X is the most ignored, misunderstood, and disheartened generation our country has seen in a long time. No one can define who belongs to Generation X.
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While most agree that there is a generation after the Boomers, no one agrees on who it is. In a September 23, 1996, article in USA Today, six experts defined Generation X, each with a different answer. They ranged anywhere from those born between 1961 to 1981 (78 to 85 million) to those born between 1965 to 1976 (46 million). Although Generation X appears to be the accepted term, other labels have been applied. William Strauss and Neil Howe refer to them as the Thirteenth Generation (the thirteenth generation since the founding of our country). Baby Busters and Twentysomethings have also been used. One of the most fundamental requirements for effective coaching is the ability to understand others' motives, values, and goals, not enforcing one's own on others. A slight variation of the Golden Rule-instead of "treating others as you want to be treated," coaches should "treat others as they want to be treated." This means understanding, and accepting, that people are all different. It also means that there is no "script" for coaching-it is different for every person you coach. The need to understand differences is especially apparent in the ongoing conflict between Baby Boomers and Generation X. These struggles are rooted in the desire (on both sides) to want everyone to be alike. This would certainly make our lives and relationships easier, but it is not based in reality. Of course, clashes between generations are not new. Remember the generation gap in the 1960s between the Boomers and the Silent Generation? The fact remains that Generation X are the employees that are entering the workforce today; they are the future. They aren't going away, nor are they likely to conform to the previous generation's definition of work. Boomer managers cannot continue to ignore Xers' differences and try to manage them according to their own mindset. This does not mean agreement with an Xer's attitude but, understanding them to make coaching easier. The better you know them, the more likely you are to have insight to their "hot buttons"-what motivates them. And, at the very best, understanding them may begin to remove the conflict and hostility that exists between the generations and will lead to positive actions and results that are mutually beneficial to the individual and the organization. The problem with generalizations is that they only go so far and stereotyping runs the risk of alienation. There are always exceptions to the rule, those who will say "that's not me". I can sometimes identify with Boomers and sometimes with Xers (you guess my age!). It is impossible to suggest a prototype for how to coach 46-85 million people. As a start, the generalizations made here are based on a review of the relevant literature and personal observations/discussion with coaches-all with the hope of understanding this generation and offering suggestions on how to effectively coach them. To successfully coach and help Generation X, we must learn what they want, how they feel, and how they view their world.

WHAT WON'T MOTIVATE?

Generation X won't do things because they have a deep sense of mission, or loyalty to an organization. They have nothing but disdain for corporate politics and bureaucracy and don't trust any institution. They grew up watching their parents turn into workaholics, only to be downsized and restructured out of their chosen careers. They believe work is a thing you do to have a life (work doesn't define their life). During the practice situations in our coaching workshops, the coach will often say-"Your behavior is affecting the company and if you don't change, we won't be in business in the long term." They raise the company flag and pull out the loyalty line. This means nothing to Xers-it

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will not capture their interest, raise their awareness, or stir them to new thoughts, feelings, and actions. Xers have no expectation of job security, so they tend to see every job as temporary and every company as a stepping stone to something better, or at least to something else. They have been accused of not wanting to pay their dues. But, in today's changing workplace, anyone who is thinking about doing a job long enough to pay dues is out of touch! Because they won't put in long hours at what they mostly term "dead end" jobs (Douglas Coupland coined the term "Mcjobs,") and they don't exhibit the same loyalty as Boomers do towards an organization, they have been called slackers. However, Xers will work very hard for a job that they believe in, for something that challenges them. In a l995 survey, Babson College Professor Paul Reynolds found that "10% of Americans between the ages of 25-34 are actively involved in creating a start-up company, a rate about three times as high as any other age group...it should help dispel once and for all the myth that today's youth are motivationally challenged." (U.S. News and World Report, September 23, 1996)

WHAT DOES MOTIVATE?

Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships. Although there doesn't seem to be one description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they don't like to be characterized (as I'm doing in this article!). They don't want to be treated as a single entity, but want to be looked at as individuals. In addition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force. They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isn't this strong sense of community and personal relationships in the workplace just what we need? Challenging Work. This generation has sometimes been called the MTV Generation because of their short attention span. Xers want new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills. Training is one of the best motivators. They have a tremendous capacity to process lots of information and concentrate on multiple tasks. They don't want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing. If you're looking for someone to deliver a report every week, you don't want an Xer. I recently brought up the subject of understanding twentysomethings during a coaching workshop. Immediately a manager complained, with a lot of emotion, that kids today don't want to work and will only stay for a week or so and then leave. Well, the job was very repetitive and offered little challenge. No wonder! Freedom to Manage Time and Work. Xers don't want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers who constantly check what they're doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their own. Feedback and Recognition. On the other hand, members of Generation X seem to crave time with their bosses and can never get enough feedback on their performance. They may be searching for what was missing when they were growing up. Because of their short attention span, recognition and rewards must arrive quickly. Employee of the month doesn't do anything for them.

CONCLUSION

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The characteristics for which Generation X has received such bad press are the very qualities that make them valuable. We say we want an empowered work force...give Xers the ball and they will run with it...we want a self-directed work force...these workers have been self directed from a very young age...we want computer literacy...Generation X comes out on top...we want flexible, adaptable workers-right on again. Xers will respond to Boomer managers if they put meaning, into the buzzwords they use so often-empowerment, teamwork, communication. Create an environment where they are challenged by and enjoy their work, where they're measured on performance rather than on which clothes they wear, where they are informed, included and recognized. Gee, maybe Xers aren't so different from anyone else!

Value Based Coaching

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) What can I do to be a better coach? Our Coaching Model and process describes the procedure. Yet, too often the focus is on techniques only. "How can I say it to win my point, get others to do things my way, or convince them?" Focusing only on techniques is fundamentally manipulative. Good coaching, like good parenting, is a way of being as well as doing. This way of being, or our values drives our behaviors. Like the Olympic figure skaters, coaches should evaluate themselves in two areas, skills and style-the expression of your values. Gandhi or Martin Luther King never took a course in "non violence", Harry S. Truman on "straight talk", Abraham Lincoln on "valuing diversity", or Walter Cronkite on "integrity". They trusted their values to guide them toward doing the right things. They were their values. Similarly, how many times have we admonished our teenagers before departing for a night out with friends to "don't forget who you are". Your values are on display throughout your coaching discussions and particularly in step one of our coaching model-Be Supportive. Note it doesn't say Do Supportive. Support is an inside job, an inner decision, on how you want to relate to others, the values you will attempt to live in your relationships with others. Partnering with, versus managing and controlling those you coach, is based on two different value sets. Partnering is predicated on one's having a basic value of helping others achieve their goals. Having made this decision, trust that this value will guide you toward doing the right supportive things. Without a partnering/helping core value, focusing only on supportive words and actions, results in shallow words with no heart felt meaning or motivation and a disingenuousness. Which of these two coaches would you like to work with? One who had excellent technique, a real smooth communicator who valued control and getting his/her own way or, the other who lacked good technique but had a fundamental belief in and desire to help others achieve their goals? Fortunately, we are not faced with these black and white distinctions. Effective coaching from a helping value base requires both skills and a critical assessment of how you view your role-as a resource or gatekeeper, helper or competitor, catalyst or controller, facilitator or salesperson, mentor or boss, teacher or teller? Before entering into a coaching discussion, ask yourself one simple question, what is my mind set or paradigm-adversary or ally? This basic value will be your biggest foe or aide in your
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coaching relationships. Self evident? Then, why in a non business setting does conventional wisdom make the case that parent-adolescent relationships are unavoidably adversarial? Why is there such a dark history of labor management relationships? Why do managers have such a difficult time with letting go and trusting others to do the right thing? Partnering with is predicated on the coach wanting to create an alliance and a helping relationship. This inner decision to live this value will drive the collaborative, partnering behavior upon which effective coaching relationships and our Coaching Model are based.

"Coaching or Counseling"?

By Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) Business people like to see themselves as coaches. A person who improves individual performance for promotion and advancement, builds a team, melds diverse resources, encourages, cheerleads, helps and goes for a win'/performance. Coaching has a very positive image: teacher, mentor, trainer, developer, leader. Counseling is often equated with therapy from a third party psychiatrist, psychologist or clinical social worker. The focus is in dealing with some dysfunction that is affecting a person's mental or physical health. Most business people don't like to see themselves as counselors, this is dealing with problematical behaviors. A person's job description would more likely list a responsibility for coaching than counseling. Yet, don't we do both? Aren't we concerned with the mental and physical well being of others, not just their output and performance? Or are we like the professional coaches who don't want to become too attached or close to players for fear that it will mar their objectivity and willingness to trade that player? An interesting business card might read: Evelyan Smitters, Plant manager/coach and therapist Rocky Road Manufacturing Data Input, Inc. Labeling obscures the fact that we are really talking about a communication process that is useful in a variety of contexts. When I talk to another person about their career am I coaching or counseling? How about helping another person cope with, and adapt to, change? If I am concerned that another person needs to seriously examine their career-life balance, am I coaching or counseling? Or, what am I doing if I address others performance deficiency? You are trying to exert some positive influence with another person, regardless what you call it. The process we found most useful to positively influence another person is the our Coaching model utilized in a collaborative way. Labeling also has a tendency to think of things as unique events separate from our day-in, dayout interactions with others. Thus, do I coach or counsel only during the annual performance review? Are my coaching and counseling efforts limited to formal meetings? Can I coach or counsel teams of people or is it limited to one-on-one interactions? When do I stop

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coaching/counseling and manage/lead? Regardless of what we call it, it is not a separate event, it is a way of conducting all our interactions, a daily work style-a way of being. Lastly, labeling implies a type of relationship: coaching implies a superior-subordinate relationship; counseling a therapist-patient relationship. We think a healthier mind set is to see the relationship as a partnership. 360 coaching broadens the application of the process to all our relationships: team members, upward, and clients.

10 Tips for Women to Enhance their Credibility as Leaders.

source: Training & Development, March 1998 pp. 8

1. Add coaching skills to your repertoire. 2. Give critical, as well as positive, feedback. 3. When coaching men, give the critical feedback first. 4. Take a stand. 5. Communicate ideas in a concise, focused manner. 6. Lighten up occasionally. 7. Reduce visual distraction and err on the side of conservative. (As Sigourney Weave said to Melanie Griffith in Working Girl: "Id rethink the jewelry.") 8. Make a lot of eye contact. 9. Think and talk about the future. 10.Dont let who you have been interfere with what you can be.

BREAKING THE ENTITLEMENT CYCLE

by: Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)

PREMISE:
Organizations and leaders want less entitled employees:
I will always have a job until retirement regardless of what I produce. This company owes me an annual raise and competitive salary. I deserve a promotion because of seniority not demonstrated competence. The leader is responsible for direction setting and decision making. My position is only justified as long as I contribute something of value. In this organization, you earn what you get. I am responsible for developing better ways to service the customer. This is my organization and I feel responsible for what happens here. 69

Organizations and leaders want more accountable employees:

If it's not right, fix it.

Moving toward more accountable employees just doesn't happen, it requires a continual effort to influence and change some deeply ingrained beliefs and behaviors about the role of employees/leaders and organizations. Our culture seems to be a breeding ground for entitlement thinking. If a culture of non accountability pervades within an organization, the manager has a tough challenge. The clear message is, it doesnt happen by itself.

ENTITLEMENT IS THE ANTITHESIS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Entitlement is about security, bureaucracy, top down, status quo, rules, single skill, and looking good versus a continuous improvement climate where everyone is constantly seeking ways to eliminate, or improve, on their outputs. For some leaders, this is frustrating because people are not held accountable for meeting criteria of excellence. They are entitled, they don't have to earn their place. Good performance, poor performance, or no performance at all, are treated the same. Is this true of only rank and file workers? Evidence to the contrary is suggested when executives receive bonuses regardless of the company's performance. An entrepreneur best captured the notion when she said, "I don't want to hire someone who has worked in a corporation for 10 years because they don't understand what it means to earn the job, they expect it." True only for business? Does a tenured college professor feel entitled or that they have to continually earn their job?

WHERE DO YOU START?

The easy answer is to fire everyone and hire committed employees. Although the selection process in many organizations could help the current dilemma, practically, firing is not a practical solution. Whats a leader to do? We suggest:

ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF COACHING

Regardless if you are a leader or team member, at the heart of breaking the entitlement cycles is coaching others. Yet, do we reward our leaders for the time spent coaching others? Unfortunately, the message in far too many organizations is "keep your eye on the ball, dont lose focus and, oh yes, if you have some free time coach your employees". The coach must do the work of requiring work. Here are twelve things the coach can do:
1. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

Dont wait for the right people, the right manager, the right organization, the right time make it happen! You can influence the attitudes your team members have toward work and personal accountability. There are countless managers leading high performing committed teams.
2. MAKE THE PICTURE CLEAR

A good coach clarifies direction, goals, and accountability even when this is resisted or others flee from evaluation. When we ask people to describe the "best" manager/coach they ever worked with, the responses almost always include:
They had high expectations for themselves and others They encouraged risk taking If people failed, they used it as a learning experience, not as a time to place or fix blame. 70

You knew where you stood

Clear and high expectations are the starting point for accountability.
3. BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME

People will want to work on your team. Its exciting, rewarding, and funword travels. Every reader can recall the one "best" manager they worked for and how fun, challenging, rewarding, and developmental this experience was. Why cant we always work for "best" managers? Unfortunately, the norms seem to be 2-3 of these "bests" during our entire working career. The rest is spent working in conditions of mediocrity.
4. TRUST THE TEAM, YOURE NOT IN THIS ALONE

Should teammates coach others? Yes! Should you expect this? Yes! The following commonalties were present in high performing teams:
the performance goals were clear there was mutual accountability members had to earn a place on the team the designated leader was more like a player-coach high personal commitment to the goal and other team members members were effective at managing the relationships between themselves

In high-performing teams, teammates have a stake in the goal, they are accountable. Peers coach others to carry their weight, innovate, and develop the coach. Watch any championship team and you will see a lot of peer coachingholding other responsible and accountable for their actions and pointing out how individual, and ultimately, team performance can be improved. Do you think Michael Jordan cares what and how his teammates performjust watch the intensity.
5. NO VICTIMS!

Help people cope with change. Coaches help others develop the skills they need to cope with change, the discipline to persevere, the confidence to withstand uncertainty and the courage to initiate and innovate. Teams should be asking if they have the right skills to achieve their goals and if not, who or how can these skills be developed. As one leader aptly stated, "My job is to help others be a part of change, not a victim". NO VICTIMS!
6. LOOSEN UP

Share decisions and involve others in the decision making process. Making decisions fosters accountability. The power to make decisions needs to be pushed down so those most involved with the work can make decisions. The opportunity to shirk accountability is increased when I just wait to be told what to do.

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7. SHOW THEM THE "T"

Display and discuss the "T", or the "+s" and "-s" of being entitled. Make the costs, "-s" personal and specific not abstract and organizational. Make it relevant and uncomfortable to keep on behaving as an entitled employee. Change occurs when others are uncomfortable the with current situationbuild a little discomfort.
8. BE DECISIVE

If people dont fit the picture of an empowered workforce, dont wait, make a move. Your actions will speak louder than your words. Be consistent.
9. HELP OTHERS DEVELOP

Helping others develop the skills to reach these expectations is also critical. High expectations are great, put the muscle of training and other resources in peoples hands to meet these dreams.
10.REWARD, REWARD, REWARD!

Evaluation, pay, and career decisions should be based on meeting or exceeding these high expectations. Base pay and other non tangible rewards on accountability for results produced and developed skills, not tenure or position. Dont be afraid to customize your rewards to the individuals situationtime off, dinners, presents, vacations, memberships, tickets, training,--whatever floats their boat.
11.BE WHAT YOU WANT

People will describe you by your actions, lead by example. If you want empowerment, accountability, responsibilitybe empowered, accountable, responsible. Period!
12.MAKE THE PICTURE CLEARER

You cant spend enough time making your expectations, your beliefs, your excitement clear. Communicate, in meetings, in one-on-one discussions, in whatever forum presents itself. One team fondly used to joke that in every discussion with the leader, somewhere, sometime the same theme of personal responsibility and accountability would be mentioned. Does your team know unequivocally what you want and stand for? Its easy to say "woe is me," if employees were like they used to be. They werent that much different, they just didnt have the skills, choices, and opportunities of todays employees. Where do you think those who want challenge and accountably work? For managers and organizations who expect and reward accountability. Its your move!

Inside, Outside, Upside Down-Keeping an External Focus

Tim B. Sparks
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(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) As part of the process of acquiring a driver's license, many of us attend a defensive driving course. Learning safe driving techniques made us better drivers. Some of the lessons I learned from my instructor, Dee Glover, were "look out for the other guy", "look beyond your front bumper", and "always leave yourself an out". Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of these important lessons. Ironically, many of the reminders come, not from my daily driving experiences, but from business news headlines. Let's take "Look beyond your front bumper". It seems like good advice. Keep an eye on the road in front, behind and around your vehicle. Focus on outside conditions. Anticipate and adjust for traffic, weather conditions, curves, construction, and obstacles in the road. What would happen if as the driver, you began spending most of your time concentrating on what was going on inside the car? In some ways driving a car safely is similar to leading a business profitably. As a driver, you've got to focus on the road ahead; process what you observe then make the necessary adjustments to safely get where you are going. Similarly in business you must define your vision, monitor changes in the market, and make adjustments to key business strategies while continually scanning the horizon for new opportunities. Far too often companies become internally focused spending far too much of their time and resources on activities inside the firm. The catalyst for a company's culture shifting from an external to an internal focus may be a recent merger or acquisition, a reorganization, unexpected layoffs, declining profits, etc. Many times events such as these create high levels of uncertainty and ambiguity for employees. Employees' respond by withdrawing and shifting to a defensive mode where more time is invested in "self preservation" than anticipating and serving customer needs. Employees take their eye off the road ahead. They begin to focus more and more on activities not valued by the customer. Eventually progress stalls. Profitability wanes. Risk taking can disappear. Political behavior (CYA) becomes more prevalent. Turnover increases. The company begins a downward spiral. Gridlock has become the norm. Businesses exist because they provide goods and services valued by their customers. If your company is experiencing any of these symptoms above it might be time to pull off to the side of the road, quit driving while looking only through a rear view mirror, and refocus on what is most important: that which is outside, in front and on the horizon. It's not too late to keep your business from ending upside down. Below are 7 simple steps to help steer your business towards profitable results: 1. Develop a clear point of view of your industry with both a present and future look. 2. Understand what your customers? value most and how you can better serve their needs in the future. 3. Develop a compelling vision for your business, which is then shared with the entire organization. 4. Ensure employees know what they are responsible for and what is expected of them in terms of results. 5. Ensure employees know how what they do connects to the business vision.
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6. Reward employees based on their contribution to profitably satisfying customers needs. 7. Develop an entrepreneurial culture based on trust. 8. Gallup Study of Employee Attitudes for Improving the Workplace* 9. The Gallup Organization recently released findings from a multi-year effort analyzing the
relationships between employee attitudes and critical business outcomes, including revenue, profitability, customer loyalty, and employee retention. The study based on more than 100,000 employees from 2,500 business units in 12 industries, identified these employee attitudes as paramount in managing and improving the workplace:

10. "I know what is expected of me at work." 11. "I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right." 12. "At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day." 13. "In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work." 14. "My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person." 15. "There is someone at work who encourages my development." 16. "In the past six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress." 17. "At work, my opinions seem to count." 18. "The mission and purpose of my company make me feel my job is important." 19. "My fellow employees are committed to doing quality work." 20. "I have a best friend at work."

When To Coach and When Not To Coach

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs without written permission.)

Caring managers will invest the time in coaching their employees. However this is only one way of helping. Not all opportunities or challenges faced by employees call for coaching. If the employee needs something else the manager and employee will be extremely frustrated if coaching is the chosen course of action. Knowing when and when not to coach is an important skill. Coaching is not a panacea for all situations. But, what are the right situations? During the first quarter of 2011 we posted on our internet site a survey with nine hypothetical situations that could be faced by an employee. Respondents were asked to indicate for each situation whether ?Coaching Is Appropriate? or, ?Something Other Than Coaching Is Required.? Ninety-nine individuals responded, the overall results indicate that there is confusion over when coaching is the appropriate course of action.

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Coaching is a discussion process aimed at exerting a positive influence and action to help another person be as effective as possible. There are three reasons employees need help from their manager:
1. Aptitude: They lack the skill or ability to complete the task at hand. If this is the situation

providing the training is the appropriate action not coaching.

2. Attitude: They lack the motivation, confidence, commitment, mind set, feelings, focus or

manner of working with others and/or completing the task at hand. This is coaching country, help the employee become aware of what they are doing and develop an alternative plan that will lead to better results.
3. Outside Factors: Their performance is being affected by things outside of their control

e.g., available resources, change in company priorities, uncooperative peers or external suppliers, lack of support or time from their manager, and changing market conditions. No amount of coaching will fix these conditions. With this in mind, which of the following nine situations did our respondents think were appropriate coaching situations and which were not?

Ninety-nine Participants Responses

Something Other Than Coaching is Appropriat e 65%

Situation 1 . 2 . 3 . The other person lacks the computer programming skills to complete a data based program. The other person doesn't follow up on personal commitments they have made to the manager or the team. Economic conditions have caused a cut back in available resources resulting in the other person's project falling behind schedule. The other person just won?t deal with the newspaper press when a major event occurs at her facility.

Coaching is Appropria te 35%

78%

22%

39%

61%

4 .

74%

26%

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5 .

The other person is the "go to person" in the unit and over commits to requests and can't seem to focus on what is really important. The other person is required to interface with a department that has been antagonistic toward his project. He just doesn't seem to know how to overcome this obstacle. This is the other persons first time in a project manager role and doesn't seem to grasp the difference and requirements between being an individual contributor and a project manager. The other person just seems to be rocking along without much drive or motivation, if they could just turn it up a notch they would be surprised at how much they would personally gain. You just don't have the time to support the other person; they are going to have to figure out how to get it done without your involvement.

84%

16%

6 .

77%

23%

7 .

79%

29%

8 .

77%

23%

9 .

42%

58%

Situations where something other than coaching is appropriate: 1, 3, 6, and 9 Situation 1 is an aptitude issue; training not coaching is the appropriate course of action. Thirty-five percent of the respondent felt otherwise. Situation 3 is being caused by factors outside of the employee?s control, reality check time not coaching. Thirty-nine percent of the respondent felt otherwise. Situation 6 is caused by the lack of skill in conflict resolution; if this fails to work it is then outside the employee?s control and an outside mediator might be the solution not coaching. Wow, seventy-seven percent of the respondent felt this situation could be resolved with coaching. Situation 9, coaching cannot produce more managerial time or support. If the employee doesn?t know how to continue without the manger?s time, additional resources or training could help the employee act more independently, not coaching. Forty-two percent of the respondents think the manager can coach their way out of this situation.

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Trying to have a coaching dialogue in these situations will be frustrating for both the manger and employee. Besides driving the manager crazy and loosing employee confidence, coaching in these situations is a waste and inappropriate use of the manager?s time. Situations where coaching is appropriate: 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 All these situations deal with the employee themselves and how they are performing the required task. These are all ripe for coaching and this is the appropriate response from the manager. The respondent?s were spot on in assessing these situations as calling for coaching from a low of seventy-four percent to a high of eighty-four percent. Building awareness and a plan of action for employee?s commitment, mind set, focus or manner of working with others can be done with a skillful coach. A simple three question test: 1. Can the employee do it? If no, it is a lack of skill(s) not a coaching situation. 2. Is it about the employee?s attitude? If yes, coach them. 3. Is it about factors outside the employee?s control? If no reassess your answers to questions one and two. If yes, the problem lies with something or someone other than the employee and will require different actions or just living with the reality of the situation.

Benefits of being a coach

(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs without written permission)

Why coach? The responses are often framed in the benefits received by either the recipient (improvement in individual performance), or the organization (fuller use of individuals talents/potential). Besides being an important part of a leaders role are there any benefits received from coaching others other than it is your responsibility? During the summer of 2010 we posted an on-line survey which looked at the other side of the coin?what are the benefits of being a coach? Ninety-one individuals responded to our survey asking for a rating from 1 (least personal benefit) to 5 (most personal benefit) or 6 (not a factor) to twenty-four possible benefits of being a coach (see Appendix). They are coaches: the majorities (73%) of respondents were Leaders of an organization or team of employees, 9% were Executive Coaches, 7% were Sports Coaches and 10% selected the category or Other type of coach as a description of their role. The act is fulfilling in itself Forget about the impact on individual performance or the organization benefit, the top eight (1/3rd) benefits were all personal: 1. Through coaching I get a sense of satisfaction in teaching and watching others grow and develop (4.45) 2. Coaching is an exciting part of my job (4.31) 3. I enjoy the process of engaging others through coaching (4.28) 4. Through coaching, I get a sense of personal appreciation and accomplishment (4.26)
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5. Coaching rejuvenates me and keeps me growing (4.24) 6. I enjoy coaching others to change and adapt (4.15) 7. Coaching is part of my paying back for what I have accomplished and received (4.14) 8. Coaching deepens my relationship with other people (4.08) Coaching others leads to a sense of satisfaction, excitement, enjoyment, personal appreciation, accomplishment, rejuvenation, growth, and deeper relationships. Hello, the popular press paints a much gloomier picture of coaching as an activity that is avoided, dreaded, and distasteful. These results suggest that coaching is a highlight of the leader?s job, an activity which is relished and sought because it is personally rewarding. As one respondent said: By trying to make a difference - one person at a time, has given me an immense sense of achievement and has added to my personal self worth. I do it because I like it not because I have to In support of coaching being a personally rewarding activity, the lowest rated benefit was, I coach because I am evaluated on how often and how well I coach others (3.22). This is given even greater weight when the number of respondents? who selected the choice ?Not a factor? is examined. Twenty-two respondents? select this choice for this statement. I don?t coach because of organization policy or the evaluation system and this is the lowest benefit for me to coach others?what?s in it for me?coaching is intrinsically satisfying. Interestingly only one other factor received double digit responses to ?Not a Factor? all the majority was in the low (2-3) range. Note to Human Resources and Organizations: dwelling on what the leader has to do is not as important as focusing on the internal personal rewards of coaching others. Provide real life examples of personal benefits leaders and managers receive from coaching others versus policy and procedures. What is least beneficial to the coach? Sticking with the arbitrary 1/3rd criteria, the bottom eight benefits from our list of twentyfour for these respondents? were: 24. I coach because I am evaluated on how often and how well I coach others (3.22) 23. Coaching allows me to focus on someone else other than my situation and me (3.51) 22. Coaching allows me to keep in touch with the younger generation and future trends (3.51) 21. Coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on my personal style (3.70) 20. Coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on our priorities (3.72) 19. Coaching allows me to stay connect to others on a deeper personal level (3.74) 18. Through coaching I can serendipitously share in their accomplishments (3.74) 17. Coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on our vision (3.78)

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It should be noted that all the averages except one are in the 3.5 and above range indicating that these are relatively less important that the top eight rated benefits. However, they are still average benefits just not the most outstanding benefits. Maybe some missed opportunities When looking at the bottom eight benefits a question comes to mind, how are these coaches defining the role of a coach? We contend that to be a good coach you must be coachable, or open to being influenced by the person you are coaching. Three of the bottom eight deal with feedback to the coach on their personal style, our priorities, and our vision. This sounds more like a one way street rather than a forum for open discussion and exchange. Since we don?t have access to these respondents we can only speculate, however if they view coaching a something they do to another person and not a forum for discussion we would suggest they are missing a tremendous opportunity. We all have blind spots and coaching discussions are one vehicle to check on the validity of who we are, the priorities we have and our vision for where we are going. Also many coaching discussions are caused by a lack of understanding or clarity of the unit?s priorities and vision. Without an open dialogue the coaching may be operating in a vacuum. Appendix Factors Through coaching I get a sense of satisfaction in teaching and watching others grow and develop Coaching is an exciting part of my work I enjoy the process of engaging others through coaching Through coaching, I get a sense of personal appreciation and accomplishment Coaching rejuvenates me, keeps me growing I enjoy coaching others to change and adapt Coaching is part of my paying back for what I have accomplished and received Coaching deepens my relationship with other people Coaching allows me to set an example so others will become involved in coaching the people around them Since each person/situation is unique I like the challenge and rush of meeting each challenge Coaching others keeps me grounded and realistic about my expectations It is a real high to turn around an other that others have given up on or written off Ranked Average 4.45 4.31 4.28 4.26 4.24 4.15 4.14 4.08 4.07 4.03 4.01 4.00

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Coaching allows me to know the other person's hopes and dreams Coaching keeps me from being isolated through the chance to talk and listen to others it keeps me in touch with what is going on coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on others blind spots I may have Coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on our strategy Coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on our vision Through coaching I can serendipitously share in their accomplishments Coaching allows me to stay connected to others on a deeper personal level Coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on our priorities Coaching provides me the opportunity for feedback on my personal style Coaching allows me to keep in touch with the younger generation and future trends Coaching allows me to focus on someone else other than my situation and me I coach because I am evaluated on how often and how well I coach others

3.88 3.87 3.87 3.79 3.78 3.74 3.74 3.72 3.70 3.51 3.51 3.22

~end~

Mentoring Boundaries: what's fair game for the discussion?

