Leadership Coaching: A Case Study on the Potential of Brief Coaching

Transcription

1 Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching PHONE WEB Hectr Sandval hsandval@me.cm

2 A Case Study: The Ptential f Brief Caching Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching 1. Backgrund: I began training as a prfessinal Cach in June My main mtivatin is t leverage ver 26 years f crprate experience (as a leader and executive in a variety