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs)

Mentoring is an interpersonal relationship where many topics could be discussed with counsel from the mentor. During the first half of 2009, we posted a survey on our internet site asking if everything in the partner?s life is fair game or are certain topics out of bounds? Note we use the term partner instead of mentee which reminds us of either an after dinner mint or an inhabitant of the Florida inner costal waterways and is not a word. Ninety-nine people responded to the survey; in evaluating the response keep in mind these caveats: The survey asked only about ?business mentoring relationships.? Would the results be different if we asked about all mentoring relationships? Twenty-nine topics were listed as potentials for respondents to rate; the list is far from exhaustive.

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The respondents are random; we know nothing about their background or frame of reference.

Mentoring: Two Schools of Thought To oversimplify one school of thought views mentoring as holistic, dealing with the entire person and their lives or as one respondent stated: ?If you are going to improve, you have to review all aspects of yourself.? The other views business mentoring as focusing only on business related issues as summarized by this comment: ?The business mentor is not a therapist.? Both thought were supported in the survey; however, the aggregate results favors the narrower business related issues only view. Survey Says It appears that there are three distinct groupings of the responses 1. Out of Bounds Topic Religious practices Political beliefs Marital problems Weight Racial, Ethnic, or Gender issues Family or other personal issues Physical fitness % selection "In Bounds" 21 24 29 31 41 41 47

These are clearly personal issues and decisions. Or as one respondent commented: ?The mentor should not dabble into the private life of the partner. If these issues are raised, the advice given should be to see a therapist.? Those who subscribe to the holistic view of mentoring would differ as reflected by their vote that these topic be ?in bounds? for discussion. Somewhat surprising are two topics: Racial, ethnic or gender issues and Family or other personal issues. Of any topics in this group, these two have the potential of negatively impacting a partner?s career and progress. An argument could be made that counsel or opinions could be offered in all of these areas to the partner but that it is the partner?s choice in what to do with this advice. 2. It Depends Topic Financial planning Alcohol or drug use Health
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% selection "In Bounds" 58 58 62

Personality quirks Intellectual shortfalls Confidential information or issues Retirement planning Salary expectations Appearance Dress

62 65 67 75 78 82 84

The business mentor is usually sought out to help the partner best achieve their career and personal goals. The topics in this group could definitely present obstacles to the partner and areas where an experience mentor could help, e.g., Personality quirks. By ?It Depends? we mean if clear expectations for the mentoring relationship have been established and a trusting, supportive relationship exists. As one respondent stated: ? Discussed only in a trusting relationship and if brought up by the partner? Many of these I would not raise but if the partner raised them as issues they should be addressed.? 3. In Bounds Topic Performance deficiencies Integrity Advancement expectations Technical deficiencies Work-life balance Ethical conduct Training or education needed Leve of commitment Career changes How to advance in ones career Motivation problems Team player obstacles % selection "In Bounds" 91 93 94 94 06 96 97 97 98 98 98 99

Little surprise here, these topics received high agreement as being in bounds for business mentoring discussions by all participants. Why not, they deal with either how to improve in a current position or what is needed to be done to grow and develop. As an aside, these performance and development topics are more comfortable than the personal topics; however, one would conjecture from other research that they are not openly discussed. The top rated topic, Team player obstacles, reinforces that functioning as a team member is critical in today?s business world. What Do Mentors Do?

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In the final analysis, a mentoring relationship is a personal matter. There are no formulas or set rules about what is comfortable discussion within the mentoring relationship. What is important is that the mentor and partner discuss and agree on what their expectations are for the relationships and what areas are ?in? or ?out? of bounds. This can change over time; the important thing is to make these agreements explicit so there is no misunderstanding. With a high level of mutual trust and support, a discussion of what is important at the time to both parties should be the defining factor not an arbitrary list of topics.

Non Traditional Coaching Learning Needs and Design Survey Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. (For individual usage only, not to be used/reproduced in team building, organizational publications or training programs without written permission) During the last half of 2008, an on-line survey was offered to better understanding the needs for a more non traditional, distant based learning approach to developing one?s Coaching Skills. Respondents and Need: The 104 respondents fell into the following categories: Individual Contributors 16%

Managers/leader 65% s Others 19%

Of these respondents, a resounding 88% felt they would need additional training in how to be a better coach, 12% were uncertain and not a single respondent selected the answer ?no?. Heartening that coaching is seen as a critical skill set both for managers/leaders as well as individual contributors. Seeing a need and committing to do something about it are two separate things. These respondents see a need for continued coaching training and are willing to invest: 1-4 hours 5-8 hours 30% 21%

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9-12 hours 13-16 hours > 16 hours

11% 10% 28%

Two distinct groups stand out, Quick Hitters (1-4 hours) and Sustained Learners (>16 hours). Regardless of their investment in time what is even more interesting is the lack of concurrence for a preference on how this training should be delivered. Preferences Respondents were asked to rate on a 1-5 scale (Extremely Undesirable to Extremely Useful) the multiple choices for how the training and support would be delivered. When one combines the number selecting, either 4 or 5 (Useful and Extremely Useful), selfpaced, on-line, electronic is only slightly preferred over more the conventional classroom: A self paced on-line distance learning workshop A traditional classroom workshop 78 % 71 %

One would guess that the Quick Hitters (1-4 hours) would prefer the on-line distance learning and the Sustained Learners (>16 hours) would prefer the traditional classroom. However, the Sustained Learners only slightly prefer the traditional classroom more than the Quick Hitters but both are not significantly different in rating the self paced on-line distance learning workshop as the preferred method of participating in these learning activities. Surprising since this was an on-line survey and one would assume the respondents have an affinity for the internet, it appears both traditional and distance learning have a place in the delivery of coaching training. To state the obvious, we have at least two different learning style groups. This is reinforced by the preference to: Being able to learn as part of a group 78 %

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Being able to learn alone on my own time schedule

81 %

Regardless of differences in learning styles, 90% of the respondents wanted to see various examples of coaching situations that illustrate how the skills can be used in the situations they are facing. Visualization of soft skills is a critical part of the group or individual learning process. How about preferences for personal coaching on specific coaching challenges faced by the respondent during the course of training? Being able to electronically correspond 81 with a personal coach. % Being able to have a telephone conversation. 67 %

The days of high touch seem to be loosing ground to the popularity, speed and ease of contact by email. This is reinforced when we asked respondents to: jump forward and assume you have successfully participated in one or a series of learning modules developing your coaching skills, how useful would these follow-up services be for you? Time to discuss personal coaching skills, challenges and other improvements I could pursue via: E-mail 85% Telephone 66% In a chat 71% room A blog 43% Personal attention yes, but not as personal or maybe inconvenient and time consuming as a live discussion. Interesting to conjecture are blogs too general and lacking in a personal focus for the subject of coaching skills? Who do you coach?

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When asked to rate the usefulness of coaching modules that focused on how to be more effective when coaching different groups, respondents said: Direct Reports Someone who is not part of your department but has an impact on your work A peer My immediate supervisor/manager 86% 79%

85% 86%

The role of coach historically has been seen as downward and the responsibility of the manager/leader?coach to direct report. These results suggest coaching is everyone?s responsibility and also goes both sideways and upward. What a positive perspective. Summary Having written, studied and conducted Coaching Workshops for the last thirty years using a traditional classroom approach, we expected to see a dramatic shift toward more non traditional distance based approaches to emerge. This survey, taken on the internet, does not support such a clear conclusion. The data suggest that there is a place for both formats and a resound need for continued Coaching training. What is clear is that examples and illustrations of the application of coaching skills are important in both formats and that the nature of follow up or reinforcement of the skills developed has changed. E-mail versus the telephone seems to be the preferred method of contact with participants both during and after the initial training for focused help and personal coaching. Note E-mail has not replaced telephone contact so the versatile training should consider both as a choice for participants. About the Author Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. CEO, Center for Coaching & Mentoring has over thirty years experience in training and organization development, as an internal change agent and external consultant. For comments or additional information email Matt from the selection below. ~end~
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Coaching and Mentoring: Are the Generations Expectations Different? Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs) With people living longer and staying in the workplace longer, four generations are likely to find themselves working together. Popular literature suggests that ones generation makes a difference in work ethic, values and career expectations with a resulting potential for collision, conflict and confusion between the generations. One of the keys to effective coaching is recognizing that people are all different and not to ascribe my motives, values, and goals but to understand and adjust to these differences. Our question: Are the coaching and mentoring expectations different, unique or similar across generations? During the third quarter of 2007, one hundred and twenty-three people responded from the following accepted generation groups: Estimated population size[i] 75 million (25% still in workforce) 80 million 46 million 76 million

# of respondents 10 42 38 33

Generation group Traditionalists or Seniors Baby Boomers Generation Xers GenY, Millenials, GeNext

Born between 1920-1945 1946-1964 1965-1977 1977-2002

Forty nine percent were male and fifty-one percent female. Our hope is that these results will give some insight to the notions that the generations are different and not to suggest an impossible prototype for how to coach these millions of individuals.

Generalizations Made About Changing Expectations:

Work is not the most important thing.
The Now Generation (Xers and GenY) are often depicted as detached and uninvolved in work. Our data does not support this generalization. When asked: I would describe myself as working to live versus living to work. On a 1-5 scale,with 1=Strongly Disagree and 5= Strongly Agree, average responses were: Seniors 4.10 Boomers 3.69 Xers 3.84 GenY 3.64

Clearly the Seniors, as expected feel work is important. What is surprising is that the other three generations on average are approaching an agree score. One would have suspected much lower scores particularly from the GenY respondents, granted they are the lowest but still in the 3+ range.

Long term careers with one organization are a thing of the past.
Our respondents were not as emphatic. How long do you plan on staying with your current organization? - Less than one year - At least the next 5 years - Plan on staying my entire working life Seniors 25% 25% 50% Boomers 19% 47.6% 33.4% Xers 15.8% 68.4% 15.8% GenY 18.2% 57.6% 24.2%

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With retirement approaching the Seniors responses are understandable. However, focusing on the other generations what is surprising is about half chose to respond at least the next 5 years. Economic and geo-political conditions might be contributing to a greater commitment to one organization than thought especially from our youngest generation. Granted roughly less than twenty percent didnt see spending more than one year with the current organization but half or more of the respondents, Now Generations (Xers and GenY) are willing to commit for at least the next 5 years, slightly more than the Boomers, and, almost a fourth of the GenY plan on staying my entire working life. This makes one wonder about the validity of this generalization especially for the GenY respondents to this survey. On a more positive note maybe organizations have changed to make staying for the long haul more attractive.

One career path is a thing of the past.

The Now Generation has been stereotyped as having temporary careers while keeping all options openeverything is transient. Our data does not support that there is a difference between generations when thinking about career paths. Question: I would say that I am trying to build a portfolio of careers with many options versus developing in one career or career path. On a 1-5 scale with 1=Strongly Disagree and 5= Strongly Agree, responses were: Seniors 3.50 Boomers 3.10 Xers 3.29 GenY 3.52

Keeping ones options open, developing career choices, and being willing to change careers is not the sole trait of any one generation. Interesting is that Seniors and GenY have a similar average score on this question. Downsizing, mergers, moving jobs off shore, global marketing has not fallen on deaf ears for all our respondents they get the message be flexible and adaptable in an ever changing world.

Job security has been replaced as the primary Performance Reward

Literature suggests that for Boomers the reward for hard work is money while the motivators for Xers are time with family and outside interests and GenY wants work that has meaning. Responses to two of our questions dont fully support these generalizations. Which of the following is your strongest reward preference? Seniors My income package: cash rewards, employee stock options plans, aggressive salary treatment, etc. My career development: acquiring new skills, work in a job/project with better long-term career prospects, opportunity to attend professional training, etc. My job satisfaction: more autonomy in work, opportunity to move to more preferred jobs/projects, etc. 20% 30% Boomers 23.8% 47.6% Xers 21.1% 55.3% GenY 24.2% 51.5%

50%

28.6%

23.7%

24.2%

A fairly constant percentage of the respondents still value My Income Package regardless of their generation. If we add the two categories, My Career Development and My Job Satisfaction the results indicate only a slight difference across all four generations. Boomers are supposed to be driven by money, title and recognition, Xers prefer time with family and outside interestnot according to these results. GenY wants work that has meaning, yes but they are no different than Boomers or Xers. Which of these two choices best describes your Career Drivers or Career Aspirations? Good pay: security of having a job for your entire working life; good retirement benefits; a job Seniors 30% Boomers 47.6% Xers 44.7% GenY 27.3%

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entailing a good social status; working for a stable or growing organization, being well rewarded for continuous service; and working regular hours Rewards that are clearly linked to performance: an opportunity to learn new things and upgrade your skills; the opportunity to work abroad/travel; cooperative a supportive co-workers; progressive working conditions e.g., flex-time, job sharing; and the opportunity to use cutting edge technology and facilities

70%

52.4%

55.3%

72.7%

Although the Boomers and Xers want more pay and retirement stability, the majority of all the generations want performance based rewards and the opportunity to learn new things in a progressive work environment. Interesting that the Seniors and GenY are about equal in their preferences in this area. This set of data does not support the gaps and differences that the popular literature would suggest for these two generalizations about differences in Performance Rewards between the generations.

Coaching and Mentoring Expectations and Relationships

Do the generations have different expectations for coaching and mentoring discussions?
During coaching discussions with your immediate manager would you prefer: Seniors The focus be on improving your weaknesses The focus be on improving your strengths 10% 90% Boomers Xers 54.8% 45.2% 50% 50% GenY 66.7% 33.3%

During mentoring discussions with your immediate manager would you prefer: Seniors The focus be on improving your weaknesses The focus be on improving your strengths 40% 60% Boomers Xers 53.7% 46.3% 57.9% 42.1% GenY 54.5% 45.5%

All generations except the Seniors slightly favor that both coaching and mentoring discussions focus on improving weaknesses. Seniors favor that both discussions focus on improving strengths. One explanation is that the Seniors have worked through out their entire career on training, growing and developmental plans: their weaknesses may be few or unchangeable, they want to building on strengths that have been converted from weaknesses or finding where their true niche strengths can best be used by organizations.

Are the Strengths and Weaknesses different in job performance and personal development discussions? An earlier study (http://coachingandmentoring.com/mentsurvey.htm ) suggests that the coach is job-focused while a mentor person is person focused. If this is true, the strengths and weaknesses discussed would be different in the coaching versus the mentoring interactions.

Is there a difference in the style of feedback preferred between the generations?

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We are lead to believe that the Now Generation doesnt want one-on-one meetings but prefers instant messaging formats; our data does not support this generalization. I would prefer that my coaching and mentoring discussions utilize the technology of text messaging, email or telephone conversations versus one-on-one meetings. The scale used for all the following questions: 1-5 with 1=Strongly Disagree and 5= Strongly Agree, all scores are averages for each generation group. Seniors 3.30 Boomers 3.57 Xers 3.68 GenY 3.48

During a coaching or mentoring discussion I prefer bite sized pieces of information in a short and concise form versus long drawn out conversations. Seniors 2.20 Boomers 2.50 Xers 2.45 GenY 2.76

High tech, low touch does not appear to be valued during coaching and mentoring discussions. There is slight to little difference between the generations, coaches and mentors need to continue with the high touch face time all generations require.

Is there a difference in the amount of feedback preferred between the generations?

The literature suggest that Seniors believe "No news is good news" Baby Boomers "Once a year, formal and documented is needed" Xers "Give me feedback all the time" and GenY "Electronic connection is fine by me." Our data does not provide that clear of a distinction. I would describe myself as requiring a lot of feedback, reinforcement, support and attention. Seniors 1.90 Boomers 2.26 Xers 2.55 GenY 3.03

GenY is supposed to require the least support but they have the highest average score: a 3 is an uncertain score, whereas Seniors disagree. More interesting than the generational differences is the similarity in the low levels of all the scores, maybe they are saying, treat us as adults, let us do our thing, help when needed but dont micro manage, or do all generation desire to be their own boss.

Is there a difference in type of training solutions preferred between the generations?

In our internet, distant learning world one would believe that there is a shift from formal training courses to quick learning events; our data does not support this generalization. If with my coach or mentor we develop a training solution I would prefer this to be quick learning events versus a training course that occurs over a number of days. Seniors 2.09 Boomers 3.07 Xers 3.45 GenY 3.09

A 3 was an uncertain choice, which could be interpreted as it depends." Even with this qualification we expected more agreement especially from the GenY generation, which have been called the Digital Generation." An alternative interpretation is that training remains a personal event where face-to-face interaction with others is valued. Your choice, but the data does not give a resounding vote for distant or internet based learning as a preference.

Is there a difference in type of coaching or mentoring information discussed between the generations?
We are lead to believe that the Now Generation has less identification with their organization - a more me generation so appealing to loyalty and institutional goals and values are irrelevant; our data does not support this generalization. During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to know whats fair and makes sense: e.g., why should I do something, why does it matter and why should I care, etc. Seniors Boomers Xers GenY

90

3.80

3.67

4.03

3.33

During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to know whats relevant: e.g., whats meaningful and critical, the reason behind the direction or policy, the big picture, etc. Seniors 4.60 Boomers 4.29 Xers 4.37 GenY 4.0

During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to know that the objectives and goals are clear and appropriate. Seniors 4.60 Boomers 4.38 Xers 4.45 GenY 4.09

During our coaching or mentoring discussion I need to see how the feedback I receive from my manager, mentor, peers, or customers is tied to direct benefits for me. Seniors 3.70 Boomers 3.69 Xers 3.58 GenY 3.55

Big picture: there are only slight differences between what the generations want during a coaching or mentoring discussion, in one voice they are saying: Why, whats fair and makes sense Whats relevant, the big picture Clear objectives and goals Whats in it for me

How the context these are related to may be different, but the need is the same, knowing the uniqueness of each individual will help the coach or mentor best determine how to operationalize these wants during their discussions. The important conclusion here is that there appears to be little differences between the generations; organizational goals, loyalty and values are important to all.

Summary
The responses clearly call into question the current stereotypes of generational differences being propagated by the popular press. For the questions asked here there is more agreement than disagreement in their view towards work, careers, coaching and mentoring discussions. This represents a first step at defining what each generations preferences are but does not shed light on how these are different in actual practice. E.g., Verbalizing that I desire a lot of feedback, reinforcement, support and attention does not describe how each generation interprets what this specifically means. As any good coach or mentor will say, it depends on the individual. For us, the bottom line is that stereotypes about millions of people in a given generation are misleading. What counts is do you, as a coach or mentor, make the personal contact and discussion time to fully understand the uniqueness of the other person regardless of their generation? Three responses reinforce this anti-stereotyping of the generations: Additional comments or thoughts that would help us better understand what is unique about coaching and mentoring your age group. People are unique not numbers or ages (Senior) There is a universal need to be understood and heard (Xer) I need to truly connect with the coach or mentor on a personal level (GenY) [1] Lynne C. Lancaster, When Generations Collide: How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. Management Forum Series, March 17, 2004, Synopsis by Rod Cox.

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What Contributes to a Satisfying Career?

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. Imagine that you are a career counselor for people who are trying to define a career direction. Putting aside the differences in financial gains between various careers, what would be your counsel to a person whose objective is to find a satisfying career? What criteria should they take into consideration in making a choice? Having been in that situation, my answers to these questions were not very deep or consistent. Thus the motivation for conducting this survey. During the second quarter of 2005, one hundred and twenty one people participated in our on-line survey to, define the most important contributors to a satisfying career. Seventeen percent have been employed in a full time job for more than six years and fifty seven percent have been employed longer than ten years. Also when asked overall how satisfied are you with your career only nine percent chose very unsatisfied while fifty three percent selected very satisfied and thirty eight percent selected the so-so option. This longevity in the workplace and high overall satisfaction scores lends credence to their opinions about what constitutes career satisfactionthey have the experience and know one when they see one. The participants were asked to rate nineteen conditions (listed at the end of this report) three times: 1. How important are theses conditions to a satisfying career? e.g., My work/career makes a difference __Does not Apply,__ Not Important, __Somewhat Important, __Very Important What is the single most important condition for a satisfying career To what extents are these conditions present in their current career? e.g., My work/career makes a difference __Does Not Apply, __Not Present, __Sometimes yes sometimes no, __Always Present They were also asked how likely they were to change job/careers with the next 12-15 month and why. 2. 3.

What is important?
Only three of the nineteen conditions failed to be rated very important to a satisfying career at least 60% of the time: I can be my own boss, my co92

workers are enjoyable, and I receive adequate performance feedback. The remaining sixteen factors all were voted as very important at least 60% for the time. Not much discrimination or distinction and maybe a little too idealistic to expect everything to be equally important. The next question asked for the participants to select the single most important factor from the list of nineteen factors. The following were the top six single most important factors for a satisfying career: Rank Factor 1 I find my career personally satisfying 2 My work/career makes a difference My career uses my full potential (strongest talents) There is sufficient opportunity for development and growth In my career there is room for advancement

My career allows for the proper work/life balance The argument could be made that I find my career personally satisfying is an outcome or because of the existence of the other five factors. Doing what makes a difference while utilizing my strongest talents plus having the opportunity to develop, grow, and advance with sufficient free time to pursue other interests sounds pretty good. Placed in these conditions it would be hard not to find it personally satisfying. From the original career counselor scenario, based on these results alone, you might offer the following advice: look at those careers that you find personally interesting, fit with your values on what makes a difference and utilize what you feel are your strongest talents. Also consider those careers that allow opportunities for development growth and advancement and are not so all consuming that you dont have a life outside of work. Good advice if such an animal exists.
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Are we getting what is important?

Knowing what is important for a satisfying career and having the opportunity to fulfill these needs may be two different things. When asked to rate the extent these same nineteen factors are present in their current career the two sets of results indicate that in fact these needs are not being fully fulfilled by the current career. Percent "always present" in current career 28%

Rank 1

Factor I find my career personally satisfying My work/career makes a difference My career uses my full potential (strongest talents) There is sufficient opportunity for development and growth In my career there is room for advancement My career allows for the proper work/life balance Average

38%

20%

33%

35%

23% 29.5% Percent "not present" in current career 21%

Rank 1

Factor I find my career personally

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satisfying 2 My work/career makes a difference My career uses my full potential (strongest talents) There is sufficient opportunity for development and growth In my career there is room for advancement My career allows for the proper work/life balance 8%

20%

16%

18%

13%

Average 16% Now as a recipient of your counsel would the person be dishearten to learn that on average those people surveyed felt that only 30% of the time did their current career always live up to providing what was important and in 16% of the time the career didnt even come close to meeting these needs? Conversely would their chosen career be attractive to these respondents if they could count on it only fifty four percent sometimes meeting what is important to them?

What to do about it?

The argument could be made that these respondents might not have fully evaluated their chosen careers in terms of what was really important to them. Or, they might not have really made a conscious choice about a career, someone else or situations dictated the type of career/work they had to take. Being placed in a situation where only 30% of the time your career always provided you what important and 16% of the time not at all might explain that 45% of these respondents indicated that they are likely to change jobs/career within the next 12-15 months. Reading the reasons for the change reinforces these conclusions: half of the written responses describing the major reason for the change point to some type of dissatisfaction with the current job/career. Some examples: I need a job that involves me using my full potential
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Personal boredom and a lack of vision for the future from my boss Want increased challenges, increased skills in my field More rewarding work with more balance between work/life I would like more of an opportunity to make a difference and to develop and grow Lest we focus only on the negative, keep in mind that 53% of the respondent chose very satisfied when ask to rate their overall satisfaction with their career. This group has selected a career that both meets their needs and provides them opportunity for continued satisfaction. Which begs the question, how can we help others find a satisfying career?

Whats your counsel?

For those who are formal career counselors or informally mentor/influence others, one conclusion from this survey is that the person needs to take more personal responsibility in making a career choice if they want to find career satisfaction. Focusing on the top six most important factors, the following questions, although far from exhaustive, might help those searching for a meaningful and satisfying career: 1. I find my career personally satisfyingWhat motivates you? What situations/activities do you find most satisfying? What situations/activities do you find boring? What is your priority list of what you want out of a career? Have you done the homework to really understand what is involved in those careers under consideration? Have you talked to people in these careers to find out what really happens and what to expect? Take on the role of an informed consumerwould you buy this career for you? 2. My work/career makes a differenceWhat are your values? What does it mean to you to make a difference? Can the people who are in these careers validate for you that this can happen? Will the careers under consideration offer you the opportunity to make the kind of difference you seek? 3. My career uses my full potential (strongest talents). What are your strongest talents? How do you know this? Who can validate that these are your strongest talents? Have you exhibited these talents in your past endeavors? Bottom line, do you know who you are and does this match what is required and valued in the careers under consideration? 4. There is sufficient opportunity for development and growth. What
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does development and growth mean to you? How much effort and commitment are you willing to give to your own personal development and growth? Are the desired development and growth opportunities available in the careers under consideration? 5. In my career there is room for advancement. What does advancement mean for you? What do you aspire to achieve? Is this advancement available in the careers under consideration? 6. My career allows for the proper work/life balance. What are your outside interests? How important are these outside interests? Which of these outside interests do you not want to give up? How much time do you want to spend on rest, relaxation, and personal things? Do the careers under consideration offer these opportunities? ~end~ Review other internet survey results

Nineteen Conditions Contributing to a Satisfying Career

1. My work/career makes a difference 2. I find the tasks of my current career challenging 3. I find my career professionally fulfilling 4. In my career, I can learn as much as I desire to learn 5. My career uses my full potential (strongest talents) 6. In my career there is room for advancement 7. I find my career personally satisfying 8. I am proud of my work/career 9. My career accurately reflects my values 10 I can be my own boss
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. 11 I feel involved at work . 12 My career contributes to my self-confidence . 13 My career provides sufficient financial security . 14 My career allows for the proper work/life balance . 15 I have a supportive supervisor . 16 My co-workers are enjoyable . 17 I receive adequate performance feedback . 18 There is sufficient opportunity for development and growth . 19 I feel in charge of my career . Unemployed: What's your job hunting strategy? Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
Since the 1930s, career professionals have concluded that the way jobs are filled and the way most people seek employment are different. In his best-selling job hunting book, Bolles[1] asserts that the methods used the most by employers when filling jobs are the ones which jobhunters use the least. Specifically:
The way employers fill vacancies The way typical jobhunters hunt for jobs

1st

From within I want to hire someone I have seen full time, part time, contract, temporary, or volunteer. A job-hunter who offers proof I want to hire someone who can show me their unique strengths or who a trusted friend of mine recommends. Higher level job I will pay a search firm to find an outstanding candidate who is presently working for another organization. Lower level jobs I want to hire someone from a stack of potential candidates gathered by a private employment agency or our human resources department. Resumes I will look at unsolicited resumes.
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6th

2nd

5th

3rd

4th

4th

3rd

5th

2nd

6th

Newspaper ads, internet job posting sites I will place an ad to find someone.

1st

Our own work with MBA students has reinforced an over-reliance on resumes and the internet for finding jobs. We were interested to discover if our and other career professionals conclusions were universal in today's economy where job security is no longer a given. During the third quarter of 2004 we asked those who visited our web site to participate in the following survey: What would you do if you lost your job today? Participants were asked to select the top three activities they would use; the three least important activities; the three they would need most help with; and the three they would need least help with from the following list of sixteen. Update my resume Register for unemployment benefits Define my unique talents and strengths Develop a list of contacts Manage my contact list Sharpen my interviewing skills Post my resume on the internet Relocate Review job postings on Internet Review job postings in newspapers Explore alternative careers Seek out professional career help/coach/mentor Obtain more education or skill development Seek out a book on career management Seek out a course on career management/finding a job Develop a financial survival plan

One hundred and forty one people responded to our survey. No definitions were offered for the sixteen activities nor were any demographic gathered about the respondents. When reviewing the results one could argue that because the respondents participated in an on-line survey, they are more comfortable using the internet than the average person. Conclusions: With these limitations, the overall conclusion is that the career professional are right those seeking jobs are not acting in tune with the way employers find candidates. This is the rankorder of importance of the sixteen activities the respondents indicated they would start with if they lost their job today. Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 tie Update my resume Review job postings on-line Develop a financial survival plan Register for unemployment benefits Post my resume on the internet Explore career alternatives Seek out professional career help/coach/mentor
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Activity

7 tie 7 tie 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Specifically:

Sharpen my interview skills Manage my contact list Define my unique talents and strengths Review job posting in newspapers Develop a list of contacts Obtain more education or skill development Relocate Seek out a course on career management/finding a job Seek out a book on career management

1. The survey respondents viewed having an updated resume (#1) and using the internet (#2 and #5) as the primary means of finding a job. However, consider the following facts: Monster.com boasts 25 million(+) resumes, (10/22/04) but only 4% of all job hunters who go on line find a job on-line. 92% of 5,000 recruiters and hiring managers surveyed said they are inundated with irrelevant responses the ease of posting online is now the job seekers greatest obstacle (Associated Press 1/19/03) An estimated 80% of all jobs occur in the hidden job market, that is, they are never publicized jobs they are filled by informal contacts. 80% of the people in the nation work for companies that employ sixty or fewer employees these employers depend on networking and referrals, they don't advertise. Small companies (employing fewer than 100 employees) have created two out of every three new positions since 1970, even in the worst of times. 2. The two activities rated the lowest by respondents; seeking out a course on career management/finding a job or, seeking a book on career management. Other than books or courses that focus on a specific piece of the job hunting process (e.g., resume writing or interviewing) career management books are unanimous in their message finding a job is all about defining transferable skills and using ones contacts.
3. Companies hire unique talents and strengths but Defining my unique talents and

strengths was ranked in the bottom half of our survey. Regardless of their perceptions, the groups we have worked with don't take the time nor know how to define their unique talents or strengths. The majority of time they list vague traits, e.g., honesty, team player, goal oriented, flexibility, etc. These are not transferable skills. The most frustrating part of our work is the unwillingness of many job hunters to spend the time defining their transferable skills and the tendency to want to jump to resume writing, internet posting and interviewing skills.
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4. Defining and managing ones contacts are rated in the bottom half (#7 and #10) by the respondents. However, consider a simple test: how did the reader find their last job? Though a newspaper ad, the internet, employment agencies, or from a personal contact? The resounding answer from those we work with is that they found their last job through a personal contact. A reality of the career profession the single most important way of finding a job that fits your unique skills is through contacts family members, friends, peers, mentors, or from contacts your contacts know. Experience indicates that some reasons for contacts being rated so low are: We don't have a process or the discipline for storing and regularly communicating with our contacts. We don't know how to communicate or relate with our contacts without appearing to be a nuisance or superficial. We limit our potential data base of contacts to immediate friends. Fear of rejection keeps us from personal interaction with our contacts its psychologically hard to pick up the phone.
5. The respondents rely on passive search methods (resumes, the internet) versus

active methods (defining transferable skills and working with their contacts). Contrary to these results we suggest that a different 80-20 rule should be applied. 80% of the time should be spent on active actions and 20% of the time on passive actions.

Summary The good news is that respondents give a high ranking to their financial survival. This might lend credence to the argument that in a crisis situation, the priority is to get your finances in order and get busy send out resumes and search the internet. This is not the time for reflection about ones transferable skills and revitalizing ones contacts. We would suggest that there is a false sense of accomplishment; jobs are not found this way. And, we would also agree that reflecting on and defining ones transferable skills and managing an active contact process should not wait until crisis time. Hopefully this will motivate some of our readers to consider these activities now while they have the comfort of an on-going pay check. [1] Richard Nelson Bolles. What Color Is Your Parachute? 2000. Ten Speed Press. Berkley, California. Pp. 19 Performance Management Process: Strength or Deficiency focused? Summary: Do we emphasize weaknesses, problems, or what cant be done at the expense of not recognizing and building on individual uniqueness, strengths, and what is being done right? Indications are that the respondents to our internet survey see their Performance Management Process as focused more on problem solving deficiencies instead of building on strengths.

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1. Thirty percent felt the foundation assumption for their Performance Management Process as that a persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths versus twenty-six percent who felt it was in the areas of his or her greatest weakness. Forty-one percent felt employees could develop the competencies needed for the position. 2. Fourteen percent felt the manager/coachs role during performance management meetings was to affirm what the employee is doing right. The remaining eightysix percent felt it was to improve performance, define needed training, or help solve employees performance problems. 3. When performance is below expectation, sixty-one percent felt the most likely action would be to define an improvement plan while only nineteen percent felt finding a different role in the organization that played to his or her unique talents was the appropriate action. In Now Discover Your Strengths, Buckingham and Clifton found only 20% of employees working in large organizations felt that their strengths are in play every day. [1] Why? They conclude that most organizations practices in managing people are based on a deficiency model which focuses not on strengths but weaknesses. The Performance Management Process is one way of evaluating if building on strengths or fixing deficiencies are being emphasized Our internet survey was designed to help determine the focus of the respondents Performance Management Process: what are the assumptions, what is being emphasized, de-emphasized, or ignored. The ten questions were based on Buckingham and Clifton's recommendations for practices which will lead to a strength revolution." The survey has been reformatted into an internet quiz that you can take and receive a score on how your performance management process is aligned with the "strength revolution." http://coachingandmentoring com/Ouiz/FocusOfPeformanceManagementQuiz.htm During the second quarter of 2004, 132 individuals responded to our survey. The entire survey and responses follow this narrative. We didn't ask for any demographic data so it is impossible to know how many of the respondents were managers, individual contributors, employed, unemployed, or their level of work experience. Recognizing these limitations, the data suggests that Performance Management is focused on fixing weakness. Specifically:
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Basic assumption: Twenty-six percent felt the foundation assumption for their Performance Management Process was: "A person's greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest weaknesses" while 41% felt that "if you know the competencies required for superior performance you can develop the employee to succeed." Taken together 67% felt the basic assumption was focused on fixing individuals or as Buckingham and Clifton would say putting in what was left out. All is not so bleak, 30 % or slightly less than a third felt the foundation assumption for their Performance Management Process was: "A person's greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths. For this group the goal is not to fix what was left out but identify each person's unique strengths and provide the skills and knowledge to hone these strengths. These conclusions are not as neat when the specific practices of the Performance Management Process are examined. Manager/coach's role: While 53% would agree that managers are encouraged to spend more time "casting employees in roles that utilize their unique strengths and talents, " 30% felt that this time should be spent problem solving with employees about performance problems" and 13% felt the time should be spent "helping poor performing employees improve." In another study Buckingham and Coffman found that for great managers casting is everything.[2] If you want to turn talent into performance, you have to position each person so that you are paying him or her to do what he or she is naturally wired to do. You have to cast him or her in the right role. Their central belief is that everyone has the talent to be exceptional at something. The trick is to find that something. The trick is in the casting. On a related question, when asked what best describes the manager/coach's role during a performance management meeting, only 14% felt it was "to affirm what the employee is doing right." Combining the responses to the other three choices for this question, eight-six percent felt that the manager/coachs role was dealing with deficiencies not strengths (41% "to help develop a performance improvement plan", 30% "to define future training or skill development needed" and 15% "to help solve employee's performance problems"). It may be unfair to assume that these activities would focus on the weakness versus strengths of an employee. A performance improvement plan and future training or skill development needed could be aimed at building on strengths. Our experience is that improvement" and "development needed" are usually euphemisms for overcoming deficiencies not building on strengths. Performance Standards: Only 33% of the respondents felt that the performance standards "focus on outcomes, allowing each person to find his or her own route there." Individual discretion to determine the best way to reach a performance standard implies
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each person is unique and can best determine how to use their talents and strengths. Contrast this with the remaining 67% who chose some form of legislating the work style of employees, forcing them into a stylistic mode: 27% felt that performance standards be "based on the competencies (read standard behaviors) needed for the position, 30% felt they should focus on a mutually agreed to stretch objectives, while 10% saw performance standards focused on how the job should (read standardized) be performed. A strength based Performance Management Process allows the individual employee to focus not on the steps of the journey but the end of the journey. This conclusion is softened when one looks at the response to: "if more than one person were performing the same job..." 57% felt each person should be treated as a unique individual while 32% felt that everyone should be treated the same with consistency." When performance is less than 100%: Two questions were aimed at this dilemma. When performance was consistently below expectation 61% felt "a mutually defined improvement plan" was needed, 14% felt a coach was needed to help the person improve and 6% would fire the person. Only 19% selected "finding a different role in the organization that plays to his or her unique talents." These responses are consistent with Buckingham and Clifton who found 8 out of 10 employees felt that they are miscast. They prescribe searching for a role where the employee can shine versus trying to fix a deficit. On a different question where the employee is at the 95% level of performance, 55% of the respondents felt the performance discussion should focus on identifying the positive things done to achieve this level of performancei.e., what was done right. Unfortunately the other 45% would focus the performance discussion on identifying problems standing in the way of 100% level of performance. The half full or half empty analogy comes to mind-strength based management focuses on building on what is done right not on problems or problem solving. Individual Development Plans: From a strength revolution base this was the brightest part of the survey. 66% of the respondents felt that the objective of individual development plans are to discover the persons unique talents and hone them with additional knowledge and skills. The remainder felt they were to develop the competencies needed for a position or a more well rounded person. The majority may well agree with Buckingham and Clifton that fixing weaknesses is not development, it is damage controlit can prevent failure, but never elevate performance to excellence. Building on unique talents is the key to excellence in performance. Pay: Buckingham and Clifton argue that pay for a particular position should have no cap, a world class performer should not have to be promoted to receive a salary increase. Only 16% of the respondents feel "there is no cap on the maximum salary a superior performer can receive." The remaining 84% feel their pay for performance system is either limited by competitive pay ranges, a cap or time on the job. A strength revolution advocates rewarding excellence in work. Lawyers figured this out a long time ago. World class performers (Senior Partners) earn a very generous salary without having to become a CEO, they are compensated for their strengths. Lest we leave this issue on a negative note, in a separate question when asked "what was the best way under their performance system to gain more recognition and make a lot of money" 77% chose either "become a world-class performer in your present job"
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or, "reach or exceed performance expectations." Still 22% felt this could be achieved by continuing to get promoted to a higher and higher level jobs." Pay and prestige for Buckingham and Clifton should be commensurate with the person's growth in their career without promoting him or her up the organization ladder and out of his area of strength. Unfortunately, for this group of respondents, this doesn't seem to be the norm and suggests support for the Peter Principle. Granted, some of the choices for each of the question are close, however we asked for the respondent to select the one which best describes their Performance Management Process. The focus on deficiencies versus strengths is not surprising given the problem solving nature of the managers role. Personally we also want to improve and take our strengths for granted. Yet, if one subscribes to the belief that there exists a reservoir of untapped strength in organizations, we need to refocus the managers, employees and systems perspective to identifying and building on strength not fixing weakness. Granted there are required skills to perform any job, train for these developmental needs recognizing that without an innate talent, the individual at best will achieve adequate performance. Superior performance results from honing ones talents into strengths. Skills and knowledge with an innate talent equates to world class performance. Survey questions and responses Percentage of responses based on 132 respondents, 1. is the Strength based response.

Which of the following best describe the manager/coachs role during a performance management meeting: To help solve employees performance problems 15% 14% To affirm what the employee is doing right To help develop a performance improvement plan To define future training or skill development needed 41% 30%

2.

Are the performance standards for each employee: Focused on how the job should be performed Focused on a set of mutually agreed to stretch objectives Based on the competencies needed for the position Focused on outcomes, allowing each person to find his or her own route there
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10% 30% 27% 33%

3.

The objective of individual development plans are To develop a well rounded person To capitalize on each persons ability to learn to be competent in almost anything To discover the persons unique talents and hone them with additional knowledge and skills To develop the needed competencies for that position 8% 7% 66%

19%

4.

If more than one person were performing the same job does your performance management process and management encourage 57% Treating each person as a unique individual Treating everyone the same with consistency Spending the bulk of your time with those who need the most help Setting a tone of competition between the employees 32% 7% 4%

5.

If a customer service employee received a 95% satisfaction rating from their customers, what would be the main focus of the performance discussion To brainstorm a list of potential obstacles or problems keeping the rating from being 100% To plan for follow-up phone calls or focus groups to identify the problem 10% 1% 55% To identify the positive things done to achieve the 95% rating To develop some different approaches to customer service aimed at attaining a 100% satisfaction rating 34%

6.

How is the pay system related to performance?

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What competition is paying for comparable jobs determines the pay ranges for a given job There is a cap on the maximum salary a superior performer can receive in any given position Performance and time on the job determine the salary level of a given employee in any given position

17% 22% 45% 16%

There is no cap on the maximum salary a superior performer can receive

7.

If a person is consistently performing below expectations, which of the following would be the most likely course of action? Mutually define an improvement plan 61% 19% Find a different role in the organization that plays to his or her unique talents Assign either an external or internal coach to help the person improve If all else fails fire them 14% 6%

8.

Under the performance system the best way to gain more recognition and make a lot of money is to Continue to get promoted to higher and higher level jobs Change companies often 22% 1% 25% Become a world-class performer in your present job Reach or exceed performance expectations 52%

9.

Your performance management process encourages managers to spend more time Helping their poor performing employees improve. Problem solving with employees about performance problems Sponsoring for promotion their top performing employees
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13% 30% 4%

53% Casting employees in roles that utilize their unique strengths and talents.

10 .

Which assumption is the foundation for your performance management process? A persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest weaknesses 26% 30% A persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths A persons greatest motivator is money If you know the competencies required for superior performance you can develop the employee to succeed 3% 41%

[1] Marcus Buckingham & Donald 0. Clifton, Ph.D. Now Discover Your Strengths. The Free Press, 2001

[2] Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. First, Break All the Rules: What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently.

Evaluating the Impact and Results of Coaching Training

An extensive change effort is underway at a major telecommunication organization. As part of this effort, during 2002, the supervisors and managers attended the Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc.'s two-day Coaching For Performance workshop, presented by Vail Consulting. To explore what is involved in the two-day workshop, click here. Three hundred and eighty six participating managers and supervisors responded to a follow-up survey. In addition to a number of demographic questions of interest to the organization, they responded to the following questions about the workshop, their skills and results accomplished: How many coaching sessions do you conduct per week? Less than 5 5-10 10-15 More than 15 13% 39% 33% 15%

These managers and supervisors average twelve direct reports. These respondents spend a lot of time coaching. Any improvements in their skills and results would have a tremendous impact on the organizations performance and costs. How often do you use the 8-Step Coaching Process in these sessions?
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Seventy-eight percent said "Most of the time" or "All the time." This response reinforces that the training received is being transferred to the job. All to often training is seen as too theoretical, or not relevant to the real world, not in this case. When comparing your new Coaching Process to the old Coaching Process what is the employees response? Eighty-two percent of the respondents indicated, "More positive." Not only was the Coaching Process relevant for the coaches; those receiving the coaching reacted positively. This positive response will contribute to the skills being used repeatedly. When comparing your new Coaching Process to the old Coaching Process what has been the impact on employee performance? Seventy-three percent of the managers and supervisors selected, "Better than before." Since your training toward the new Coaching Process, what has been the impact on your teams performance? Seventy-one percent elected, "Improved." The responses to these two questions is very compelling evidence that the Coaching workshop provided significant returns to the organization in terms of individual employee performance and team performance. These are perceptions of the managers and supervisors and could be thought of as having a favorable bias. The last questions should put this argument to rest. Since your training toward the new Coaching Process, how would your manager rate your effectiveness as a coach? Seventy-three percent said, "More effective as a coach." These managers and supervisors feel good about themselves as coaches who are producing improved individual and team performance. Those they coach and their managers reinforce this positive image. These responses lend strong support to the following speculations: 1. The organization will reap a huge economic benefit in increased performance and decreased cost as a result of the Coaching workshop. 2. Retention will be improved and the cost of replacing employees who might have been laid off will be reduced. 3. Managers and supervisors will continue to see their coaching responsibilities as satisfying and rewarding. On a follow-up employee satisfaction survey, the teams where the supervisors/managers reported the most frequent use of the coaching skills received significantly higher marks from their direct reports on all twenty seven relationship questions. They were also the most engaged in the business and reported higher overall satisfaction with the job and company. The important thing we discovered is that as relationships improve between the boss and subordinates, at all levels, so do the results! The coaching process is THE KEY to improving relationships which allows the organization/teams/individuals to focus on the issues which drives improved performance. Additional support is given to these speculations by looking at the response to an openended request: "Success stories that you would like to share." Although too numerous to catalogue here, the following are illustrative of the positive reactions to the training:
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I have an employee that consistently agreed that he needed improvement in specific areas. Since the Coaching workshop, I applied the 8-Step model to this particular supervisor and was shocked to see that he kept his commitment and was seeking more feedback. In fact, I was so busy and wanted to reschedule and he refused to reschedule because he was so anxious to receive his results and feedback. My team went from a 88% quality rating for the month before taking the coaching training, and this month we finished at a 95% rating. I have one team member that does not receive coaching in a very positive fashion and I had some very strong concerns regarding performance and behavior. My fear was that I was too upset with this individual to show my support. I also was fearful that if I showed too much support that this individual would not understand the magnitude of the issues discussed. During the coaching session I found that I could be supportive yet firm. The individual accepted the coaching session better than any prior sessions we have had together. I was having a difficult time communicating with one of my direct reports. For some reason, we just were not seeing eye to eye on anything we discussed. I used the coaching model and was really able to open a clear line of communication. We are able to talk more openly with each other and have established a stronger working relationship because of the communication we have been able to have. Confidentiality is key for ____. She is the receptionist with access to privileged information. I had limited success in helping her meet expectations prior to attending the coaching class. However after using the 8-Step Coaching Model, I really got buy in from her and her performance really improved. Her performance rating changed from less than successful to successful.

Characteristics of the Most Effective Mentors Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

During the first quarter of 2003 an on-line survey was conducted by the Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc. The objective of the survey was to better understand what the purpose of the most effective mentoring relationship was and the behaviors of the respondents most effective mentor. Seventy individuals responded; twenty males and fifty females, with seventy-four percent being under forty-five years of age. When asked about the main purpose of their most effective mentoring relationship the group results were: Skill Development Career Advancement Job Performance Life Skills Studies/school work 36% 24% 20% 13% 8%

One open-ended question was asked: Think about your most effective mentorthe person who was most helpful for you. Keep this person in mind, and describe, in as much detail as you can, what they did that made them your number one mentor. What set them apart?

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For some fascinating reading the full text of the responses, with personal names and companies edited out, can be viewed by clicking here. The overall reaction to these comments is not of some super human event, but of a caring, deeply committed relationship. Those who have never experienced this type of a mentoring relationship can be heartened that it is possible if both parties are committed to making it work. The following summary, in decreasing times mentioned, of the major themes with illustrative comments provides insight into the richness and lasting impact these relationships have had on the respondents. A role model: My most effective mentor lived by example; This is the person I modeled myself after; My mentor walked her talk; I admired and thereby learned a lot from them; She is a role model, setting an example. Achieving role model status may result from past accomplishments, ones values or organizational position. We believe a stronger case can be made that role model status was earned by how the mentor behaved during their interactions with those who responded to this survey. Role model status is an output of the interaction, the respondents wanted to emulate their mentor and replicate the following ten behaviors in their interactions when they became mentors.
1. Empathetic, non judgmental listening: My mentor was willing to hear me out; She

was an outstanding listener; He listened when I was uncomfortable; His listening skills were excellent; He listened with caring and concern. talking to me and getting to know me; He was always available; He is always willing to help; She has always been there for me; She always seemed to be there when I needed her the most.

2. An unselfish commitment of time: He invested time with me; He spent time

3. Provided insightful feedback: Straight forward, clear and concise; She accepted

feedback as well as gave feedback on a consistent basis; Provided consistent, honest feedback.

4. Concerned and cared about me on a personal level: He took a personal interest

in me; She cared about me as an individual; Took a personal interest in me when I most needed a mentor and friend; She really cared about you as a person.
5. Provided encouragement, and helped set stretch goals: He was constantly

raising my standard; Collectively we came up with ideas and actions plans; He challenged me to think outside of the box; He has encouraged me to strive for success. me with the support to focus my personal strengths; She was supportive and understanding; She believed in me and supported me.

6. Was very supportive: I never felt she had left me out to hang alone; He provided

7. Sincere, open and honest: He was very honest; She was honest and open in her

communications; Her information came from the heart; It could not have happened without his open and honest communication.

8. A partner: She knows the whole philosophy of coming along side of me instead

of walking ahead of me; A partnership was developed with my mentor; He neither led me nor followed me, but stayed close so that I could find my own

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path; It was a collaboration; She cared about me and treated me not as a kid, but as an equal who she was honored to has as a friend.
9. Saw potential, believed in and had confidence in me: He demonstrated total

confidence in me; What set her apart, her ability to care about each person in their own special way; I know now that she saw potential in me I did not know I had; She challenged me to be a better leader because she saw my potential. Their patience is what counted; He was a very patient man who allowed me to have the time that I needed to think out a problem myself.

10. Was patient: She was very patient, concerned and involved with my learning;

Other behaviors were mentioned but not consistently enough to be considered a predominant theme for the seventy respondents. These ten behaviors can be achieved in a mentoring-partner relationship. For those engaged in a mentoring relationship, these ten behaviors could be a useful check list for both the mentor and partner to evaluate the health of their relationship and where improvements could be made.

The Status of Coaching in Organizations

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

Executive Summary:
During the second quarter of 2001, one hundred and thirty three people participated in our on line survey: What is Coaching in Your Organization? The vast majority of the respondents were the coach (seventy four percent), not the person being coached (twenty six percent). Summarizing their responses: 1. The single most important reason for coaching sessions was Development and Growth, not Performance Improvement. 2. To the question "What one subject would they like to spend more time on during coaching discussions," three topics received a total of seventy two percent of the responses to the question: Roles, responsibilities, and expectations; How to build on my strengths; How to overcome my weaknesses. Points one and two suggest a new more helping oriented role for coaching. 3. Seventy nine percent of the respondents felt coaching was given no higher than medium priority in their organizations. And thirty six percent felt that coaching efforts arent recognized and rewarded by their organization. Suggesting that coaching discussions are not occurring very frequently. 4. The major obstacles impeding a coaching discussion was attributed to two major villains: Time and Lack of training (seventy percent of the responses). 5. Not surprising, the majority of coaching is seen to be occurring at the Manager to worker employee level (fifty four percent). The least responses came from the Executive to direct report level (two percent). 6. The respondents would like to see both formal and informal coaching discussion occurring more frequently than they are currently occurring. 7. The coaches were given an average score of Neither Effective nor Ineffective in assessing individual performance and communicating this assessment.

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8. They scored slightly above the Neutral level when asked how satisfied they were with their coaching discussions. 9. Lastly, e-mail has replaced face-to-face discussions for thirty percent of the respondents. The good news, it has no affect on fifty two percent of the respondents.

The Status of Coaching in Organizations

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. During the second quarter of 2001, one hundred and thirty three people participated in our on line survey: What is Coaching in Your Organization? Coaching is a popular term. The definition used in the survey was: Coaching is a discussion and feedback process between members of the organization aimed at exerting a positive influence in the motivation, performance, awareness of areas for improvement and development, or career of another person to help them be as effective as possible. The vast majority of the respondents were the coach (seventy four percent), not the person being coached (twenty six percent). With few exceptions, as noted, the respondents role in the coaching relationship made little difference in their answers. Why Coach? During our seminar on coaching skills conducted over the past twenty-five years we often hear that coaching discussions are typically negative or punitive. Sixty three percent of the respondents felt the single most important reason for coaching session was Development and Growth (note, for the other person being coached this was picked seventy one percent of the time). Another twenty three percent chose Performance Improvement (note, for the other person being coached this was picked only seventeen percent of the time). When asked about the second most important reason for coaching sessions, thirty five percent picked Performance Improvement while twenty nine percent selected Development and Growth. These responses indicated that coaching does not occur when things are wrong or going bad, in fact the majority of time is spent in positive developmental or growth discussions. When asked what one subject they would like to spend more time on during coaching discussions, seventy two percent of the respondents selected one of the following three: Roles, responsibilities and expectations 23% How to build on my strengths How to overcome my weaknesses 27% 22%

Whats expected of me, how can I better use my unique talents and things I need to improve on? not as we have been lead to believe very critical or negative stuff. It appears that our model of a coach is a person who helps me do my best and provides opportunities and challenges to help me grow and develop. This is the opposite of a one way, authoritarian, ranting monologue that we see from many of our sports coaches. Suggesting that the sports coach and business coach analogy is weakening if not in appropriate.
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Is coaching a priority? NOT Other than directly doing something that positively affects the organizations viability and growth, the second biggest impact would seem to be coaching others to learn, grow and perform. However, seventy nine percent of the respondents felt coaching was given no higher than medium priority in their organization, of which twenty percent rated it a low priority. Only eleven percent felt it was given a high priority. The person being coached was even harsher in their evaluation. Eighty one percent felt coaching was given no higher than medium priority in their organization of which twenty nine percent rated it a low priority. These results do not give credence to often over used phrase "people are our most important asset." It is not surprising that more than a third of the respondents (thirty six percent) felt that coaching efforts arent recognized and rewarded by their organization. The person being coached felt this was true in forty nine percent of the time. Almost half felt that coaching was neither recognized nor rewarded by their organization. Twenty one percent felt that coaching was recognized and rewarded informally while thirty three percent stated coaching is part of a managers roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Part of my job but given medium to low priority and informally or not recognized or rewarded for over half the respondents? One could safely guess that coaching is not occurring at a frequent rate. If coaching does has a low recognition or reward factor why spend your time; answer, you dont. This leads to corollary questions, what is rewarded and recognized or, what are those charged with coaching others doing with their priority time? Why not? Two major villains account for over seventy percent of the responses, time and training. Thirty nine percent of the respondents stated that the most common obstacle impeding a coaching discussion was "No time, not a priority". The person being coached chose this reason forty three percent of the time. Twenty three percent felt it was "Lack of training for the coach," while nine percent felt it was "Lack of training for the person being coached." These findings are reinforced when reviewing the responses to an open-ended question, "If one thing could be improved or changed that would make your coaching discussions more satisfying and productive what would that be?" The two major categories of responses were Training and Time. Two comments best summarize the respondents feelings: It seems like they only regard coaching as important when the work load is slow. More resources in the coaching arenatraining managers to be coaches in an environment which they have not been taught how. Is it any wonder with the do more with less mantra that intangible coaching relationships are not important enough to spend time or obtain the appropriate training? Not as important as what, unfortunately maybe Dilbert has a clue. Where does coaching occur?

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An interesting, but not surprising response is that coaching occurs least often at the Executive to direct report level (two percent) but fifty four percent at the Manager to worker employee level. It occurs more at the Peer to Peer level (thirty percent) than at the Middle managers to first line manager level (fourteen percent). It appears that with as one moves up the organization ladder, one rite of passagecoaching is not an expectation for middle and senior level managers. Strange, this group of managers has a bigger impact on the organization and receives less coaching, direction and help, go figure. The large amount of peer to peer coaching lends weight to an earlier conclusion that coach is less of an authoritarian and more of a helper. How and when does coaching occur? Coaching occurs on both a planned, formal basis and a spur of the moment, informal basis. Formal Coaching discussions: From the results in the following table one can conclude: 1. The coaches see the formal session occurring more frequently than the persons being coached. 2. The coaches feel the formal session should occur less frequent than the persons being coached. 3. Traditionally formal coaching discussions have occurred during periodic review on a annual or semi-annual basis. A very small percent for both groups felt they should not occur annually and less than one third felt they should occur semiannually. 4. For both groups, twenty percent dont have formal coaching discussions. 5. Although the person being coached and the coach in this survey are not in a reporting relationship, it appears that the persons being coached want more frequent formal contact with the coach than they are getting. The demand is there yet it is given low priority and insufficient attention according to these respondents. Formal coaching discussions How frequent do they occur? Coach Person being coached 3% 6% 17% 40% Every day Every week Every month Semi-annually How frequent should they occur? Coach Person being coached 2% 26% 40% 30%

Every day Every week Every month Semi-annually

2% 16% 26% 28%

8% 36% 32% 21%

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Annually We dont have them

8% 20%

14% 20%

Annually We dont need them

1% 2%

0% 2%

Informal Coaching discussions: From the results in the following table one can conclude: 1. Twenty five percent of the coaches feel informal coaching discussions are occurring every day, while only nine percent of the persons being coached feel this way. 2. Over half (fifty seven percent) of the persons being coached would like informal coaching on a weekly basis yet twenty three percent dont have any informal coaching discussions. What a wasted opportunity. 3. Factoring out those respondents who dont have or need informal coaching discussions, the majority of both groups would like this contact to occur no more than on a monthly basis. Doesnt seem too much to ask, does it? Informal coaching discussion How frequent do they occur? Coach Person being coached 9% 28% 26% 11% 3% 23% Every day Every week Every month Semi-annually Annually We need them How frequent should they occur? Coach Person being coached 17% 57% 9% 14% 0% 3%

Every day Every week Every month Semi-annually Annually We dont have them

25% 31% 21% 11% 2% 10%

36% 43% 11% 8% 1% 1%

If these coaching discussions are not happening as frequently as desired, one could argue that the amount of time devoted to each discussion would make up for the lower quantity of meeting. The data doesnt seem to support this argument as indicated in the following table: How long to your formal discussions last? Less than 15 minutes 12%
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How long to your informal discussions last? Less than 15 minutes 38%

15-30 minutes 30-60 minutes 1-2 hours Longer than 2 hours

41% 38% 7% 2%

15-30 minutes 30-60 minutes 1-2 hours Longer than 2 hours

42% 18% 2% 0%

As one would expect the formal discussions last longer probably because there are a number of items needed discussing. The informal discussion being at the moment, have a tendency to be shorter with eighty percent taking thirty minutes or less. Focused, specific discussions need not last a long time. We should be encouraged that when they do occur a significant amount of time is devoted to the formal coaching discussion with over a third (thirty eight percent) lasting between thirty and sixty minutes. In our rush rush world it is questionable how productive a formal coaching discussion can be that lasts less than fifteen minutes (twelve percent) or fifteen to thirty minutes (forty one percent), or two thirds of all the formal coaching discussions. Especially since the majority of respondents felt the purpose of a coaching discussion should be for Growth and Developmentthese are not usually simple or easily resolved issues. Effectiveness of coaches We tried to ask a number of questions that focused on how effective the coaching discussions were in motivating others to strive to higher levels of performance. Dont people hire personal coaches, trainers, etc. to give them a unique vantage point, to help them see blind spots, or to go above their current level of performance? How effective are managers in your organization at assessing individual performance in a way that motivates others to strive to higher levels of performance? On a five point scale from Very Effective to Very Ineffective respondents average rating for managers was 3.09, with Neither Ineffective nor Effective representing a 3.0. This casts some doubt on this groups perception of the managers ability to provide a unique vantage point or help them see possibilities that they cannot. The same question was asked substituting the word communication for assessing. These respondents gave their managers an average score on the same five-point scale of 2.93, with Neither Ineffective or Effective representing a 3.0. This casts some doubt on overall effectiveness of the coaching discussion. The respondents were a little more generous on their scores when asked how satisfied they are with coaching discussions. On a five point scale from Very dissatisfied to Very satisfied the average score was 3.34 with Neutral representing a 3.0. Unfortunately, the question is not clear as to whether they are rating themselves as a coach or the person
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being coached. There was not a significant difference between the responses from the coaches and those being coached. On a positive note, forty percent of the respondents selected the Somewhat satisfied choice; however on average, regardless of their frame of reference, the entire group averaged Neutral on satisfaction. A positive result, when asked "When you are the person being coached, how motivated are you as a result of the coaching discussion," the group average score was 3.79 with Neutral representing 3.0 and Somewhat Motivated representing 4.0. Motivated by what, we dont know, lets hope it is positive in nature. E-mail and coaching Stating the obvious, e-mail has changed our way of communicating. It takes only a casual observer to note that the volume of e-mail has and will continue to increase. The style is usually very terse. We wondered if e-mail has replaced some of the face-to-face time between managers and employees, especially in the coaching arena. How has e-mail affected the time and nature of your coaching discussions? The responses to this question in the following table shows some good and bad news: No affect E-mail and coaching are not related It has cut down on the amount of face-to-face discussion It has replaced much of our face-to-face-discussions It is a cop out for dealing with important issues 30% 22% 30% 11% 7%

Good news, fifty two percent of the respondents see e-mail as either having no effect or unrelated to coaching. Bad news, for the remaining forty eight percent, e-mail has had a negative impact on their coaching discussions, with eighteen percent of this group feeling it has replaced face-to-face discussions or a mechanism for escaping responsibilities to talk with one another about important issues. It is interesting to speculate if this group contains the same respondents who were not having or having less frequent coaching discussions thus making e-mail a symptom of a larger problemnot living up to ones coaching responsibilities. Time will tell, however we continue to hear both from managers and employees that e-mail has tended to depersonalize the relationship between manager and employee. Some of the earlier conclusions based on time and frequency of coaching discussions makes us feel that email may be yet another barrier between people meeting face-to-face and building/maintaining relationships. One last response lends some weight to this concern. When asked, "How satisfied are your with the affect e-mail has had on the nature of your coaching discussions," only fifteen percent chose Somewhat Satisfied or Very
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Satisfied, and twenty one percent selected either Very dissatisfied or Somewhat dissatisfied. Lest we loose perspective, a whopping sixty four percent selected Neutral lending hope that face-to-face discussions are holding their own. Summary The purpose of coaching is focused on Development and Growth first and Performance Improvement second. This suggests the role of the coach is more of a helper and less of a boss. However, coaching efforts are not given a high priority in the respondents organization nor recognized and rewarded. Suggesting that the coach/managers time and attention is being spent on other activities. The biggest obstacles impeding coaching discussions were: No time, not a priority; Lack of training, these two accounted for over seventy percent of the responses. This is not rocket science, both of these obstacles are easily resolved if organizations believe there is value in coaching employees. Evidently coaching has perceived value depending on where one sits in the organization. The majority of coaching is occurring most often at the Manger to worker employee level and least often at the Executive to direct report level. Respondents want both formal and informal coaching discussions to occur more frequently than they are. Respondents rated their level of satisfaction with coaching discussion as Neutral. And lastly, e-mail is seen to cut down on face-to-face discussions for about a third of the respondents. Bottom line, coaching is being requested by employees but given a lower priority, reward and recognition. To improve on productivity, quality, and customer relations what better place to start than with coaching employees? If organizations are serious about these initiatives, it seems they need to elevate coaching both in priority and reward status as well as provide more training to both coaches and those being coached.

About the Author

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. CEO, Center for Coaching & Mentoring has over twenty years experience in training and organization development, as an internal change agent and external consultant. For comments or additional information email Matt from the selection below.

What is Unique about Reverse Mentoring, Survey Results

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs without written permission)

Alan Webber, co-founder of Fast Company describes reverse mentoring: "Its a situation where the old fogies in an organization realize that by the time you're in your forties and fifties, you're not in touch with the future the same way the young twenty-something's. They come with fresh eyes, open minds, and instant links to the technology of our future". Jack Welch, Chairman of GE, has ordered his top 600 managers to reach down into their ranks for Internet junkies and become their students. What if anything is unique about a reverse mentoring relationships? Fifty-nine people responded to an on-line survey during the first quarter of 2001. Thirty-seven were mentors (the person doing the mentoring) and twenty-two were partners (the person being mentored). They were from such diverse organizations as Government, Consulting, and Financial Services. Only 9% were Executives while 40% were Middle
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Managers, 25% First Level Managers and 26% Individual Contributors. The results are based on the limitation that this was a voluntary survey, with no attempt to obtain a representative sample. Although we did not control for gender or racial differences no respondents chose as the biggest challenge in making a reverse mentoring relationship productive, "getting over our gender differences" and only one chose "getting over our racial differences". Subsequent inquires from journalists about the survey results suggests that there may be some challenges in these areas and worthy of further study. Is it a young to old thing? No, fifty percent of both the mentors and partners were 26-35 years of age with none over age 55. For this group reverse mentoring appears to be a peer-to-peer relationship not one for the old fogies. A larger number of executives responding to the survey could change this conclusion. It is interesting to speculate why so few executives responded to the survey, since this is the target population. Are they not engaged in reverse mentoring relationships; don't have time to complete surveys; or, don't surf the internet? What is the purpose of a reverse mentoring relationship? Forty-one percent selected "To gain technical expertise" and 25% selected "To gain a younger perspective". This supports the notion of capitalizing on the technical knowledge base and younger perspective of the mentor. An intense relationship is indicated by fifty-two percent stating they met once a week with an additional forty-one percent meeting once a month. Although twenty-five percent expect the relationship to last 1-5 months and twenty-percent expect it to last longer than a year. What is the satisfaction level with the reverse mentoring relationship? There were two groups of people, twenty percent said they were "very dissatisfied" and sixty-eight percent said they were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied". Did how the reverse mentoring relationship occur affect their satisfaction? No, although fifty-two percent were assigned while forty-eight percent sought out either the mentor or partnerbeing assigned or freely choosing a mentor or partner did not make a difference in the satisfaction level of the respondents. What would make the reverse mentoring relationship more satisfying? Fifty-three percent-said "a clear game plan" while twenty-two percent felt "clear rules of engagement". Clarity on what we will accomplish, our commitment, how we will go about it and how we will relate to one another emerge as clear indicators of a satisfying mentoring relationships. This conclusion is supported by answers to other questions in the survey: a. Thirty-three percent felt "finding time to meet", twenty-eight percent "opening up and considering different ideas/perspectives" and twenty-five percent "listening without forming judgments" were the biggest challenges in making the reverse mentoring relationship productive. b. If they could start anew, fifty-two percent stated that "having a game plan and goal" would be what they would do differently to improve the reverse mentoring relationship. c. The advice they would give the younger mentor: twenty-eight percent said both "patience" and "being open to your partner".
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d. The advice they would give the older partner: forty-one percent said "have an open mind and attitude". Thirty-three percents said "listen and learn". Summary Reverse mentoring relationships are developed to gain technical expertise and a different perspective. They are not a younger to older person thing for this group it was more a peer-to-peer relationship where both people have a lot to teach and lot to learn. In line with our earlier survey, (http://coachingandmentoring.com/mentsurvey.htm) planning and management of the relationship are critical. A commitment of time, having a game plan/goal and rules of engagement as well as listening, being open minded and patient seem to be central ingredients for any mentoring relationship not just a reverse relationship. These results indicate that there is nothing unique about reverse mentoring. These same challenges need to be managed in any mentoring relationship. The operative word is mentoring.

About the Author

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. CEO, Center for Coaching & Mentoring has over twenty years experience in training and organization development, as an internal change agent and external consultant. For comments or additional information email Matt from the selection below.

Survey Results from Leaders Who Find Time to Coach

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. Many leaders tell us they just dont have time to coach others. Researchers have found that the "coaching style" is used least often.* Doing more with less, working managers, performance based compensation, focusing on results, and temporary organizations are all seen as contributing factors. Yet, some leaders make the timehow do they plan, manage and find the time to coach? One hundred leaders responded via the internet to our survey: How Do You Find Time to Coach? How committed are they to coaching? 80% said they live by the belief that coaching is a critical leadership responsibility and a major success role for themselves and the people they coach. They backed this belief with their time; 80% spend more than 4 hours per week coaching others, with half of them exceeding the norm by spending between 8 12 hours per week or approximately 20% of their time. One respondent best captured the guiding philosophy of this group when they said, "If you believe, the time becomes available." These leaders are very purposeful in planning for and executing their coaching responsibilities as indicated by their response to the question, "Which of the following formal planning tools do you use to help you make time for coaching others?" * I have a written mission statement for my role as a coach. 9%

* I have defined coaching goals and action statements that can 14% be implemented on a weekly basis.

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* Each week, I make 1 or 2 appointments with myself and/or 26% others for the following week to act on my coaching goals. * I honor the coaching appointments I make. * At the end of the week, I assess my coaching progress and set 1 or 2 goals for the upcoming week. 38% 13%

"Plan big and try hard" was the advice offered by one respondent. While another captured the importance of having a plan and working that plan, "My integrity as a coach is tied to my willingness to establish and then follow through on commitments." All respondents used formal planning aides to "write it in ink and stick to it!" The two most popular were some form of the Day Timer and Computer Scheduler. Coaching has many motivators, for this group the top actions they took during the year to advance their coaching goals were: 1. Have lunch, coffee, coke, chat etc. with a person to build/reinforce the rapport and relationship. 2. Tell them that you value their efforts and have faith in their ability to really move forward in a particular area. 3. Send a hand written note recognizing another persons progress. 4. Through reading, observation or formal training, try to develop their skills as a coach. 5. Have lunch/coffee with another leader and brainstorm approaches to a particular coaching challenge they faced. 6. Reflect and take stock of their effectiveness as a coach. 7. Reflect on what motivates you as a coach and what concerns/issues hold you back. Ask one of your reports to handle an assignment for you, even if you could have done it yourself. What is interesting is that half of these actions deal directly with meeting and working with others and half relate to introspection and self-development of the coach. These participants want to both spend the time coaching others and to continue developing their skills and approaches to coaching. One respondent states, "I have found that coaching others automatically increases my personal development, I learn as much from others as I hope they do from me." Bottom linewhy do these leaders make time for coaching? The answer is best found in the following comments: * "Coaching is a leadership skillI believe doing it effectively sets
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the leaders apart from the managers." * * "Invest valued time and you will all benefit from it." "Make it a basic component of your leadership. It is not another task to be done, it is a process necessary for your success and the success of those around you." "Coaching others is repaying the debt of gratitude to those who took time to mentor you." "Try to see it as a business imperative, its at least as important as winning the next piece of business." And finally, "Coaching is one of those big rocks that managers should focus on as a top priority."

So, the next time someone says they dont have time to coach, smile because you know better. The old adage, people make time for what is important, applies. Limited time is not the problem, it is the condition, a given. The problem is how important coaching is relative to all your leadership responsibilitieswhat is its priority? You dont manage time, you can manage your priorities. For this group of respondents coaching is at the top of their priority list. * Daniel Goleman. Leadership That Gets Results. Harvard Business Review. Volume 78, pp 78-90, March/April, 2000. About the Author
Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. CEO, Center for Coaching & Mentoring has over twenty years experience in training and organization development, as an internal change agent and external consultant. For comments or additional information email Matt from the selection below.

Why Project Leaders Succeed: Project Leader Skills Survey Results Fred Friend, CCM Associate
(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs without written permission)

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IN SUMMARY: Of the 82 respondents, 55 were Project Leaders and 27 were Managers Of Projects Leaders. The Project Leaders were relatively junior, with 65% having 5 years or less experience, and we assume technically educated since 45% lead IT or Consulting Engagement Projects. Contrast this with the Managers of Projects Leaders, 59% had at least 5 years and more than 10 years experience. Given these demographics, a relatively junior group of project leaders talking about their needs and the perspective of a seasoned group of their managers who have undoubtedly coached and mentored many project leaders, the following are even more compelling: Skills: 90% of the respondents rated "most project leaders" technical skills as average or good and 75% rated interpersonal skills as average or poor. Technical competence and skills are not the issue, what is? Key 85% or greater of the respondents said the following interpersonal were the critical skills needed to be a successful skills: project leader: Listens to others ask questions, to stimulate thinking clarify roles, expectations establish trust recognize individual accomplishments develop a sense of teamwork Top four people Define & communicate goals/sub goals skills for project leader Clarify roles, expectations
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success:

Listen to others Establish trust.

Training for the 1/3 had no formal training, Project Manger 1/3 had some related workshops, role: and only 1/3 had formal training by college degree or PMI or equivalent formal programs. Heres the picture, a great need for help with little or no training being provided. Our guess is that organizations assumed that technical competence and skills would generalize to the skills needed to be a Project Leader. Unfortunately, the organization probably lost a good technical resource and gained a struggling Project Leader. Heres the things they dont teach you in college: Greatest people Dealing with lack of commitment, lessened sense of challenges: mission, alignment of everyones understanding and efforts, and accountability by project team members. Top four people Listen to others skills for Ask questions to clarify project Develop a sense of teamwork members: Establish trust. Top three things Support, be attentive, listen, protect, mentor, Managers-ofrecognize, reward. Project Leader can do more of: Communicate, work closely, give clear goals, ask question, listen, provide feedback. Delegate and allow, clear goals, allow trial and error, protect.
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Recommendations: The preponderance of responses from relatively Training, training new project leaders should underline the crying and more training! need for help in: Interpersonal skills: coaching, team building, establishing trust, and gaining commitment without the use of formal authority. Communications skills: with team members (listening, asking questions), peers and mangers as well as presentation skills. Project planning/manage process skills: Clarifying roles and expectations, defining goals/sub goals, recognition of accomplishments. DETAILED RESPONSES FOR EACH QUESTION Here are the detailed responses that lead to these conclusions and recommendations. We welcome your comments on our conclusions and additional conclusions and recommendations you would draw from this data. 1. Title: 33% of you were Managers-of-Projects 67% of you were Project Leaders 2. Years of Project Leaders Managers-of-Projects Experience: 23% had less than 1 year 13% had less than 1 year experience experience 42% had 1 - 5 years 25% had 1 - 5 years 19% had 5 - 10 years 21% had 5 - 10 years 17% had more than 10 years 38% had more than 10 years 3. General Product 26% were from Information Technology
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Types

19% were from Consulting Engagements 8% were from Marketing Product Launch 7% were from Product R&D 39% were from All Others (Advertising, Aerospace, Construction Management, Education, Finance, etc.)

4. Three Greatest People Challenges By asking the "If only people would . . ." questions we get data that let's us draw conclusions about the "people issues" project leaders need to address to be more effective. In general they said, "If only people would communicate" take more initiative / responsibility" focus on the end" have better skills" manager themselves better" Some particular conclusions we drew from the "Three Greatest People Challenges" responses were: A. In a project (team) environment, there may often be a lessened individual sense of mission, ownership, commitment, accountability, motivation and responsibility. Dealing with that was the most frequently mentioned "people issue". B. It is not a primary role of the project leader to be an omnipotent subject matter expert; their primary expertise is project planning & management processes - methodologies and people management (group dynamics, teambuilding, coaching, communicating). C. Alignment is a common concern for project leaders regardless of who they were thinking about (team members, managers, outsiders, other departments, etc.) D. Project leaders need to facilitate communication within the team and communicate with others outside the team E. A major role/responsibility of the project leader is to facilitate
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teamwork and gain synergy; in most cases it does not occur naturally when individuals are marshaled from various backgrounds. F. The general categories of concerns they mentioned were mirrored in the skills they think are important G. There are established processes and bodies of knowledge that will improve project results by investing time and money in formal training (OJT and trial-and-error are expensive alternatives) 5. Key Inter-personal Skills for Project Leader Here are the interpersonal skills you said were needed to be successful project leaders - listed by the percent-of-respondents-who-checked-this-skill. 89% listens to others 89% ask questions, to stimulate thinking 85% clarify roles, expectations 85% establish trust 85% recognize individual accomplishments 85% develop a sense of teamwork 83% define & communicate goals/ sub-goals 82% motivate others 81% gain commitment 79% get others to feel accountable 79% facilitate group problem solving 78% help others develop 76% communicate with upper management 76% get commitments to actions from others 74% follow up, be persistent 74% value diversity 74% facilitate change 72% get others input 72% give productive feedback 71% deal productively with resistance 71% manage disagreements 71% provide direction 69% envision and explain outcomes 68% acknowledge others concerns
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67% ask questions to clarify 65% influence others 64% make effective presentations 63% reassure others 61% defuse defensiveness 58% define & communicate needed actions 3% other 6. Top people skills most important for your success Based on order of occurrence, the top 10 critical people skills for project leaders are: Define & communicate goals/ sub-goals Clarify roles, expectations Listens to others Establish trust Develop a sense of teamwork Motivate others Gain commitment Follow-up, be persistent Communicate with upper management Ask questions. to stimulate thinking 7. Top 10 People skills You Recommended for Project Staff Members Listen to others Ask questions to clarify Develop a sense of teamwork Establish trust Clarify roles, expectations Follow-up, be persistent Define & communicate needed actions Define & communicate goals / sub-goals Value diversity
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Ask questions to stimulate thinking 8. What can Managers-of-Project-Leaders do to help General summary of common themes in the comments are: Support; be attentive, listen, protect, mentor, recognize, reward, etc. Communicate; work closely, give clear goals, ask questions, listen, provide feedback, etc. Delegate and allow; clear goals, allow trial and error, protect, etc. Have realistic expectations; be clear, provide resources, protect, communicate, etc. Resolve barriers, conflicts, politics, etc. Set framework, insist on use of project methodologies 9. What concerns / issues do you have with outsiders/contractors General summary of common themes in the comments are: They need a better understanding of our business Alignment of agendas, interests, goals, efforts Living up to their commitments 10. What concerns / issues do you have with others in your organization General summary of common themes in the comments are: Alignment of agendas, interests, goals, efforts Eliminating "we versus them", competition, individualism, etc. Appreciating the value of the project to the company / them Living up to their commitments 11. How would you weight the importance of interpersonal skills versus technical knowledge skills 52% rated people skills more important (52%) 17% rated people skills somewhat more important (69%) 28% rated people skills equally important (97%)
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3% rated people skills important, but not equal to (100%) 0% rated people skills not as important Average rating was 4.2 on a 5 (high) scale 12. Rate most project leaders on their technical skills 9% rated them Very good ( 9%) 39% rated them Good (48%) 42% rated them Average (90%) i.e. 90% rated their technical skills as average or above 10% rated them Poor (100%) 0% rated them Very Poor Average rating was 3.5 on a 5 (high) scale 13. Rate most project leaders on their interpersonal skills 6% rated them Very good ( 6%) 19% rated them Good (25%) i.e. 75% rated their people skills as average or below 41% rated them Average (66%) 33% rated them Poor (99%) 1% rated them Very Poor (100%) Average rating was 2.9 on a 5 (high) scale 14. What training have you received to specifically prepare you as project leader 16% said NONE 17% said OJT, Experience, Self-Study Books/Tapes, Mentoring/Coaching, Observing Others 36% said Related Workshops (negotiations, conflict resolution, time management, communications, teambuilding, facilitating, project planning, estimating, scheduling, contracting risk management, etc.)
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14% said Formal Education (degree programs) 17% said Formal Project Management programs (PMI, etc.) 15. Other comments, general summary of common themes in the comments are: Project teams are being used more in companies looking to be leading edge / world class It is a tough job (coaches dont play the game, they direct strategy and tactics from the sidelines; but, they can get fired if results are not produced) Team management is difficult; especially matrix relationships There are pressures from all sides on the traditional issues; (Time - Quality - Cost) It takes more than project skills to generate additional benefits; (Synergy - Creativity - Productivity)

Attributes of Effective Mentoring Relationships: Partner's Perspective

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. and Fred L. Friend
(For individual usage only, not to be used in team building, organizational publications or training programs without written permission) (Authors note: the terms protege or mentee are inappropriate for the type of relationship needed instead we use the term Partner)

Executive Summary
Current writers seem to suggest a shift away from a one-way teacher-to-partners instruction to a power free, two-way, mutually beneficial relationship. Are these two extreme, either or positions correct, or can it be both? Who better to ask than the partner? One hundred thirty visitors to our home page completed our Effective Mentoring Survey. All we asked, as participants in the survey, was that they be partners not mentors and that they keep their most effective mentoring relationship in mind as they responded to the questionnaire. 1. 2. Who the mentor was, peer, direct supervisor, friend, or manager other than their direct supervisor did not change what was seen as critical attributes of an effective mentoring relationship. The respondents were satisfied with the mentoring relationship. On a 5 point
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3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

scale, the average response was, 4.2. The role of mentor, coach, and supervisor is different. The mentor is personfocused; the coach, job-focused; and the supervisor, results/productivityfocused. The top four words chosen to depict the mentors dominate styles were: direct, friend/confidant, logical, and questioner. Partners felt the primary benefits for the mentor was satisfaction from fulfilling a role as helper and developer of others and a learning experience for the mentor. The partner wanted a mentoring relationship for two primary reasons: career development and development of their potential. The three primary things provided by the mentor were they: listened and understood, challenged, and coached the partner. Partner's are very proactive in establishing and maintaining the mentoring relationship. Two "musts" to be a good partner were: listen, and second, implement, act on advice, put things into effect. Most of the contact between partner and mentor occurred at least once a week and in face-to-face meetings. These results support the conclusion that mentoring is a power free, two-way, mutually beneficial learning situations where the mentor provides advice, shares knowledge and experiences, and teaches using a low pressure, selfdiscovery approach

Detailed Report of Results

Websters New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Deluxe Editions, defines mentor as "n. [from Mentor, the friend and counselor of Odysseus and Telemachus.] a wise and faithful counselor." In the thesaurus, synonyms like advisor, instructor, tutor, master, and guru appear. Current writers seem to suggest a shift away from this one-way teacher-topartners instruction to a power free, two-way, mutually beneficial relationship. Are these two extreme, either or positions correct or, can it be both? Does this represent the values of those charged with implementing mentoring programs and training mentors? Who better to ask than the partner? One hundred thirty visitors to our home page completed an Effective Mentoring Survey. The limits of this self-selection process are known. All we asked, as participants in the survey, was that they be partners not mentors and, that they keep their most effective mentoring relationship in mind as they responded to the questionnaire. This article is based on the 130 respondents. Based on their E-mail top level domain name extensions, 73% resided in the United States; 18% were in International locations; 5%, 2% and 2% were from educational, government, and military organizations respectively.

Does it matter who their mentors were?

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This reminds us of our recent trip to Germany when after looking at the menu, our first question to the waitperson was, "English?" and the response, "A little". As indicated in Chart 1, in excess of half the respondents felt their most effective mentor was their direct supervisor.

Mentoring is occurring both on a formal, organized basis and on an informal need basis. Who the mentor was, affected only the magnitude of the differences in determining most and least important attributes of an effective mentoring relationship, not the rank of the responses. The results will be presented based on the entire group. Bottom line, how satisfied were this group of respondents with this particular mentoring relationship? Very, on a 5 point scale, the average response was, 4.2. This article attempts to understand what contributing factors lead to such a high level of satisfaction.

Is there a difference between a mentor, coach, and supervisor?

This was an open-ended question, resulting in a resounding YES! Only 9 respondents saw no difference between the three roles, 5 felt the coach and mentor played similar roles different from that of the supervisor and 3 felt the coach and supervisor, played similar roles different from that of the mentor. In summary, the mentor is person-focused; the coach, job-focused; and the supervisor, results/productivity-focused. "A mentor is like a sounding board, they can give advice but the partner is free to pick and choose what they do. The context does not have specific performance objectives. A coach is trying to direct a person to some end result, the person may choose how to get there, but the coach is strategically assessing and monitoring the progress and giving advice for effectiveness and efficiency. The supervisors ultimate responsibility is to make sure the job gets done, they hold the person accountable for the deliverables of the job." "Mentor is biased in your favor. Coach is an impartial focus on improvement in behavior. Supervisor is the evaluator."

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"A mentor is a guide, there when you want them. A coach helps you better get from point A to B. A supervisor manages." The major theme for the mentor was one who had a deep personal interest, personally involveda friend who cares about you and your long term development. The major theme for the coach was one who develops specific skills for the task, challenges, and performance expectation at work. The supervisor was almost unanimously seen as focusing on performance management, getting the job done as teller, director, and judge. What was disturbing was the consistent negative view of the supervisors role, a view that will not be altered by just a cosmetic change in title to "coach". It appears that a supervisor who wants to enter into a mentoring relationship with a direct report must wear different hats during those mentoring, coaching, and supervisory discussions. Can it be done? Evidently, since more than half the respondents said their immediate supervisor was their most effective mentor. This view of the mentor was further reinforced when respondents were asked to pick from a list of 14 descriptive words that best described your mentors dominant style. The top four are shown in Chart 2.

The four least chosen were Hard nosed, Spontaneous, Critical, and Gentle. Inclusion of the words "direct" and "logical" could lead to the conclusions that mentoring is not solely a passive Socratic process. From the partners perspective, the mentor achieved the type of satisfaction that reinforces this helping, engaging, personal focus. When asked the open ended question, "What benefits(s) did your mentor get out of this relationship?" Only 3 said none and 9 didnt know. Fifty nine percent of the responses fell into two themes: Affirmation of the value of and satisfaction from fulfilling a role as helper and developer of others; A learning experience for the mentor from my feedback and insight. The later gives weight to the view of a two-way, power free relationship. Effective mentoring appears to be a learning and development process for both parties. This leads to this advice for current and potential mentors; explore and learn, dont assume that you must be an all-knowing expert in this area, such a position could be detrimental to the mentoring process; mentoring is a fulfilling assignmentlet both yourself and the partner learn from the process.

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"In retrospect, he clearly saw his role at work and in life as a developer of young people and this allowed him to do so." "The ability to look at situations from a different perspective, I am a Generation X and he is in his 60s."

What do partners want from mentors?

When asked "Why did you want a mentor?". Chart 3 shows the two run away favorites.

When asked to select those things this mentor did for them, the top group is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: What did the mentor do for you? Category Listened/understood me Challenged me Coached me Built self confidence Wise counsel Taught by example Role model Offered encouragement % of times chosen 72% 72% 72% 66% 65% 65% 65% 62%

This strong theme of helper, development, and growth is reinforced in the response to the open ended question: "What is the one most significant thing your mentor did?" The following four themes, capture 62% of the responses: Built my confidence and trust in myself, empowered me to see what I could do.
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Stimulated learning with a soft, no pressure, self discover approach. Shared experiences, taught me something, or explained things. Listened and understood. Some of the comments included: "They let me struggle so I could learn." "Affirmed my abilities and my actions." "Led me through a series of discussion to help me better understand my thoughts and find the right answers for me." "He understands me." "Taught me to identify my strengths and weaknesses, and to recognize when I was letting my weaknesses get the best of me." "Generated responsibility in me." "Explained things thoroughly." "Never provided solutionsalways asking questions to surface my own thinking and let me find my own solutions." In response to the open ended questions "What one thing should your mentor do more of?"; although 19% indicated that they were satisfied by writing, "nothing", the top three choices are shown in Chart 4

Conversely, the response to the open ended question: " What one thing should your mentor do less of?"; 65% indicated that they were satisfied by writing, "nothing". Only one significant theme, "imposing ideas, giving advice too early, giving me answers, and not letting me figure things out for myself" emerged, representing 17% of the responses. Consistent with the previous results and indicative of how the mentor-partner relationship is changing, in Chart 5 the percentage of time these words were chosen as the "best descriptive word for your most effect mentor." Teacher and partner win, hands down.

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Hmm In the thesaurus synonyms like advisor, instructor, tutor, master, and guru appear? Development via a two-way, power free relationship seems to be desired. Effective mentors provide feedback, their time and support in an effort to help the partner gain insight and find solutions. They sometimes share knowledge and give advice but know how to time it so they dont preempt the learning process for the partner.

What role do partner play in the relationship?

These partners are a very proactive, taking responsibility for their own development and growth group of people. Selecting a mentor was a very purposeful action. This is supported by the responses to the open ended question: "How did you find or select this person as your mentor?". The theme, "they worked together as a peer or manager" accounted for 40% of the responses while, "through my search, they had traits I admired, and I asked them to be my mentor" accounted for 33% of the responses. To borrow a phrase, be careful, "smile, youre on candid camera", seems appropriate. How others see and evaluate your skills and behaviors are driving their decisions to approach you to be their mentor. Take this request seriously, the data suggests that the partner has done the detective work to ferret you out as someone who could be helpful to their development and growth. Finally, 17% of the responses fell into the theme, "they were assigned or they asked me to be their partner". Finding a mentor is just the start, keeping the relationship alive is equally important. Again, the partner felt a strong responsibility for actions that would keep the relationship going as indicated by the responses to the open ended questions "What is the most significant thing you did to maintain the relationship?". Four themes included the majority of the responses, see Table 2:

Table 2: The most significant thing partners did to maintain the relationship Category Kept in touch, and informed about the mentor Listened, responded, and took
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% of responses 41% 18%

action Supported and understood the mentor Confronted and questioned the mentor

12% 11%

Clearly, the partner is not a passive vessel, waiting for the mentors call and time. Additional support to this active partners role is given by the responses to the open-ended question: "What two guidelines would you way are "musts" to be a good partner?". Two thirds of the responses group into five themes, see Table 3:

Table 3: Two guidelines that are "musts" to be a good partner Category Listen Implement, act on advice, put things into effect A willingness, desire, and commitment to learn and grow Check your ego at the doorask for and be open to feedback and criticism Be open-minded, willing to change and coachable % of responses 21% 13% 13% 11% 8%

Sounds like a pretty serious group! Mentoring is more effective when the partner takes a proactive role in maintaining contact with the mentor. In fact, it may be an essential element. partner's should be made aware of the importance of taking the lead in maintaining the relationship and responding to the mentors efforts to help the process be successful. As final affirmation of the proactive partner role, when asked the open-ended question: "What will (did) cause this relationship to cease?"; "it will continue" accounted for 30% of the responses; 52% attributed it to "inaccessibility due to relocation or unavailability"; 14% to "other priorities, lack of contact, no value added, or we out grew each other"; while only 9% attributed a "lack of trust, competition, deception, harsh reactions, or taking credit for the accomplishments of the partner". Sounds like a pretty committed group.

What was the nature of the mentor-partner interactions?

High tech has not yet arrived, high touch still is in. For the question: "How often were you in contact with your mentor?", 69% said "at least once a week" and 20% "at least once a month". For the question: "What was your primary form of contact with your
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mentor?", 80% said "face-to-face", and 16% "phone". Effective mentoring is a significant personal commitment in time and energy for both mentor and partner.

Is the mentor-partner relationship changing?

These results support the conclusion that mentoring is a power free, two-way, mutually beneficial, learning situation where the mentor provides advice, shares knowledge and experiences, and teaches using a low pressure, self-discovery approach. Teaching using an adult learning versus teacher to student model and, being willing to not just question for self discovery but also freely share their own experiences and skills with the partner. The mentor is both a source of information/knowledge and a Socratic questioner. It is not an either or proposition, instructor/advisor or friend and facilitator. This data suggests that the partners actively seek out and maintain relationships with mentors who have the background and skills to do both in a way that maintains the partners freedom of choice and decision.

About the Authors

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. CEO, Center for Coaching & Mentoring and Fred L. Friend each have over twenty years experience in training and organization development, as internal change agents and external consultants. For comments or additional information email Matt from the selection below.

\
Top of Form

Personal strengths or weaknesses how do you view development and training?

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)
How personal strengths and weaknesses are viewed has a significant bearing on an individual employees utilization, growth and satisfaction as well as an organizations overall performance. Managers and organizations are changing their view on how best to develop and utilize individual strengths and the role of weakness. Some deeply ingrained obstacles and beliefs about training, promotion, employee development and organizations must be confronted and challenged.
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The following quiz can assess your understanding of the most effective way to view personal strengths and weaknesses.

Instructions: Take the quiz without looking at the answers, but when you are reviewing the answers, the questions and answers are "linked" so that you can easily move back and forth between them. When you've totaled your scores, find out how to interpret the score.
Bottom of Form Top of Form

1. A satisfying career is one where the person feels that they are doing the right things or are cast in the right part. How many employees feel they are miscast? A. B. C. 2 out of 10 4 out of 10 8 out of 10

2. Should the developmental plans established with ones manager: A. B. C. Focus on correcting weaknesses? Focus on building upon strengths? Focus on complementing the strategic direction of their work unit?

3. How should managers or organizations view personal

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development? A. B. C. Learning that is based on developing weaknesses is at best damage control A good training program can benefit everyone With enough practice everything is learnable

4. Do you think most potential employers and interviews are more interested in A. B. C. Your education and credentials Your unique talent or strengths Past experiences

5. At work how often do employees have the opportunity to do what they do best every day? A. B. C. 10% of the time 20% of the time Most of the time

6. What is the best source for defining your strengths: A. B. Career or personality tests Feedback from a Guidance or Career Counselor
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C.

Personal achievement, things you learned rapidly and enjoy doing

7. Which best represents organizations beliefs on excellent performers? A. B. C. They must be well rounded with multiple skills, abilities, and experiences They must be sharp, with their natural strengths well honed and developed. Challenging assignments allows the cream or best performers to rise to the top.

8. If you were to describe your strengths do you A. B. C. Describe situations, actions and results you have produced to illustrate your strengths. Relate your education and work experience Find it hard to describe your strengths

9. What contributes to defining personal unique strengths so difficult? A. B. C. There is no systematic approach to considering all the information we should We overestimate our strengths We assume that everyone can do what we do well

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1 How many unique strengths do individuals possess? 0. A. B. C. 4-6 One, if it is truly unique Some people are generalists and have many experiences but no pronounced strengths

The Answers
Question 1 A= 0, B= 0, C= 10
8 out of 10 employees feel they are miscast; they never have the chance to reveal the best of themselves. Based on The Gallup Organizations survey of 1.7 million employees working in 101 companies from 36 countries and reported in Marcus Buckingam & Donald O. Clifton. Now Discover Your Strengths. The Free Press, New York, NY. 2001

Question 2 A= 0, B= 10, C= 0
Usual performance reviews focus on what was done well then quickly turn to areas we can do better which are usually individual weaknesses. Reality is that developmental plans translate to improving individual weakness not building strengths. What should happen is just the opposite, building strengths.

Question 3 A= 10, B= 0, C= 0
Most development efforts and training dollars are spent to address weakness and applied to everyone as opposed to selective training to build strengths. At best development based on weakness is damage control, they should not be ignored however they will never be alleviated.
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Question 4 A= 0, B=10, C=0 They already know your credentials and can read about your past experiences from your resume. The real question they have is: So what, what can you do and contribute that is unique? Question 5 A= 0, B= 10, C= 0
What a tragedy, employees have the opportunity to do what they do best every day only 20% of the time! Is the corollary that organizations operate at 20% capacity? Based on The Gallup Organizations survey of 1.7 million employees working in 101 companies from 36 countries and reported in Marcus Buckingam & Donald O. Clifton. Now Discover Your Strengths. The Free Press, New York, NY. 2001

Question 6 A= 0, B= 0, C= 10
Achievements or what you have done is the best predictor of what you will do in the future. Strengths are also discovered in things you learned rapidly and enjoy doing. Why, because they are easier for you than others.

Question 7 A= 0, B= 10, C= 0
Unfortunately, organizations place their training dollars and developmental time on developing well rounded contributors. The argument is that organizations and individuals would be more productive and satisfied if they focused on sharpening or honing the persons strengths.

Question 8 A=10, B=0, C=0

Past behavior and results are the best predictor of the futuredescribe situations, actions and results you have produced to illustrate your strengths. Most find it hard to accurately
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describe their unique strength in behavioral terms; they usually talk about education and work experience. These experiences are like tickets to a sporting event, they get you in the door, articulating strengths are what allow you to play in the game.

Question 9 A=0, B=0, C=10

Defining strengths is hard work; we would rather focus on our weakness than give ourselves credit for what makes us truly unique. If anything we underestimate our strengths. Our biggest enemy is that we assume that everyone can do what we do well; we take our strengths for granted. Systematic approaches are available yet underutilized resulting in an incomplete answer to what makes each of us truly unique.

Question 10 A= 10, B= 0, C= 0
At least 4-6 will allow you the focus to develop these to an exceptional level. This number will also be useful in determining for which careers these 4-6 strengths are mandatory for superior performance. The real tragedy in life is not that each of us lack enough strengths, its that we fail to identify and use the ones we have. Wasted strengths, or what Benjamin Franklin called sundials in the shade.

Your Score
Bottom of Form

80-100 You are in tune with the importance of strengths in the workplace, how to define your personal strengths and what to emphasize in your personal growth and development. This knowledge is an important first step; our hope is that you are putting this knowledge to practice in managing your career and personal development. If not we would encourage you to implement a process for identifying and verifying your unique strengths and
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under what conditions or situations these strengths are best utilized. You would be an excellent candidate to share your perceptions and experiences with others in a Career Club setting. 50-70 You have some mixed views of the importance of personal strengths versus weaknesses and their role in your personal growth and career satisfaction. Sometimes your focus and thoughts are on your weaknesses or you are in doubt about how to best identify your unique strengths, and the importance progressive managers and organizations place on strengths. It is our position that you should develop your strengths to the point where any personal weaknesses are irrelevant. The best way to do this is to implement a process for identifying and verifying your unique strengths and under what condition or situations these strengths are best utilized. Review your individual answers to each of the questions for clues on where it would be best to work on those areas causing some doubt about the importance of personal strengths. A Career Club might be an alternative source of help in resolving these issues. Below 50 Either your present career or future career will likely be very frustrating since you focus on weaknesses or havent sought help or taken the time to identify what makes you truly uniqueyour strengths. Or, you feel progressive managers and organizations are more concerned with improving your weaknesses versus building your strengths. We would suggest you seek help in elevating strengths to their proper position for your career satisfaction as well as implementing a process for identifying and verifying your unique strengths and under what conditions or situations these strengths are best utilized. Although your individual answers to each of the questions will provide you clues on where best to start on this journey, we would recommend

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seeking help similar to the Career Clubs discussed on http://careerclubsinternational.com .

About the Quiz

By, Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D., CEO, the Center for Coaching and Mentoring, Inc., a firm devoted to executive coaching, training and consultation in Team Work, Coaching, Mentoring, and Leadership, Coauthor of Teamwork: We Have Met The Enemy and They Are Us, The Coach: Creating Partnerships for a Competitive Edge, and Win Win Partnerships: Be On The Leading Edge With Synergistic Coaching. For more information call (918) 333-6609

What is the focus of your Performance Management Process? by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) Managers and leaders have always been concerned with how to increase the performance of people in their organization. This survey is designed to help determine the focus of your performance management process: what are the assumptions, what is being emphasized, de-emphasized, or ignored. Directions: For each of the following ten questions, select the choice that best describes your performance management process even though more than one might be appropriate. Then click on the "Submit" button at the end of the quiz. You will be taken to a page that totals your score and provides customized feedback.

Top of Form Bottom of Form

1. Which of the following best describe the manager/coachs role during a performance management meeting:
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A. To help solve employees performance problems B. To affirm what the employee is doing right C. To help develop a performance improvement plan D. To define future training or skill development needed 2. Are the performance standards for each employee: A. focused on how the job should be performed B. focused on a set of mutually agreed to stretch objectives C. based on the competencies needed for the position D. focused on outcomes, allowing each person to find his or her own route there 3. The objective of individual development plans are A. To develop a well rounded person B. To capitalize on each persons ability to learn to be competent in almost anything. C. To discover the persons unique talents and hone them with additional knowledge and skills D. To develop the needed competencies for that position 4. If more than one person were performing the same job does your performance management process and management encourage A. treating each person as a unique individual B. treating everyone the same with consistency C. spending the bulk of your time with those who need the most help D. setting a tone of competition between the employees
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5. If a customer service employee received a 95% satisfaction rating from their customers, what would be the main focus of the performance discussion A. To brainstorm a list of potential obstacles or problems keeping the rating from being 100% B. To plan for follow-up phone calls or focus groups to identify the problem C. To identify the positive things done to achieve the 95% rating D. To develop some different approaches to customer service aimed at attaining a 100% satisfaction rating 6. How is the pay system related to performance? A. What competition is paying for comparable jobs determines the pay ranges for a given job B. There is a cap on the maximum salary a superior performer can receive in any given position C. Performance and time on the job determine the salary level of a given employee in any given position D. There is no cap on the maximum salary a superior performer can receive 7. If a person is consistently performing below expectations, which of the following would be the most likely course of action? A. Mutually define an improvement plan B. Find a different role in the organization that plays to his or her unique talents C. Assign either an external or internal coach to help the person improve D. If all else fails fire them 8. Under the performance system the best way to gain more recognition and make a lot of money is to
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A. Continue to get promoted to higher and higher level jobs B. Change companies often C. Become a world-class performer in your present job D. Reach or exceed performance expectations 9. Your performance management process encourages managers to spend more time A. Helping their poor performing employees improve. B. Problem solving with employees about performance problems C. Sponsoring for promotion their top performing employees D. Casting employees in roles that utilize their unique strengths and talents. 10. Which assumption is the foundation for your performance management process? A. A persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest weaknesses B. A persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths C. A persons greatest motivator is money D. If you know the competencies required for superior performance you can develop the employee to succeed

Results
The table below summarizes the results of the quiz. Each question had a maximum value of 10. Following the summary table are the questions with the value shown for each response, along with a comment on the question. Question Your Answer Points 1. N/A 0 2. N/A 0
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3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Total image, e.g,

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

In the results below, the choices you selected will be shown with the "arrow"

1. Which of the following best describe the manager/coachs role during a performance management meeting: A. ( 0) To help solve employees performance problems B. (10) To affirm what the employee is doing right C. ( 0) To help develop a performance improvement plan D. ( 0) To define future training or skill development needed Comment: 1b. Focus on strengths dont try to fix the weaknesses manage around them. Focus on what is being done right, be a cheerleader not on deficits. 2. Are the performance standards for each employee: A. ( 0) focused on how the job should be performed B. ( 0) focused on a set of mutually agreed to stretch objectives C. ( 0) based on the competencies needed for the position D. (10) focused on outcomes, allowing each person to find his or her own route there Comment: 2d. A strength based performance management process focuses on outcomesthe persons impact on the business, the customer, and employees around them. Focus not the steps of the journey but the end of the journey. 3. The objective of individual development plans are A. ( 0) To develop a well rounded person B. ( 0) To capitalize on each persons ability to learn to be competent in almost anything.
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C. (10) To discover the persons unique talents and hone them with additional knowledge and skills D. ( 0) To develop the needed competencies for that position Comment: 3c. Discover and build on each individuals talents. Fixing weaknesses is not development it is damage controlit can prevent failure, but never elevate to excellence. People dont change much, dont waste time trying to put in what was left out instead draw out what was left in. 4. If more than one person were performing the same job does your performance management process and management encourage A. (10) treating each person as a unique individual B. ( 0) treating everyone the same with consistency C. ( 0) spending the bulk of your time with those who need the most help D. ( 0) setting a tone of competition between the employees Comment: 4a. Each individual has a unique set of talents. Spend the most time with the best people. Great coaches have learned that each team player is unique; the challenge is to capitalize on their uniqueness. 5. If a customer service employee received a 95% satisfaction rating from their customers, what would be the main focus of the performance discussion A. ( 0) To brainstorm a list of potential obstacles or problems keeping the rating from being 100% B. ( 0) To plan for follow-up phone calls or focus groups to identify the problem C. (10) To identify the positive things done to achieve the 95% rating D. ( 0) To develop some different approaches to customer service aimed at attaining a 100% satisfaction rating Comment: 5c. Focus on what was done rightstrengths are the starting point for creating positive change. Appreciation is not traditional managerial problem solving. Search for stories and antidotes of when the employee provided exceptional customer service. Then visualize and plan for a future that would increase these moments. 6. How is the pay system related to performance? A. ( 0) What competition is paying for comparable jobs determines the pay ranges for a given job B. ( 0) There is a cap on the maximum salary a superior performer can receive in any given position
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C. ( 0) Performance and time on the job determine the salary level of a given employee in any given position D. (10) There is no cap on the maximum salary a superior performer can receive Comment: 6d. Reward excellence in work. Lawyers figured this out a long time ago. World class performers (Senior Partners) earn a very generous salary. A world class administrative assistant, salesperson, customer representative, engineer, researcher, etc., should be compensated accordingly, even if this means making more money than their manager. 7. If a person is consistently performing below expectations, which of the following would be the most likely course of action? A. ( 5) Mutually define an improvement plan B. (10) Find a different role in the organization that plays to his or her unique talents C. ( 0) Assign either an external or internal coach to help the person improve D. ( 0) If all else fails fire them Comment: 7b. In surveys by Buckingham et. al., found 8 out of 10 employees felt they are miscast. That is a lot of people whose talents are underappreciated or unrecognized. Repeatedly managers are surprised to find the hidden talent in their organizations if the look for it. Rather than try to fix a deficit, search for talent and make sure the person is in a role where they can shine. 8. Under the performance system the best way to gain more recognition and make a lot of money is to A. ( 0) Continue to get promoted to higher and higher level jobs B. ( 0) Change companies often C. (10) Become a world-class performer in your present job D. ( 0) Reach or exceed performance expectations Comment: 8c. Pay and prestige should be commensurate with the persons growth in their career without promoting him or her up the organization ladder and out of his area of strength. Unfortunately this is not the norm and the foundation for the Peter Principle. 9. Your performance management process encourages managers to spend more time A. ( 0) Helping their poor performing employees improve. B. ( 0) Problem solving with employees about performance problems
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C. ( 0) Sponsoring for promotion their top performing employees D. (10) Casting employees in roles that utilize their unique strengths and talents. Comment: 9d. In the minds of the great managers casting is everything. Position each person so that you are paying her to do what she is naturally wired to do. As reward, refrain from promoting people out of their strength areas. Look at employees not as problems to be solved but strengths to be cherished. 10. Which assumption is the foundation for your performance management process? A. ( 0) A persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest weaknesses B. (10) A persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths C. ( 0) A persons greatest motivator is money D. ( 0) If you know the competencies required for superior performance you can develop the employee to succeed Comment: 10b. The central assumption behind strength based management and appreciative inquiry is that a persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths. Identify, nurture, provide skills and knowledge to hone these strengths.

How Do You Influence Others? by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) One of the most important determinates of your effectiveness as a leader, coach and mentor is success in positively influencing others. We all have influencing skills, the crucial question is whether those skills result in a high level of commitment and are helpful and strengthen the other person. This quiz helps define the core influencing tactics you employ when working with others. For the following ten situations pick the one approach which best describes how you would attempt to positively influence the other person

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Top of Form Bottom of Form

1. You would like to offer a peer some advice that would help them become more in tune with how things really get done in this organization and allow them to be seen in a more positive light by management. Would you: A. Gently criticize their present approach and tell them the more productive alternative. B. Enthusiastically evoke a picture of the existing possibilities of an alternative approach. C. Empathize with their current approach and jointly explore alternatives. 2. A protoge you have a mentoring relationship with isn't even coming close to living up to their potential. During a discussion do you: A. Try to inspire them to move forward to a higher level. B. Encourage them by reflecting on their current efforts and their level of satisfaction and need to grow. C. Make strong suggestions of what they should be doing 3. One of your employees needs to take a more pro-active approach to managing their own development and career. Would you: A. Participate with them in figuring out what they want to do and the path to achieve these goals. B. Order them to establish a career plan for the next year with specific milestone dates. C. Use logic to convince them of the value of being responsible for their own career. 4. A much younger protoge needs to have more self-confidence in their natural skills and abilities. Would you: A. Confront them with specific examples and develop a course of action.
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B. Provide evidence how more self-confidence will allow them to reach their objectives. C. Accept where they are and offer to work with them to improve. 5. One of your employees has just miserably failed on an assignment. The good news is that there is tremendous opportunity to learn from this failure. When reviewing the assignment would you: A. Persuade them to objectively evaluate their efforts and what could/should have been differently. B. Explain what the end results could have been and ask them to describe what could have been done to accomplish them. C. Rely on your expertise to define what they should have done and the implications for future assignments. 6. A peer has come to you for input on how to resolve a difficult situation. Would you: A. Withhold your views until you mutually understand what the other person is trying to accomplish and alternatives they have considered. B. Tell them what and how you would go about handling the situation. C. Explain what's in it for them if they were to handle the situation the way you think it should be approached. 7. You have information that a protoge has some personal habits that are and will be detrimental to them. Is it best to: A. Let them know what they need to do and that your expertise tells you this is the right way to go. B. Appeal to the common values you have in defining an alternative approach. C. Offer a number of alternatives but allow the protege to make their own choices. 8. One of your employees is risk averse and needs to be pushed to take more risks. Do you:
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A. Provide the factual information that, over the long run, taking calculated risks are personally beneficial. B. Explore and summarize their reasons for avoiding risk then support them is taking some small steps to take more risks. C. Define a specific activity requiring risk taking and set a time deadline for them to do what you are asking. 9. A peer needs to change how they work with members of your team. Their present behavior is annoying and causing others to ignore the contributions this person could make. Do you: A. Invite them to a meeting with your team where you will facilitate an open discussion of ideas on how to make relationships even better than they are. B. Candidly tell them the effects of their current behavior and ask that they stop what they are doing and implement what you feel would be a productive alternative. C. Explain the costs associated with their present approach and sell them on an alternative you feel would work better with the team. 10. Your protoge shies away from being personally responsible and accountable for their decisions. Would you: A. Rely on your experience to convey the problems this will create and don't stop until you have their agreement to act differently. B. Convey how the current approach will keep them from meeting their aspirations and persuade them to take a different course of actions. C. Offer to work with them to feel comfortable enough about their decisions to own them.

Results of Influence Tactics Quiz

The effectiveness of the tactics you use to try to influence others is determined by how people react to those tactics. In this Results window we will explain the different tactics that people use to influence others, examine how others typically react to those tactics and then examine what your answers
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suggest about the way you attempt to influence others. There are three general categories of tactics used to influence others*: Collaboration/consultation (Join): Building the other person's enthusiasm by appealing to his or her values, ideals, and/or aspirations. Seeking the other person's participation in planning a strategy or being willing to modify a proposal to respond to the other person's concerns. Rational persuasion (Sell): Appealing to the other person's feeling of loyalty, and using logical arguments and factual evidence to persuade the other person that proposals or requests are worthwhile. Use of authority (Push): Using demands or threats, enlisting the aid or endorsement of other people, or claiming authority based on organization policies/rules/traditions to influence the person to do what is wanted. People generally react to influence tactics in three different ways: Commitment: The other person agrees internally with an action or decision, is enthusiastic about it, and is likely to exercise initiative and demonstrate unusual effort and persistence in order to carry out the request successfully. Compliance: The other person carries out the requested action but is apathetic rather than enthusiastic, makes only a minimal or average effort, and does not show any initiatitive. Resistance: The other person opposes the requested action and tries to avoid carrying it out by refusing, arguing, delaying, or seeking to have the request nullified. The results of one in-depth study, as presented in the
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following chart, are very clear: Collaboration/consultation (Join) produced significantly higher levels of commitment and significantly lower leves of compliance and resistance than the use of Authority (Push). Rational persuasion (Pull) was middle range in producing commitment, compliance, and resistance.

Your answers to the quiz suggests that you typically try to influence others using: Tactic Percen tage Join 0 Sell 0 Push 0

You do not appear to have one style that you use most of the time, varying your approach with each situation. This may leave others unsure about what to expect from you. Hopefully these results will provide some insight into the
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levels of commitment, compliance and resistance you may be seeing in the people you are trying to influence. Are you happy with the results? If not, here are the questions with your answers. Study them and define what you have to change to use the influence tactic that meets your objectives or to be more consistent when trying to influence others.

Quiz with Answers You Selected In the results below, the choices you selected are shown with the "arrow" image, e.g,

1. You would like to offer a peer some advice that would help them become more in tune with how things really get done in this organization and allow them to be seen in a more positive light by management. Would you: A. Gently criticize their present approach and tell them (Push) the more productive alternative. B. Enthusiastically evoke a picture of the existing (Sell ) possibilities of an alternative approach. C. Empathize with their current approach and jointly (Join) explore alternatives. 2. A protoge you have a mentoring relationship with isn't even coming close to living up to their potential. During a discussion do you: A. Try to inspire them to move forward to a higher (Sell ) level. B. Encourage them by reflecting on their current efforts (Join) and their level of satisfaction and need to grow. C. Make strong suggestions of what they should be (Push) doing 3. One of your employees needs to take a more pro-active approach to managing their own development and career. Would you:
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4.

5.

6.

7.

A. Participate with them in figuring out what they want (Join) to do and the path to achieve these goals. B. Order them to establish a career plan for the next (Push ) year with specific milestone dates. C. Use logic to convince them of the value of being (Sell ) responsible for their own career. A much younger protoge needs to have more self-confidence in their natural skills and abilities. Would you: A. Confront them with specific examples and develop a (Push) course of action. B. Provide evidence how more self-confidence will (Sell ) allow them to reach their objectives. C. Accept where they are and offer to work with them (Join) to improve. One of your employees has just miserably failed on an assignment. The good news is that there is tremendous opportunity to learn from this failure. When reviewing the assignment would you: A. Persuade them to objectively evaluate their efforts (Sell ) and what could/should have been differently. B. Explain what the end results could have been and ask (Join) them to describe what could have been done to accomplish them. C. Rely on your expertise to define what they should (Push) have done and the implications for future assignments. A peer has come to you for input on how to resolve a difficult situation. Would you: A. Withhold your views until you mutually understand (Join) what the other person is trying to accomplish and alternatives they have considered. B. Tell them what and how you would go about (Push) handling the situation. C. Explain what's in it for them if they were to handle (Sell ) the situation the way you think it should be approached. You have information that a protoge has some personal habits
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that are and will be detrimental to them. Is it best to: A. Let them know what they need to do and that your (Push) expertise tells you this is the right way to go. B. Appeal to the common values you have in defining (Sell ) an alternative approach. C. Offer a number of alternatives but allow the protege (Join) to make their own choices. 8. One of your employees is risk averse and needs to be pushed to take more risks. Do you: A. Provide the factual information that, over the long (Sell ) run, taking calculated risks are personally beneficial. B. Explore and summarize their reasons for avoiding (Join) risk then support them is taking some small steps to take more risks. C. Define a specific activity requiring risk taking and (Push) set a time deadline for them to do what you are asking. 9. A peer needs to change how they work with members of your team. Their present behavior is annoying and causing others to ignore the contributions this person could make. Do you: A. Invite them to a meeting with your team where you (Join) will facilitate an open discussion of ideas on how to make relationships even better than they are. B. Candidly tell them the effects of their current (Push) behavior and ask that they stop what they are doing and implement what you feel would be a productive alternative. C. Explain the costs associated with their present (Sell ) approach and sell them on an alternative you feel would work better with the team. 10. Your protoge shies away from being personally responsible and accountable for their decisions. Would you: A. Rely on your experience to convey the problems this (Push) will create and don't stop until you have their agreement to act differently. B. Convey how the current approach will keep them (Sell ) from meeting their aspirations and persuade them to
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C. (Join)

take a different course of actions. Offer to work with them to feel comfortable enough about their decisions to own them.

* Reference: Fable, Cecilia M., and Yuki, Gary. Consequences for Managers of Using Single Influence Tactics and Combinations of Tactics, Academy of Management Journal. 1992, Vol. 35, No. 3. Pp. 638-652.

Coaching Up-Test Your Readiness by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) We often find ourselves in situations where we would like to influence others but lack formal authority. We want to move in a new direction, or do things differently, or someone else's behavior is adversely affect them, you, or us. The process is even more precarious when the person we want to influence is our manager. We not only lack authority but are in an authority deficit. The following quiz can assess your readiness to coach up, to coach your manager, in a way that doesn't damage your relationship or future effectiveness. Directions: Click on the buttons that best describe you and then click on the "Submit" button at the end of the quiz. You will be taken to a page that totals your score and provides customized feedback.

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1. When coaching your manager the best style is to: A. Persuade B. Assert C. Collaborate 2. When stating your position in a coaching up discussion, it is
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best to: A. Advocate in a way that opens the door for testing and mutual understanding. E.g., share, offer, explore, and suggest. B. Be vague, you don't want to come off as being too harsh. C. Demand, impose and preach, the best defense is an aggressive offense. 3. How do you view those in authority? A. Powerful, someone to be avoided. B. Allies and partners. C. A necessary evil, whose focus is on taking care of the organization's interest. 4. An up front discussion and agreement about each party's intentions and the desired process for the discussion-how we will talk-should: A. Be dictated by your managers needs and wants. B. Be informal and allowed to evolve as the conversation unfolds. C. Be explicit, and initiated, and guided by you. 5. During the discussion of the current situation, job number one for you is: A. To understand totally the other persons viewpoint and desired outcomes. B. To negotiate for what is important to you by conceding points of minor importance. C. To thoroughly explain your viewpoint and desired outcomes. 6. The use of questions to understand the underlying concerns and issues that affect the managers behavior should:
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A. Only be asked when you know the answer will help validate or further your case. B. Use why and what to get to the basic concerns/outcomes. C. Be avoided, who are you to question your manager? 7. Some managers may exhibit various forms of resistance during your conversation because they feel threatened or fear losing control. If your attempts to hold a productive discussion are met with anger, confrontational behavior, an unwillingness to talk, or any other form of resistance should you: A. Back off, end the discussion, apparently this is not the right time. B. React, you also have an important stake in this discussion. C. Step back, understand, and don't fight the resistance. 8. When stating your viewpoint and desired outcomes should you: A. Objectively state how the other person's thoughts and actions affected you by using I statements. B. Generalize to avoid other person feeling personally blamed by using words like, others, they, and management. C. Describe what other person is doing by using you statements. 9. In trying to develop a move-forward plan of action: A. Focus on the method or approach that needs to be taken. B. Focus on the desired state or interests of each person. C. Argue for your position and make concessions to reach a compromise. 10. If you and your manager disagree over the potential solution or reach an impasse:
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A. Split the difference, something is better than nothing. B. Cut your losses, take a time out, and come back to fight another day. C. Invent options for mutual gain.

Results
The table below summarizes the results of the quiz. Each question had a maximum value of 10. Following the summary table are the questions with the value shown for each response, along with a comment on the question. Question Your Answer Points 1. N/A 0 2. N/A 0 3. N/A 0 4. N/A 0 5. N/A 0 6. N/A 0 7. N/A 0 8. N/A 0 9. N/A 0 10. N/A 0 0 Total In the results below, the choices you selected will be shown with the "arrow" image, e.g, 1. When coaching your manager the best style is to: A. Persuade ( 5) B. Assert ( 0) C. Collaborate (10) Comment: To collaborate is to work and move together with the other person. It is a pulling strategy. You are seeking to understand and develop
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a course of action that is beneficial to both parties. Persuading and Asserting are working and moving against one another, a pushing strategy. This is a zero sum game, one person wins at the expense of the other. 2. When stating your position in a coaching up discussion, it is best to: A. Advocate in a way that opens the door for testing and mutual (10) understanding. E.g., share, offer, explore, and suggest. B. Be vague, you don't want to come off as being too harsh. ( 5) C. Demand, impose and preach, the best defense is an aggressive ( 0) offense. Comment: Clarity about your position is important, as well as advocating it in a way that opens the door for discussion and clarification. People reason differently when they think about a problem simply to understand it, rather than when they intend to take action. Provisional and searching keeps the dialogue open while certainty and dogmatic statements create defensiveness in others. 3. How do you view those in authority? A. Powerful, someone to be avoided. ( 0) B. Allies and partners. (10) C. A necessary evil, whose focus is on taking care of the ( 5) organization's interest. Comment: Competitors are only concerned with who wins, the final score. By viewing others as allies, you see them as a source of help and become more concerned with how the game is played not just the final score. You are also concerned with their well being. The mindset that others are allies keeps your communications from becoming manipulative. 4. An up front discussion and agreement about each party's intentions and the desired process for the discussion-how we will talk-should: A. Be dictated by your managers needs and wants. ( 5) B. Be informal and allowed to evolve as the conversation unfolds. ( 0) C. Be explicit, and initiated, and guided by you. (10)
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Comment: A process will develop, the question is how productive it will be. One of your key sources of influence is to take the lead by being explicit about your intentions and guide the discussion to agreement on ground rules for the conversation. Setting the tone for a discussion fosters open discussion, listening for understanding, and a positive problemsolving atmosphere. 5. During the discussion of the current situation, job number one for you is: A. To understand totally the other persons viewpoint and desired (10) outcomes. B. To negotiate for what is important to you by conceding points of ( 5) minor importance. C. To thoroughly explain your viewpoint and desired outcomes. ( 0) Comment: By demonstrating the patience and openness to hear out the other person completely, you are earning the right to request and expect a full hearing of your viewpoint later. Seek first to understand then be understood is the counsel for Stephen Covey. Listening supplies two important ingredients to the mix: empathy and acceptance. Think about your discussion as a research project not a battle. 6. The use of questions to understand the underlying concerns and issues that affect the managers behavior should: A. Only be asked when you know the answer will help validate or ( 0) further your case. B. Use why and what to get to the basic concerns/outcomes. (10) C. Be avoided, who are you to question your manager? ( 5) Comment: To understand, and show that you understand, ask genuine, open questions in a way that creates a desire to share viewpoints and discuss issues. To distinguish between positions and outcomes, use a <="" i=""> approach by asking a series of 5 why/what questions to understand the basic concerns/outcomes. Use 5 as a rule of thumb, the point is to go beyond one or two why/what question is you really want to determine what the concern is behind the concern. 7. Some managers may exhibit various forms of resistance during your conversation because they feel threatened or fear losing control. If your attempts to hold a productive discussion are met with anger,
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confrontational behavior, an unwillingness to talk, or any other form of resistance should you: A. Back off, end the discussion, apparently this is not the right time. ( 5) B. React, you also have an important stake in this discussion. ( 0) C. Step back, understand, and don't fight the resistance. (10) Comment: Ending the discussion is always a fall back option. One approach to working through the resistance and getting the discussion back on track is to is to step back, convey your understanding and willingness to discuss what you see happening. E.g., Your feelings are important to me, help me understand your concerns. Or, So are you saying we can't discuss this issue? 8. When stating your viewpoint and desired outcomes should you: A. Objectively state how the other person's thoughts and actions (10) affected you by using I statements. B. Generalize to avoid other person feeling personally blamed by ( 5) using words like, others, they, and management. C. Describe what other person is doing by using you statements. ( 0) Comment: Express your own thoughts as honestly, openly, and accurately as possible-own your view, don't generalize. Statements that begin with you are heard as criticizing, judging, ordering, threatening, lecturing, judging, criticizing, and blaming. I statement, demonstrate that you are not out to make authoritative pronouncements, but rather to offer your personal view of things. As soon as you say, I feel the intent changes, you don't expect them to agree with you. A simple formula for a complete I statement is a description of the behavior you see (avoiding you statements) plus your honest feelings and the concrete effects of the behavior on you-not necessarily in this order. E.g., I see a real hesitancy to talk about this subject, which make me feel very awkward, unappreciated and therefore reluctant to bring these types of subjects up in our future conversations. 9. In trying to develop a move-forward plan of action: A. Focus on the method or approach that needs to be taken. ( 0)
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B. Focus on the desired state or interests of each person. (10) C. Argue for your position and make concessions to reach a ( 5) compromise. Comment: Clarifying the desired state or interests of each person moves the conversation to a we and mutual win. Focusing on methods, approaches, or each person's position solidifies these and turns the discussion into a win/lose format. Easier said than done, look forward to the goals of each person not at the method, approach or individuals positions. 10. If you and your manager disagree over the potential solution or reach an impasse: A. Split the difference, something is better than nothing. ( 5) B. Cut your losses, take a time out, and come back to fight another ( 0) day. C. Invent options for mutual gain. (10) Comment: Searching for a single answer is counterproductive. Most of us are programmed to seek closure, now is the time to be open to new and creative ideas. Imagine, brainstorm, generate options based on both parties interests/goals not on a single solution.
Top of Form

"How's Your Team's Spirit?"

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. (For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) About the Quiz.

A hidden and often undiscussed element of effective teamwork is the mood, or climate, that exists within the team. A productive atmosphere doesn't just happen, it requires conscious work. The following quiz is a start to understanding, and perhaps improving, the atmosphere that exists within your team.
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Instructions: Take the quiz without looking at the answers, but when you are reviewing the anwers, the questions and answers are "linked" so that you can easily move back and forth between them. When you've totaled your scores, find out how to interpret the score.

How's Your Team Spirit?

Bottom of Form Top of Form

1. The team leader has just made an impassioned plea to improve the level of cooperation that exists within the group. As the discussion develops you note:
A All team members really seem concerned with helping each . other, and working as a team B The majority of the team members are in favor of . improving teamwork C The team members are split-half are in favor of improving . teamwork; half would rather operate independently D The majority of the team members want to continue to . operate independently E. Everyone is pulling in opposite direction, competing, and looking out for themselves

2. Which of the following statements best describes the level of risk taking, innovation, imagination, and initiative by members of the group:
A Beware, we shoot the messenger . B Nothing ventured, nothing gained-go for it . C Don't rock the boat, if it's not broke don't fix it
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. D Some team members seem more comfortable with risk . taking and change than others E. Conservative

3. Describe the level of communication between team members:

A In this team people are afraid to speak up and we do not . listen to each other B Quite a few of the team members withhold their thoughts . and don't listen to others C Some team members speak up and listen while others do . not D Everybody speaks up, but not all team members listen . E. Everybody accurately states their view and others listen and understand what is being said-we talk together

4. Mary, a senior member of the team, and Jose, a junior member of the team, are on opposite sides of an important issue. Both of their positions have merit. You notice that as Mary and Jose present their arguments, other team members:
A Seem to be harsher in the criticisms of Jose's arguments . B Are objective, and attentive to both arguments-the team . values differences C Favor Mary slightly over Jose .

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D Don't pay much attention to either viewpoint . E. Only listen to Mary's and discount or ignore Jose's viewpoints

5. The team gathers for the monthly progress and problem report about reaching individual and departmental objectives. Describe the meeting:
A There is an open and realistic sharing of both progress and . problems B Only a few team members seem to be concerned about the . impact of their presentation; they attempt to build allies within the team C Some team members seem to be playing the political . game, while others do not D One clique exists within this team and their presentations . sound about the same-politically safe E. Cliques, political maneuvering, deception, and infighting are the name of the game in this team

6. Your team is involved in the annual planning, budgeting and strategy setting meeting. During the critique period:
A The entire team restrains their remarks; we avoid "rocking . the boat" B Most of the team members restrain and filter their critical . remarks C About half of the team is unrestrained and the other half . restrained D Most of the team members are unrestrained in their

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. analysis and critique E. Conflicts and differences are openly discussed as an aid to problem solving

7. Your team is faced with making a decision on a very controversial and emotionally charged issue. The leader has asked for each individual to express his/her views. The first thought that comes to your mind is:
A It is safe to express your true feelings without fear of . reprisal B A person would be a fool to be himself in this team-don't be . vulnerable C How open you are depends on the issue and people around . you at the time D In the majority of cases it is best not to let your true . feelings or self show E. In the majority of cases it is safe to express your true feelings

8. One of your team members has asked for some time on the meeting agenda to seek the help and cooperation of other team members on his/her assignment. During the ensuring team discussion you feel that:
A Every team member is hiding their real motives and . feelings B The majority of the team members are hiding their needs, . expectations, and goals. C Some team members are posturing to advance their hidden . agendas D The majority of the team members are being honest about . their needs and expectations
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E. All team members are open about their real motives and feelings; we communicate honestly

9. All the supervisors in your department meet annually to rank the employees for salary treatment and promotional potential. You feel the discussion can best be described as:
A Conducted in a supportive atmosphere where team . members can openly express their viewpoints and are listened to B The atmosphere and discussion is more supportive than not . C About average in the level of supportiveness team . members exhibit toward one another D The willingness to express opinions, venture new or . different ideas and listening could be improved E. Full of criticism, placing blame, belittling and caution

10. Your manager has just asked every member of the team to independently study and submit a detailed plan for implementing a total Employee Involvement/Quality program in their area of responsibility. In subsequent conversations with other team members, the feeling is:
A The manager is not to be trusted, there is a hidden agenda . behind all of this B Team members are suspicious but are reluctantly . cooperating with the manager's request C You have to deal with this manager on a case by case . basis, wait and see is the best policy D The manager can be trusted in the majority of cases, on a . few occasions his/her motives could be questioned
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E. Cooperating fully with the manager's request is easy because you can count on him/her to keep the best interests, both of the individual and team, in mind

ANSWERS
Question 1

A=10, B=8, C=6, D=4, E=2 A "we-ness" exists in the team. Members work toward a common, understood goal and are willing to subordinate their need for "I" time. Gains are thought of as team gains and the competition is not between team members.
Question 2

A=4, B=10, C=2, D=9, E=6 Team members feel free to experiment and take risks. Failures are seen as an opportunity to learn and grow, not as a forum for placing blame. A selfmanaging team has a norm of individual responsibility and initiative. Team members appreciate that good "followership" involves taking the responsibility and initiative to influence other team members and the teams direction.
Question 3

A=2, B=4, C=6, D=8, E=10 A positive team atmosphere can be summed up in one phrase: open two-way communications. Members feel free to share feelings with others because they know they will be heard and considered.
Question 4

A=6, B=10, C=8, D=2, E=4 Each team member is seen as having a value to the team. As a result, people do not have to compete for air time. The attitude exists that we need to seriously consider everyone's opinions and views. Even those who are not the top performer are given time to express their views and the opportunity to influence the team.
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Question 5

A=10, B=8, C=6, D=4, E=2 When trust is lacking, cliques and political maneuvering help members protect themselves from other team members. Infighting and deception, instead of cooperation, are the acceptable behaviors.
Question 6

A=2, B=4, C=6, D=8, E=10 Conflicts and differences of opinions are suppressed under the guise of, "if you can't say anything constructive, don't say anything at all". Contrast this to a positive team atmosphere where conflicts and differences are openly discussed, not with the aim of declaring a winner or looser but to benefit the communication and problem solving process in the team. Effective teams do not shy away from conflict, they use it to their advantage.
Question 7

A=10, B=2, C=6, D= 4, E=8 In an untrusting, non-supportive environment, members feel they have to put up a facade because to let people know who they really are would result in them being vulnerable and hurt. In a positive team atmosphere, differences between people are seen as strengths, not weaknesses. These differences need to be understood and accepted as assets for better team performance.
Question 8

A=2, B=4, C=6, D=8, E=10 Hidden agenda and posturing are the rules in a team that has a poor atmosphere. Honest discussion of needs, expectations, and goals leads to teamwork.
Question 9

A=10, B=8, C=6, D=4, E=2 A supportive atmosphere is typified by a willingness to take risks, express opinions, and venture new or different ideas. Team members feel they will be listened to and not be belittled for openly expressing their viewpoints. Criticism and placing blame are not part of an effective team's atmosphere.

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Question 10

A=2, B=4, C=6, D=8, E=10 Trust is the foundation for a high quality team atmosphere. Without it, only superficial teamwork is present. Members are more concerned with issues of power, authority, competition for attention, and political maneuvering rather than working together as a team. Some teams never develop the trust to operate beyond the level of committee or task force groups.
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Your Score
80-100-Your team's atmosphere is healthy and conducive to achieving great results. The team can spend their time productively establishing goals, procedures, processes, and clarifying team members roles, i.e. performing the work of the team. Since atmosphere can change, it is advised that you periodically test the temperature to see if issues or concerns that are inhibiting the maintenance of this productive atmosphere are being openly discussed and dealt with. 60-79-On the surface, your team is healthy and productive. There are, however, a few areas below the surface that keep this team from living up to its potential. With time these areas will fester and become debilitating problems. Now is the time to bring these into the open and work with your team to establish how these can be improved. Below 60-You are a group of people not a team. Individuality reigns, and there is very little sense of togetherness. This could be because you are a new team, or one that has never openly and candidly discussed how you work, or don't work together as a team. A more formal approach to team building can help your group get over this stage in their development. Ignoring the problems will not make them go away. To become an effective team will require a pro-active approach from both the team leader and members.

About the Quiz This Quiz was originally published in Spirit, the magazine of Southwest Airlines, August, 1990. It was developed by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D., CEO, the Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc., a firm devoted to training and
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consultation in Team Work, Coaching, Leadership, and Mentoring, Coauthor of Teamwork: We Have Met The Enemy and They Are Us and, The Coach: Creating Partnerships for a Competitive Edge. For more information call (918) 333-6609

Test Your Coaching Skills

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. (For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) Being less of a boss and more of a coach is the cornerstone for most Employee Involvement - Empowerment efforts. In sports as in business, the coaching role favors the facilitator. What we stand for and our values drive the type of coaching relationships we strive to create and maintain. Determine the basic values you bring to coaching situations by picking the responses that best describes you. Directions: Click on the buttons that best describe you and then click on the "Submit" button at the end of the quiz. You will be taken to a page that totals your score and provides customized feedback.

Top of Form Bottom of Form

1. Your employees' performances vary from the superstar to the substandard. When coaching your employees do you: A. Get around to it when and if you can find the time B. Only spend time coaching your problem employees C. Try to divide your coaching time equally between your problem and average employees D. Concentrate on coaching your problem and average employees, coaching your high performers if time allows
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E. Devote equal time to employees because everyone can benefit from coaching sessions 2. One of your employees is really struggling with a difficult and new assignment. You are fairly confident that he has the capability to perform well on this task, but believe that he is lacking in self confidence. Do you: A. Stay out of the assignment but work with the employee to develop independence and meet his/her responsibilities B. Work on the assignment only when requested by the employee C. Take responsibility for the critical aspects of the assignment D. Take the lead on the assignment and allow the employee to play a supporting role E. Jump in and take over the assignment, letting the employee observe and learn how it should be done 3. During a coaching discussion your employee asks for a performance assessment. You believe any discussion about another person's strengths and weaknesses should be: A. Avoided B. Only about the other person's strengths C. Predominantly about strengths, with a few weaknesses interspersed along the way D. A balance between strengths and weaknesses E. Done with clarity, candor, and support 4. Both you and the employee seem to have different agendas during a coaching discussion. Do you: A. Take the employee's concerns under advisement
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B. Subordinate your agenda then listen, accept some responsibility for the present situation, and work to understand the employee's concerns C. Debate over whose agenda should be the focus of the meeting D. Listen to the employee but keep to your agenda E. Tell the employee you would be willing to discuss his concerns in a later meeting and focus the present discussion on your agenda 5. It has come to you through the grapevine that one of your supervisors is insensitive, abrasive and pushy. You don't particularly like this employee. Do you: A. Accept what others have said until proven wrong by the supervisor while conducting your own secret investigation B. Attempt to listen to the supervisor knowing full well that he cannot be objective C. Seek to empathize with the supervisor, understand his perspective, support him, and reserve judgment D. Give the supervisor the benefit of the doubt, but remain cautious E. Accept what others have said and concentrate on rectifying the situation 6. You and your employee are planing some changes in his/ her client approach. You can't seem to agree, do you: A. Quit focusing on the method; seek a common goal, then allow the employee to develop the alternative approaches B. Present the benefits and costs of your approach, then let the employee decide on the course of action C. Let your experience dictate and mandate your approach
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D. Let the employee know that you favor your approach, but will try to be objective in your final decision E. Stick with your approach until the employee can prove you wrong 7. During a discussion with one of your employees it becomes painfully obvious to you that through negligence you have contributed, in part, to the present situation. Do you: A. Ignore the role you have played, the focus of the discussion is the employee, not you B. Pass the buck, the employee can't possibly understand the pressures you face C. Justify your behavior with reason and logic D. Seek to understand the employee's viewpoint without making any commitments E. Verbally acknowledge your responsibility 8. When you think about coaching your employees, you feel that: A. Every interaction you have with your employees presents a coaching opportunity B. Coaching should be reserved for only dealing with problem situations C. Coaching should be reserved for your formal performance-review meetings D. Coaching is for times when you have good or bad news to deliver E. Only coach when requested by the employee 9. One of your troublesome employees is making a good -faith effort to improve. The change is very slow. During your coaching discussions do you: A. Focus on the past; history is our greatest teacher
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B. Balance the discussion between the past and the present C. Use the past as a springboard to plan for the future D. Focus on the here and now E. Focus on the future; the past can't be change 10. Your department has been very successful in meeting or exceeding objectives. New competition and changing conditions have increased pressure on your people to perform. In talking with each of your employees about objectives and new directions, do you: A. Encourage caution and acceptance of only calculated risks B. Encourage moderate and prudent risk taking C. Encourage them to take risks, stretching you, them, and the department D. Keep final approval of any new approaches E. Encourage caution; failure is to be avoided at all costs

Results
You scored 0 out of a possible 100. Your role model's probably have been someone like Atilla the Hun. For you, the transition to collaborative facilitation will be very, very difficult. If it disturbs you that you seem to be doing more work than anyone else and that your employees are less and less committed, maybe it is time for you to reassess the basic values you bring to the employee-manager relationship. The table below summarizes the results of the quiz. Each question had a maximum value of 10. Following the summary table are the questions with the value shown for each response, along with a comment on the question. Question Your Answer Points 1. N/A 0 2. N/A 0
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3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Total image, e.g,

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

In the results below, the choices you selected will be shown with the "arrow"

1. Your employees' performances vary from the superstar to the substandard. When coaching your employees do you: A. Get around to it when and if you can find the time ( 2) B. Only spend time coaching your problem employees ( 4) C. Try to divide your coaching time equally between your problem ( 6) and average employees D. Concentrate on coaching your problem and average employees, ( 8) coaching your high performers if time allows E. Devote equal time to employees because everyone can benefit from (10) coaching sessions Comment: Everyone on the team can benefit from coaching: good, mediocre and substandard employee. Not everyone is willing to be coached, but the manager should mane every effort to spend time coaching the employees he/she works with. Focusing on only substandard or problem employees may cause the attitudes of good employees to atrophy. 2. One of your employees is really struggling with a difficult and new assignment. You are fairly confident that he has the capability to perform well on this task, but believe that he is lacking in self confidence. Do you: A. Stay out of the assignment but work with the employee to develop (10) independence and meet his/her responsibilities
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B. Work on the assignment only when requested by the employee ( 8) C. Take responsibility for the critical aspects of the assignment ( 6) D. Take the lead on the assignment and allow the employee to play a ( 4) supporting role E. Jump in and take over the assignment, letting the employee observe ( 2) and learn how it should be done Comment: Self management is the name of the game. Coaches want to build independent, healthy employees who can make choices and determine the right course of action to take. Internal motivation versus external pushing from the coach is the desired state. Coaching should focus the responsibility for the situation and the required action on the employee. Independence is based on helping the employee develop ownership for both the problem and the solution. 3. During a coaching discussion your employee asks for a performance assessment. You believe any discussion about another person's strengths and weaknesses should be: A. Avoided ( 2) B. Only about the other person's strengths ( 4) C. Predominantly about strengths, with a few weaknesses interspersed ( 6) along the way D. A balance between strengths and weaknesses ( 8) E. Done with clarity, candor, and support (10) Comment: An open, honest, straightforward discussion between employee and manager/coach is fundamental to building trust and respect. Even though difficult, to deceive another or withhold information is not supportive. If this person were your best friend would you be honest or withhold your perceptions? Coaching requires the courage to be willing to offer both good and bad news for the purposes of helping the other person change and grow. 4. Both you and the employee seem to have different agendas during a coaching discussion. Do you:
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A. ( 8) B. (10)

Take the employee's concerns under advisement Subordinate your agenda then listen, accept some responsibility for the present situation, and work to understand the employee's concerns

C. Debate over whose agenda should be the focus of the meeting ( 6) D. Listen to the employee but keep to your agenda ( 4) E. Tell the employee you would be willing to discuss his concerns in a ( 2) later meeting and focus the present discussion on your agenda Comment: To be a good coach you must be coachable: flexible, open to new ideas, alternatives, and differing view points. Coaching is a two person game; a willingness to be coached as well as to coach. Dogmatically sticking to your agenda presents a vivid example to the other person that you are not willing to do what you are asking them to do?be open, listen, and change. 5. It has come to you through the grapevine that one of your supervisors is insensitive, abrasive and pushy. You don't particularly like this employee. Do you: A. Accept what others have said until proven wrong by the supervisor ( 4) while conducting your own secret investigation B. Attempt to listen to the supervisor knowing full well that he cannot ( 6) be objective C. Seek to empathize with the supervisor, understand his perspective, (10) support him, and reserve judgment D. Give the supervisor the benefit of the doubt, but remain cautious ( 8) E. Accept what others have said and concentrate on rectifying the ( 2) situation Comment: Coaches whose actions and words affirm their desire to be supportive are seen as approachable, someone who cares and can be counted on to help. Actions such as listening, encouraging, understanding, and accepting are examples of supportiveness. Being supportive has nothing to do with liking or disliking the other person, it is a decision you make about the type of relationship you want to foster with others. The good coach offers unconditional support.
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6. You and your employee are planing some changes in his/ her client approach. You can't seem to agree, do you: A. Quit focusing on the method; seek a common goal, then allow the (10) employee to develop the alternative approaches B. Present the benefits and costs of your approach, then let the ( 8) employee decide on the course of action C. Let your experience dictate and mandate your approach ( 6) D. Let the employee know that you favor your approach, but will try ( 2) to be objective in your final decision E. Stick with your approach until the employee can prove you wrong ( 4) Comment: "My way, or the highway" does not develop committed employees. Through discussion, the coach needs to exhibit flexibility and develop common goals that individuals can support and become excited about. Those who succumb to the "authority trap" and try to tell and sell their ideas are not coaching, they are instructing, or dictating. 7. During a discussion with one of your employees it becomes painfully obvious to you that through negligence you have contributed, in part, to the present situation. Do you: A. Ignore the role you have played, the focus of the discussion is the ( 2) employee, not you B. Pass the buck, the employee can't possibly understand the pressures ( 4) you face C. Justify your behavior with reason and logic ( 6) D. Seek to understand the employee's viewpoint without making any ( 8) commitments E. Verbally acknowledge your responsibility (10) Comment: Coaches who are supportive are willing to accept responsibility for their role in creating the current situation. Every situation is not just the employee's fault. Sincerely owning up to the role you have played builds trust and a collaborative climate between manager and employee. 8. When you think about coaching your employees, you feel that: A. Every interaction you have with your employees presents a
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(10) coaching opportunity B. Coaching should be reserved for only dealing with problem ( 6) situations C. Coaching should be reserved for your formal performance-review ( 4) meetings D. Coaching is for times when you have good or bad news to deliver ( 8) E. Only coach when requested by the employee ( 2) Comment: Coaching is a process, not an event. Look for coaching moments in every interaction you have. Effective coaches are constantly teaching, helping and receiving feedback. Day-to-day coaching is easier, more effective and develops consistency in the relationship between manager and employee. 9. One of your troublesome employees is making a good -faith effort to improve. The change is very slow. During your coaching discussions do you: A. Focus on the past; history is our greatest teacher ( 2) B. Balance the discussion between the past and the present ( 4) C. Use the past as a springboard to plan for the future ( 6) D. Focus on the here and now ( 8) E. Focus on the future; the past can't be change (10) Comment: Effective coaches are forward looking, they inspire hope. The past can't be changed so don't dwell on it. If you're not moving forward chances are you're losing ground. 10. Your department has been very successful in meeting or exceeding objectives. New competition and changing conditions have increased pressure on your people to perform. In talking with each of your employees about objectives and new directions, do you: A. Encourage caution and acceptance of only calculated risks ( 6) B. Encourage moderate and prudent risk taking
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( 8) C. Encourage them to take risks, stretching you, them, and the (10) department D. Keep final approval of any new approaches ( 4) E. Encourage caution; failure is to be avoided at all costs ( 2) Comment: A winning coach encourages risk-taking and establishes a safety net called support to catch those employees who falter or fail. Failure is looked at as a learning situation with the opportunity to grow. Employees and coaches who do not dare, stagnate.
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"The Empowering Work Environment"

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)
About the Quiz.

To remain competitive, organizations are abandoning the traditional hierarchical command-and-control management style in favor of establishing a work environment that advocates employee empowerment at all levels. To establish this new environment entails encouraging employee responsibility, accountability, self-management, trust and recognition; it requires leaders who are willing to let go of their role as bosses and take on roles as coaches and facilitators. Achieving this change is not easy. Some deeply ingrained obstacles and beliefs about leadership, management, employees and modern organizations must be confronted and challenged. The empowering work environment requires a set of values and beliefs that must be embraced and practiced by all levels of management. This quiz tests your readiness to accept an empowering work environment by evaluating the degree to which you hold these values and beliefs. Instructions: Take the quiz without looking at the answers, but when you are reviewing the answers, the questions and answers are "linked" so that you can easily move back and forth between them. When you've totaled your scores, find out how
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to interpret the score.

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1. In evaluating/recommending three candidates for promotion into a middle level managerial position, you believe:
A Past achievements are the best predictors of a person's . future success. B The person's ability to coach, train, and lead a high. performance team is as important as past performance results. C The candidate's ability to fit in with the current middle . management team is a top priority.

2. You are composing next year's budget. What criteria do you use to determine allocations for training employees?
A Fund business and leadership training for managers. . B Fund literacy and basic skills training for hourly and non. exempt employees. C Fund basic business and leadership training for all . employees.

3. Your organization is revising its management appraisal system. Whose feedback should be considered when evaluating a manager's performance?
A To evaluate a manager's performance, collect feedback . from everyone-the manager's boss, subordinates and peers and any customers and/or suppliers who do business with

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the manager. B Only the manager's boss and key leaders with whom the . manager interacts should provide feedback on his or her performance. C Management performance appraisals should be eliminated. . There are too many variables affecting performance that are beyond the manager's control (the competition, demographic shifts, inflation, etc.).

4. You have made a very costly error that has resulted in extensive budget reductions for your department. How do you explain the reductions to your group?
A Explain that the budget has been cut; refrain from telling . them the real reason, unless specifically asked. B Explain the whole truth up front, including what the error . was and why it occurred. C Create a reason that the employees would be likely to . tolerate to explain why the budget was cut (e.g., revenue projections have decreased).

5. Your organization invested heavily in a new technology that will change the way work is done in your group. In implementing the changes you:
A Get input from the technology experts and your . management team, then prepare the implementation plan yourself. B Have the plan developed by one of your managers and, if . appropriate, have the union representative work with the manager. C Bring together a team of individuals who will be directly affected by the technology and ask them to create the
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. implementation plan.

6. When evaluating a department's performance, how much importance should be placed on individual performance; how much on the team's effort?
A 20 percent on individual accomplishment and 80 percent . on team accomplishments. B 100 percent on individual accomplishment. . C 80 percent on individual accomplishment and 20 percent . on team accomplishments.

7. You have been called into an emergency budget meeting and asked to reduce your department's budget by 5 percent. Which of the following items would you cut?
A Training expenses. . B Your salary and the salary of other . managers. C Employee Recognition Awards. .

8. You have been asked to identify the obstacles to implementing an employee-empowering environment at your company. Where do you start?
A With a study to determine who is causing the obstacles. . B With the employees because empowerment obstacles are . 80% employee controlled and 20% management controlled. C With the systems and practices controlled by management . because empowerment obstacles are 80% management
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controlled and 20% employee controlled.

9. Which of the following best depicts how the role of the front line supervisor will develop in an employee-empowering environment?
A The role of the supervisor will change and expand to . include providing direction, developing teams and team members, coaching and training. B The supervisor will control and decide all the important . decisions; other employees will be involved to varying degrees in decisions of lesser importance. C The role of the supervisor will be greatly reduced. . Employees will be given control and will be able to make decisions in every aspect of their jobs.

10. How would you to describe the employee empowering work environment?
A It is something for hourly employees. . B It is a system based on shared values. . C It is a series of training programs and . quality circles.

11. How long do you think it will take to implement an employeeempowering environment?
A 2 to 3 years. . B Longer than 3 years and less . than 10.
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C More than 10 years. .

12. How do you typically refer to the people you work with?
A As individuals, associates, and . teammates. B As managers, subordinates, and . employees. C As supervisors, labor, and support. .

13. Which of the following are true statements about the employeeempowered environment?
A The biggest barriers are created by rank and file. . B The biggest barriers are created by management, primarily . first-level supervision. C The results are quick and quantifiable after the process is . implemented.

The Answers
Question 1 A= 0, B= 10, C= 5 The work environment should be composed of employees working together as a high performance team. An employee-empowered work environment maintains an energizing climate, one that motivates the team toward greatness. It will reinforce, recognize and reward the qualities of leadership, coaching and training. Question 2
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A= 5, B= 0, C= 10 All employees, regardless of job title, position or classification, need basic job skills. Limiting the training limits the overall pool of creative ideas. Question 3 A= 10, B= 5, C= 0 To evaluate the overall effectiveness of the team leader, feedback from all stakeholders-those on the team and those who rely on the team-must be included. Subordinates, peers, customers and suppliers have a valuable perspective on the success of the team leader's efforts. Question 4 A= 5, B=10, C=0 If a team leader can color the truth (euphemistically, lying), so can everyone else on the team. We don't like to work with liars so why should it be all right to lie to our teammates when it is convenient for us or for business. Accurate and honest information openly communicated is the goal, versus top management knowing everything, middle management a little bit and those at the bottom a few crumbs of information. Question 5 A= 0, B= 5, C= 10 Trust the team members most affected by the problem to solve it. The "authority trap" snares managers or those in power into believing that they are the only and best source of solutions and decisions. Don't get caught in the trap! Question 6 A= 10, B= 0, C= 5 A group full of individuals giving their best efforts can sink a company. Turning individual internal competition into a team collaboration is the goal. Question 7 A= 0, B= 10, C= 5 Training is part of the solution, not the problem. Cutting management salaries in tough times sends a powerful message....employees are important. Question 8 A=5, B=O, C=10
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The true obstacle to creating an empowering work environment is management: management processes, policies and practices. Management created and reinforces the present organization; this is where the changes need to start. Question 9 A=10, B=5, C=0 The role of the supervisor includes: developing the vision, establishing direction and boundaries, modeling the desired behaviors/actions, providing immediate feedback and resources, facilitating and coaching others toward continuous improvement and recognizing and reinforcing effort and success. Question 10 A= 5, B= 10, C= 0 An empowering work environment is based on: how we treat our customers/clients/each other, leadership behaviors, our roles and responsibilities as employees, ethics, diversity and what opportunities employees can expect from the organization. These values become the criteria against which the appropriateness of all actions are evaluated; they can't be faked or limited to certain levels in the organization. Question 11 A= 0, B= 5, C= 10 The journey to an employee-empowering environment is never-ending and constantly evolving-it is marked with increases in customer and employee expectations. It is a finish line that can never be reached; where victory is in the race not the finish line. Question 12 A=10, B=0, C=5 Granted it is more than just titles, but managers who value and respect the people they work with refer to them as individuals, associates or team mates. Question 13 A=0, B=10, C=5 More often than not, employees are advocates and supervisors are resistant.

Your Score
105 - 130 points: You are ready to embark upon the journey required to create and maintain an employee empowered environment. Your belief in
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high performance teams and leadership shines through your recognition of the value of training, development, and employee respect. It is now time to create an environment that encourages all employees to achieve their maximum potential. You don't have to wait for anyone; start by removing the barriers that prevent employees from exercising judgment and creativity in their work. Create a high-involvement process to address your company's values, goals, objectives, rewards system and communication patterns. Trust the process; you and your associates will be quick to define other areas to address along the route to an empowering environment. 80 - 100 points: You're not quite ready; your predominant values are the traditional views on management and management practices. These values foster a view of an employee-empowered work environment as something done to others, not as an internal commitment to go all the way. To change, expand your own awareness, skills and information: * Learn to be a leader, coach, trainer, and team builder. * Develop high-performance teams with high-performance team members. * Find small successes within your organization and build upon them. * Create a participative setting. * Provide support to those in your organization who are true believers in this type of corporate culture. Less than 75 points: You may be interested in employee empowerment because it is a fashionable thing to do. If so, rethink your strategy. Any attempt to "fake it" will be met with employee mistrust and disdain. If you are interested in employee empowerment because you know it is right, go out and find this environment in action, talk to people who are doing it, see the benefits. Once you begin to believe, you can begin building an empowering environment.
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About the Quiz

Published in Spirit, the magazine of Southwest Airlines March, 1992 by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D., Carol A. Otto, Ph.D., and George M. Benskey. For more information call Dr. Matt Starcevich, CEO, Center for Coaching and Mentoring, Inc. (918) 333-6609.

"Evaluate Your Organization's Coaching Climate"

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(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)
About the Quiz.

The history of a group or team and the member's view of how things are, or should be, will effect the level and type of coaching that occurs. The sum of these views we call the "Coaching Climate." It is valuable to see how "warm" or "cold" the climate is for coaching in your team. Note: The following quiz is a quick, yet excellent, team-building activity. Have each member of your team complete a printout of the quiz. Ask one person to collect the completed surveys and tabulate the results. Schedule a team meeting for a least one hour to discuss the implications of the responses and the coaching climate that exists within your team. The more important question and needed commitment is: "What would we like these answers to be and how are we going to get there if a gap occurs between our present action and desired future state?" Note that many times such meetings or interactions will be more constructive and will lead to more positive changes if they are guided by an outside facilitator.

Coaching Climate Quiz

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Name: Describe what coaching means in your work area/group. What really happens?

Answer the following statements as you see the coaching that actually goes on now in your immediate work area/group. The
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more open and honest you are the more valuable the assessment will be for you.
Category 1. Coaching: What, when and who?
Neither Agree Strongly Nor Strongly Disagree Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

1 Coaching, in my work area/group, occurs both when things go right and when things go wrong. 2 I am willing to initiate conversations with others in my work area/group about my performance or opportunities for growth and change. 3 In my work area/group, everyone, not just the manager, accepts the responsibility to coach others.

Category 2. Do we support one another?

Neither Agree Strongly Nor Strongly Disagree Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

4 When others in my work area/group coach me, I view them as an ally.

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5 In my work area/group there is a high level of respect for individuals' capabilities and uniqueness. 6 In my work area/group, people are willing to help and assist one another. 7 In my work area/group, I feel people generally support one another.

Category 3. What are our coaching discussions like?

Neither Agree Strongly Nor Strongly Disagree Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

8 Coaching, in my work area/group, are honest discussions, information is not withheld. 9 In my work area/group talking about performance problems or defects is good, not bad. 10 In my work area/group, others are receptive to feedback and suggestions. 11 During discussions with others in my work area/group, I can count on

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them to listen and understand. Category 4. How receptive to coaching are we?
Neither Agree Strongly Nor Strongly Disagree Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

12 I am willing to be coached by others in my work area/group. 13 In my work area/group, the commitment to achieve excellent results is high. 14 In my work area/group, I find others flexible, willing to learn, and try new things.

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For the team meeting:

Put each team member's definition of coaching together on one sheet of paper. Summarize the results in a series of fourteen graphs. This will highlight any agreement or disagreement on how members perceive the coaching climate in the team.

Remember, we are available to help administer this quiz and other assessment instruments, and to coach you in coaching your team. About this quiz.
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This quiz was developed by Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D., CEO, Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc.

"Finding a Coach" Does Your Coach Pass the Test?

Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. , CEO Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc.
(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) When you go looking for a coach, you are not looking for a clone of yourself-you've already got you. You are looking for someone who has experience or insight you don't have in dealing with a particular subject. A good coach can be found anywhere, in or outside of your present organization. Think about a specific coach, either one you have just started working with or one you are thinking about asking for coaching assistance. Your answers on the following ten-question quiz will determine if you have found the right coach for you.
Have you found the right coach? 1. The coach sees you as trustworthy, sincere, and wanting to learn. 2. The coach has a unique perspective or insight to offer. 3. The coach is willing to give of himself or herself and to help others. 4. The coach is easy to talk to and can be trusted. You do not feel vulnerable. 5. The coach wants to see you succeed. YES NO ? YES NO ? YES NO ? YES NO ? YES NO ?

6. The coach is a teacher, willing to help others YES NO ? grow and develop.

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7. The coach expects to learn something during YES NO ? your time together. 8. The coach believes that you should grow out of the need for his/her help and would never YES NO ? use phrases like "You need me" or "I can help you get ahead." 9. The coach believes that you need to struggle and find your own way and would never say: "I YES NO ? know best". 10. You have a good feeling about working with YES NO ? this coach. TOTAL ____ ____ ___

Scoring: If you have 10 YES's, you've found the perfect coach. Are there any perfect 10's? We know there are. Keep looking if you have checked any NO's or ?'s for your particular coach. Consider the following:
1. Your credibility. The coach has to believe in you, to be convinced that you are sincere, want to learn, and can be trusted. Your credibility is all you can offer in return for the coach's time and energy. Generally, this credibility comes from the coach having seen you in operation; you are not strangers. The coach considers you trustworthy; you have supported him or her in the past. Question 1. 2. The coach's credibility. Coaches cannot be of value unless they have a unique perspective and are willing to help. Although difficult, check out the coach's track record in helping others. Do they give of themselves? Do they value helping others? Do others find them easy to talk to? Do
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others value their perspective? Do you value their perspective? Can they be trusted? Questions 2 through 4. 3. A desire to see you succeed. A crucial distinction between your coach and other acquaintances is that the coach wants to see you succeed-not necessarily to advance or achieve monetary goals, but to achieve your potential, to be the best you can be. The ultimate payoff is that the coach will feel good about your success. Question 5. 4. The coach as teacher. We don't mean by profession. The issue is, does the coach enjoy seeing others grow and develop? Is he/she secure enough to be challenged? Good coaches don't create dependency relationships. They are happy when you can fly on your own. "You need me" and "I can help you get ahead" create unhealthy dependency/reciprocal relationships. Does the coach have the patience to allow you to discover both the questions and the answers or do you sense a need to always provide answers and tell others what to do? When first starting out in my career, I felt comfortable going to a wise manager for advice. Rather than explore the nature of my questions or help me to think things through he would always have a ready answer. At first this was comforting, until I discovered that I was doing things the way he would, not thinking for myself. Did I have convictions, beliefs, ideas? Yes, but this coach was not forcing me to develop them. My reliance on and relationship with this coach ended. Questions 6 through 9.
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5. Your feelings. As a final test, trust your instincts. Does it feel right to work with this person? If you are uncertain about a potential coach, trust those uneasy feelings. If the information and guidance the coach is providing feels wrong, re-evaluate the coach. If you are uncomfortable with the guidance, you're not talking to the right coach. Question 10.

"Are You Ready To Manage In The 21st. Century?"

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)
[About the Quiz]

Todays managers face rapidly changing conditions--flatter organizations, virtual teams, doing more with less, temporary structures, employees with different values and life-work style preferences. How effective these managers manage spells the difference between the profitable and the also ran organizations. Are you or your managers making the adjustment and transition to this new role, these new demands or, are you stuck in the past? Although not exhaustive, this quiz tests eleven important skills for contemporary managers by assessing the degree to which you practice these skills. The more honest you are in this self evaluation the more valuable the results for your growth and development or, the growth and development of the managers in your organization. To what extent would others describe you in each of these eleven skills areas:

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1. Needs to exceed Demonstrates a sustained passion to succeed, willingly steps up to significant challenges, sets high standards, driven to achieve results, conveys a sense of urgency, and hold self accountable for adding value.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

2. Helps others succeed Supporting others by providing constructive feedback, coaching, using a process to see that others are developed and provides developmental resources.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

3. Courageous Willing to stand up and be counted. Steps forward to address difficult issues, puts self on the line to deal with important problems, stands firm
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when necessary, doesnt hold back anything that needs to be said, is not afraid to take negative action when appropriate.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

4. Leads Creates a visions and purpose which others buy into and share. Takes actions that inspire confidence that the vision is being achieved. Sets clear and compelling goals that serve as a unifying focal point of efforts often creating immense team spirit. Good enough never is.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

5. Customer focused Creates sustained partnership with customers (internal and external) based on a thorough first-hand understanding of what creates value for them, continually searches for ways to increase customer satisfaction.
A This is not me (1)
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. B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

6. Relationship builder Initiates and develops relationships with others as a key priority, uses informal networks to get things done, relies more on ability to influence than hierarchical relationships.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

7. Team Builder Champions teamwork, creates an environment in which teams are used appropriately, their development is supported, and they are generally successful, fosters collaboration among team members and among teams, creates a feel of belonging in the team.
A This is not me (1) . Sometimes this is B me (3)
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. C . This is definitely me (5)

8. Principled Inspiring trust through ethical behavior, shows consistency between principles, values, and behavior, is authentic. Consistently lives, breathes, and expresses their principles in all that they do.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

9. Change agent Acts as a catalyst of change and stimulates others to change, challenges the status quo and champions new initiatives, manages implementation effectively.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)
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10. Eager learner Learns from experience, learns quickly, a versatile learner, actively pursues learning and self-development.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

11. Values others Shows and fosters respect and appreciation for each person whatever their background, race, age, gender, disability, values, lifestylesmakes others feel valued for their ideas and contributions regardless of differences, seeks others points of view, recognizes their contribution and make people feel appreciated.
A This is not me (1) . B . C . Sometimes this is me (3) This is definitely me (5)

Your score:
11 - 21 An obsolete manager.
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If presently a manager, you must be very frustrated and you yearn for the good old days. Sorry, they werent so good and they never will return. Have you considered a non managerial position? 21 - 43 A closet 21st Century manager. You must be torn between holding on to the past or, following the skills exhibited by your past superiors and, doing what you think is right-sometimes you do, sometimes you dont. What you need is more consistency--trust yourself, you are on the right road. Look for opportunities to sharpen your skills so you can be more confident by using them all the time, not just some of the time. 45 - 55 A 21st Century manager. Your skills will put you in good stead for the future. Dont relax, keep learning and adapting, who knows what the future will bring. A safe bet is that it will be different but, you like these kinds of challenges.

Using the quiz as a Developmental Discussion Tool.

1. Select and assess 4 out the 11 skills which, in your mind, make a differencethey are the most important for your positions. 2. Ask your manager to also select the 4 most critical skills for your position and assess how they would describe you. 3. Compare your assessment with those of your manager--discuss similarities, gap or differences in these assessmentswhen, where, and how your views are similar or different. 4. Jointly define the implications for your increased effectiveness, growth, and development.

About the Quiz By, Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D., CEO, the Center for Coaching and Mentoring, Inc. a firm devoted to training and consultation in Team
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Work, Coaching, Leadership, and Quality, Co-author of Teamwork: We Have Met The Enemy and They Are Us, The Coach: Creating Partnerships for a Competitive Edge, and Win Win Partnerships: Be On The Leading Edge With Synergistic Coaching.

How In Step Are You With Generation X?

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)

Are you tired of reading about the unfortunate, misunderstood Generation X? Are you tired of catering to these folks, only to have them leave your organization? You may have no choice in the matter. A March 16, 1998, article in Fortune magazine states "... with the U.S. unemployment rate at 4.7%, about the lowest it has been in a quarter of a century, companies are no longer in the driver's seat." Your choice is to continue to be at war and try to mold them into a clone of yourself, or, you can consider how you might set aside your motives, values, and goals - accept them as they are and help them be the individual contributors to your organization that they want to be. There are about as many definitions of who comprises Generation X as there are authors. So, we have taken an average set of ages. This quiz is for leaders who are over age 35 (in 1998) with direct reports aged 20-34. This quiz asks you ten questions about how you communicate with and lead Xers. The goal is not to "pass" this quiz, but to start an honest self-evaluation process that will help you create win-win relationships. (See related article in this web site on Coaching Generation X for the drivers of this group's behaviors.)
1. You are advertising for a positions in your department. In the advertisement, do you: a. Describe the 100-year history of your stable, wellestablished company? b. Discuss the opportunities for learning new skills and working in a challenging, results-driven organization? c. Emphasize the benefit plan, stressing your excellent retirement/401-K program? d. Use quotes/testimonials from your senior employees that describe how much they like working at your company?
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e. Explain that you are looking for self-starting, motivated people that can make a difference? 2. During an interview with job applicants, what do you emphasize the most? a. The work-out room and outside picnic tables. b. Your flexible work schedules and job-sharing program. c. The benefits new employees get after working for one year. d. The company's desire for every person to learn as much as they want and be successful no matter how long they are with the company. e. The casual atmosphere and your policy on what type of clothing is "business casual." 3. As a leader, what do you think are the most important behaviors you can exhibit? a. Your interest in people's personal lives. b. Your mentoring skills. c. Your hands-off style. d. Your ability to relate to this generation. e. Your belief in their ability to take on varied tasks. 4. You are working on next year's training for your department. What does this look like? a. You have a lot of training scheduled for the first six months of employment. b. A majority of your courses can be done individually in a self-paced format. c. A catalog lists the courses and times available, stating that anyone can take one course each quarter if they can document a job-related need. d. Your courses are available on-line. e. Employees are encouraged to look elsewhere if you don't offer the training they need. 5. How do you delegate work/make assignments?
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a. Assign a lot of work so people don't get bored. Make these assignments based on what they have done well in the past. b. Discuss the task and help them divide the work into manageable pieces. c. Clearly define the task and associated deadlines. d. Tell them they should come to you first with any questions or when they need help. e. Parcel out pieces of a task so they are not overwhelmed. 6. As people set out to accomplish a task, do you: a. Encourage them to be creative and innovative in how they accomplish a task and ask questions as needed. b. Give them detailed instructions and procedures for how the job has been done successfully in the past. c. Let them know who can be of assistance within your department and throughout the company. d. Discuss why the task needs to be done and help them see their value-added contribution. e. Require daily approvals of the work accomplished. 7. How do you go about giving feedback and performance evaluation? a. Let the person review the performance appraisal form so they can be prepared for their quarterly review. b. Plan some time every day to talk to the person about how their job is going and see if they have any concerns or questions. c. Provide quick, specific, accurate reflections of their performance. d. Give feedback when it is requested. e. Review their work several times each day. 8. When people participate on your project team, what are the characteristics of the team?

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a. The team is comprised of representatives from every department/area so everyone knows what is going on. b. You are the leader throughout the scope of the project. c. The team is empowered to make decisions and implement solutions. d. Your project teams generally take 6-12 months to resolve their issue. e. Members of the team are selected based on the skill or knowledge they can bring to the project. 9. How do you provide recognition? a. Bring in donuts for the coffee room. b. Have an Employee of the Quarter award. c. Pass out T-shirts when your department achieves its goals. d. Frequent, immediate "pats on the back" to individuals when they do something well. e. Schedule department lunches to honor specific individuals each week. 10.When you try to have some fun at work, you: a. Post cartoons on a bulletin board. b. Have a "costume" day. c. Celebrate every person's birthday. d. Schedule fun events after work or on weekends. e. Pass out mugs with the company logo.

SCORING
1. A=2, B=10, C=6, D=4, E=8. Twenty-somethings will be most interested in a job that is challenging and rewarding they want to add value. They are not interested in the company's history or the accolades of 20 year veteran employees since they have no trust in companies. They believe in themselves and are not looking for a long term career with one company.

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2. A=4, B=8, C=2, D=10, E=6. Xers are looking for the WIIFM to work at a company, as well as a chance to contribute. Stress the WIIFM and you'll get the contribution. Give them flexible work hours and they will be more productive. Workout rooms and picnic tables are a token start. But, what does the rest of the office look like. Is it parceled out in cubicles and offices (for managers, of course), with policies on who gets how much space and what type of furniture? Is the work-out room only available during lunch or before/after work - how about any time of the day? Can you loosen up on the dress code? Can they get benefits now.... one year is too long to wait (they may not be with you then). 3. A=6,B=10,C=4,D=2,E=9. The best way to lead this group is to be a mentor so they can learn and grow. They will probably come to look upon you as a surrogate "work parent." Take an interest in their "causes" (this group has a high rate of volunteerism). The minute you say "that's not in your job description," you will lose these folks. Likewise, the minute you say "I remember when I was your age .... " they will be turned off. Their life is totally different than yours was.
4.

A=4, B= 10, C=2, D=9, E=6. This generation is selfmotivated and wants to learn at their own pace. Training is the number one motivator with Xers because it increases their portfolio of marketable skills. So you train them and they leave? When you satisfy their thirst for knowledge, then you will reap the rewards if you let them apply their new skills on the job.

5. A=2, B=10, C=8, D=6, E=4. Due to a shorter attention span, these people can get lost in a large project. So, help them set daily goals and tell them exactly what is expected and when it is required. Let them know "what is on the test." Then, let them manage their own time. However, don't treat them as babies who can't handle the whole task or make the mistake of assuming they need a lot of (busy) work to be challenged. 6. A=9, B=2, C=8, D=10, E=4. Don't micro-manage these folks and stifle their creativity with "the way we've always done
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it." Be patient with their questions about "why" they are doing something. They are not questioning you, but just want to understand the big picture and their part in it. Don't be the only person they can come to for help. Offer them a variety of people from whom they can learn. 7. A=2, B=10, C=9, D=6, E=4. While Generation X does not want over-your-shoulder managers, they do want constant feedback. Does once a day sound like too much? It doesn't have to be a sit-down thirty minute discussion. Surely you can find a few minutes each day to talk to your people and see how they are doing. 8. A=6, B=4, C=8, D=2, E=10. Xers have a low tolerance for meetings when nothing gets accomplished and ever-ending bureaucracy rules. While they are independent workers, they crave the relationships that teams provide. But, they want to contribute something to the team based on their expertise and expect the other team members to be selected based on their skills, not the prevailing political wind or because "every department must be represented." If you're not serious about empowering teams, they'll see right through you. 9. A=6, B=2, C=4, D=10, E=8. As with feedback, twentysomethings need recognition as proof of their ability to add value and produce results. Don't base all recognition on team or department successes - recognize the individual within the team. When recognition is for the entire department, make it a social event (i.e. lunch)-7 donuts left in the coffee room is cold and reminds them of the breakfast they ate alone while their parents were getting ready to go to work. Employee of the Quarter? Three months is a long time. 10.A=4, B=10, C=8, D=6, E=2. Companies have to loosen up when they think about having fun. Ask people what would be fun for them. It probably won't be what you think is fun. Be careful, don't ask for input and not be ready to implement it. This one area might be the greatest test of your flexibility and paradigms.

YOUR SCORE:
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80 - 100 points: You are well on your way to understanding and supporting the needs of this generation. Hand them the remote control and put them in charge of their work life. Allow them to have ownership of their work by creating "businesses within your business" and pay their dues based on performance, not seniority. How about letting them wear shorts and wander through the halls barefoot or bring their pets to work? Yes, this is happening now! 60 - 79 points: You've started to accommodate this diverse group of people. But, you may need to examine your paradigms even further. You may be talking the talk, but you're not walking the talk. This generation can see through "phoniness" quicker than any other. If you don't make drastic changes now, they won't stay around to see if you do in the next year. Below 60 points: You are in denial that change needs to occur. Xers don't come to you with that built-in trust and respect of organizations and your authority. You earn this because of who you are and what you do. Again, quoting the March Fortune magazine article, "The stereotype is that Generation X thinks it's entitled. But the people who sound like they have entitlement mentality are companies: They think they're entitled to have a work force that works like their parents did. But, it was big companies that in the late 1980's and early 1990's ended the traditional employment contract."

What's Your Commitment To Yourself?

by: Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D., CEO (For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission) Forget about loyalty, its outdated, theres little payoff and organizations cant return it. Shift to your commit to yourself. Commitment goes beyond loyalty. Forget about what generation youre in, from here forward is what counts. Peter Drucker states that "knowledge is the only meaningful
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resource". Knowledge belongs to you, its mobile and its for sale. Commit yourself to meaningful and satisfying work, and the organizations that seek out and value you and your skill sets will follow. Youll control your own destiny. Oh yes, your current employer will see you as loyalbut not take you for granted. This ten question quiz asks about hypothetical situations to assess the degree you are committed to yourself. Passing is not the goal, making the right choices about your life is!
1. You place an advertisement in the Wall Street Journal about yourself, what do you emphasize? a Your high mobility, ability to adjust to new situations . and adapt fast. b Your multiple educational degrees. . c. Your solid track record of gradually increasing responsibilities and accomplishments. 2. You are offered a job that has a high degree of ambiguity and uncertainty, do you: a Reluctantly accept, hoping your new manager can . clarify things. b Pass, because you like structure and cant tolerate . ambiguity. c. 3. Jump at the chance knowing you can create clarity for yourself and wing it.

You are preparing your objectives and performance plan for next year, do you: a Reshape last years objectives, this is pretty much an . administrative exercise. b Hold yourself personally accountable and concentrate
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. on outcomes. c. 4. Align your objectives with your manager and departments direction.

When you consider your attitude about your work and the organization, do you: a Feel you are in charge of your own moralecynicism . is not an option. b Accept conditionsthe grass always appears greener . on the other side. c. Feel management is responsible for keeping employees contented and upbeat.

5. You are attending a social event with your peers from work and there seems to be a lot of complaining about current conditions, are you: a A quiet fence sitter, waiting to see which way the . winds are blowing. b A dodger of personal responsibilityyou point fingers, . criticize, and complain with the rest of them. c. A problem solver/fixer, the solution starts with you, assume ownership of the problems..

6. Your department has just hired an efficiency expert for an audit of all personnel, how would they describe you: a Been on the payroll a long time, well intentioned, very . busy. b Believes its contribution that counts, contributes . more than costs. c. In general, goes with the flow, willing to take small

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risks. 7. When you consider the organization you work for, do you consider yourself: a A self employed owner with personal responsibility for . improvement. b Mildly creative, can be counted on, a company . person. c. A good employee who is willing to follow directions. 8. Do you spend purposeful time: a Thinking about where the organization is going and if . you will have a role in this future. b Thinking about the good old days. . c. 9. Visualizing a clear mental picture of what you want to be/accomplish.

How would you describe your beliefs about your personal development: a I got my degrees, from now on its experience that . counts. b You never finish your education, the challenge is to . keep it relevant. c. You are willing to take what ever courses management thinks are appropriate.

10 You believe it is important to: . a Study people who are great examples, benchmarking . against the "best in class".
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b Be realistic, successful people have more potential . and talent than the rest of us. c. Getting better at your way of doing things.

Scoring:
1. A=10, B=5, C=2 Education and accomplishments are important, they get you into the gamewhat keeps you in the game is quick adaptation to change. Short lived assignments, new projects, new careersthe sooner you get with the program the betterlearn to race on. 2. A=5, B=2, C=10 Get over your need for structure and certainty. Waiting for others to frame out the situation is disempowering. Act, learn to fail, improvise, but always move onwing it, be flexible, and learn to fly. 3. A=2, B=10, C=5 Look beyond the immediate, are you concentrating on the right thingsstreamline, eliminate. This will keep you focused on whats important and avoid the activity trap. How are your growing "Me, Inc."? 4. A=10, B=5, C=2 Dont blame others for your emotions some organizations are unfair, some managers jerksso? Youre in charge of yourself, dont wallow in negative emotions, commit to yourself to "get beyond them". 5. A=5, B=2, C=10 Change manifest discontent. Dont play the blame gameyou become the victim. Build a reputation as a problem solver not a finger pointeryoull be valuable to have around and increase your career success. 6. A=2, B=10, C=5 There is no free lunchif you dont contribute more than you cost, why keep you? Why provide you the freedom to grow and develop your skills and knowledge? What counts is contribution, not years you put in or how busy you are. Based on your contributions, would you pay your salary? 7. A=10, B=5, C=2 If youre in business for yourself, you are more entrepreneurial. How can you cut costs, improve productivity, innovatedont wait for others to call the shots

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then you will truly be on your own, like an independent contractor. 8. A=5, B=2, C=10 Visualize a clear mental picture of what/who you want to bemake it vivid, keep it alive, visit it often. We wont get into the theorytrust us, it works! Its a self fulfilling prophecywithout a goal, any road will get you there. To paraphrase, "The force is with you"visualization will pull you toward this being a reality. 9. A=2, B=10, C=5 Learn, retool or become obsolete. Lifelong learning insures competitiveness in the market place. The responsibility and rewards are yoursit doesnt matter what you doincrease your knowledge base and your value. 10.A=10, B=5, C=2 Theres no mysterystudy great examples then start copying their approach. Benchmark, find your role modelskeep analyzing how they operate, their attitudes, work habits, and skills. Why not imitate the best?

Your Score:
80 - 100 Youre on the road to finding a satisfying and fulfilling life and career. Taking charge, being responsible, and action orientation is your commitments. Beware of the pot holes and detours on your journey. Keeping focused on your commitment and accountability to yourself will help. 50 - 79 Youre in the most perilous situationthings dont seem exactly right but they are not bad enough to take action. Youre a passenger in a vehicle on cruise control. Its time to get into a new vehicle, take over the drivers seat and steer your own life. Below 50 Youre not too happy with your life/situation. You feel entitled and youre waiting for something to change, someone to help. Sorry, there is no Santa Claus. The decision is yourkeep floating and feeling like a victim or take charge.

Leadership Trustworthiness: How Far Can They Throw You? Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D.
[About the Author]

(For individual use only, not to be reproduced or used in any way without permission)
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Trust has declined in three out of four workplaces in the past two years, according to a survey conducted by Manchester Consulting, Jacksonville, Florida. The level of trust in the workplace received a rating of 5 on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent). "Trust in corporate America is at a low point," says Lew Stern, Senior Vice President. * Based on our experience and research, there is no single variable which so thoroughly influences interpersonal behavior as does trust. Without it you cannot lead, build a relationship, or influence others. In self-directed teams, trust takes the place of leadership. You have to consciously work at building and maintaining this precious commodity. You will be judged by what you do, not what you say. Trust is questioned where personal risk and vulnerability are present. Picture yourself in a leadership role, where others depend on your decisions, they are vulnerable. Trustworthy leaders are trustworthy people and mentors. How would others evaluate your leadership behavior in the following ten situations?
Top of Form

1. Your company has recently sold a product line that will result in transfers, job reassignments, and possible layoffs for your group. In making these personnel decisions, will your leader: A. Go to extremes to be fair and do the right thing, even if this is counter to the "company line" B. C. Set up an evaluation process for everyone, but personal friends Do what is politically correct and pleasing to top management

2. Customer demands require that one person in your department works on Christmas day. Will your leader: A. Decide who will work based on who has the lowest seniority in the department B. Offer to work unless someone else needs to work that day C. Set up a rotation where everyone in the department,
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including the leader, will take a turn working this holiday 3. Your leader has committed to helping you keep your life and work in better balance by being more realistic in their goals, priorities, and deadlines. Whats your guess: A. They will put forth a good effort but, with time, start to make exceptions B. Sounds good, but the next time upper management and/or the client puts the heat on it will be back to "crunch" time and business as usual C. Regardless of what happens, you are convinced that your leader will honor their commitments. 4. You received a lower performance evaluation and salary increase than expected. When you ask you leader to explain will they: A. B. Be forthright, honest, and truthful with their explanation Be uncomfortable telling you only part of the reasons

C. Answer in a way that makes you think they are not being honest 5. Having just attended a fair well lunch/party for a close associate, you return to the office and are called for your random drug test. Two glasses of wine punch at lunch, no surprise, a small amount of alcohol is detected. Will your leader: A. B. C. Strictly adhere to company policy and put you on a leave of absence After a discussion, realize that this is a one off situation, exercise good judgment, and ignore the test Recommend that you enroll in the companys employee assistance counseling program

6. Your first formal presentation to the top management committee isnt going well at all, in fact you have lost it. Will your leader:

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A. B. C.

Ask for the presentation to be reschedule so "you can be better prepared" Let you sink, and ask embarrassing questions, knowing that this is how lasting lessons are learned Jump in to protect, support, and encourage you in a way that allows you to save face

7. There are rumors floating around about a significant change in direction and reorganization for your department. When asked, your leader: A. B. C. Can be counted on to freely share all the information and ideas available Will tell you only what they think you need to know Will discuss the changes only after they have been announced

8. You have observed your leader in a variety of situations. How would you describe what your leaders behavior will be in an upcoming critical client meeting? A. You havent a clue, each day is a new day

B. Very predictable, there is little doubt in your mind how they will behave in various situations C. Since this is a new client, you think you know how they will behave but you are less than 60% sure of your predictions 9. Having known and worked with your leader for a number of years, would you say: A. Their record is sporadic, sometimes they could be trusted, sometimes not B. C. Are you kidding, not knowing what I know about this person History indicates that they can be trusted implicitly

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10. A decision needs to be made that will have a huge impact on your career and the direction of the department. Will your leader: A. Respect and treat you as an equal partner in making this decision B. Consult with and listen to your input then make the decision by themselves C. As the boss, analyze the facts in the situation, seek little input, and then make the decision they think is best

Scoring:
1. A=10, B=5, C=2 Implementing and abiding by procedures that treat everyone fairly will increase the trust others have in you. Not showing favorites, being willing to take a stand for fairness are critical elements of this dimension of trust.

2. A=2, B=10, C=5

How concerned are you with the goodwill and interests of others? Actions that place their self interests before yours is a strong indicator of your genuine concern and sensitivity to their self interests.

3. A=5, B=2, C=10

Can you be counted on to keep your commitments in both the good and bad times? You cant trust someone who says one thing and does the other or when pressured, conveniently forgets their commitments.

4. A=10, B=5, C=2

How would others rate your integrity? Two key elements in their conclusions would be your reputation for honesty and truthfulness even when this might be uncomfortable. How could others trust someone who is dishonest or tells only half
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truths?

5. A=2, B=10, C=5

Your consistency, reliability, predictability, and good judgement in handling situations will tell others that you can be trusted. Do you temper all of this with good judgement? Can you be counted on to "do what is right" even in the face of contradictory circumstances.

6. A=5, B=2, C=10

Others trust in you will increase if they see you as loyal and willing to protect, support and encourage them. Exhibiting caring compassion, running interference, and allowing you to experiment in an environment that is non threatening to your self image.

7. A=10, B=5, C=2

You can be trusted to be open, accessible, and share ideas and information freely with others. Can you be counted on for truthful information? Withholding information causes others to be suspicious of your motives and loss trust in you.

8. A=5, B=2, C=10

Are you predictable, reliable and responsive in a caring way? How can other trust someone whose actions are random? No way!

9. C=10, A=5, B=2

An indicator of how much trust others can place in you is your track record. History does repeat itself. Ask yourself if the evidence supports the case for others trusting you.

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10. A=10, B=5, C=2

Trust is reciprocal. Through your words and actions do you openly show others that you trust and respect them when it really counts? If you dont trust them, how can you expect them to trust you? Not!

Your score, How Far Can They Throw You?

80-100 Zero gravity, if thrown you will fly. Your actions are consistent regardless of the person, place, or event. You care for others, are consistent, do the right things regardless of personal risk and exude integrity. Congratulations, others find working with you a unique and rewarding experience.

50-80 A rock, sometimes you skip along the surface, sometimes you sink. Your closest confidants can trust you, others are not sure, sometimes yes, sometimes no. The word is consistency. Seek out and change those actions that are sending mixed signals if you want higher levels of trust from others.

20-50 An anvil, they cant even pick you up, let alone throw you. You probably find others become quiet when you walk in the room, seem to weigh their words, and begrudgingly share information with you. You often feel lonely, the good news is you can change. Look over the quiz and ask how you can start to behave in a more trustworthy fashion. *Training & Development, December 1997, pp. 11.

About the Quiz By, Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D., CEO, the Center for Coaching & Mentoring, Inc., a firm devoted to training and consultation in Team Work, Coaching, Leadership, and Quality. Co-author of Teamwork: We
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Have Met The Enemy and They Are Us, The Coach: Creating Partnerships for a Competitive Edge, and Win Win Partnerships: Be On The Leading Edge With Synergistic Coaching. For more information call (918) 333-6609
http://www.careerclubsinternational.com/index.html http://www.coachingandmentoring.com Bottom of Form Bottom of Form

http://www.ekantipur.com/saptahik/article/?id=6432
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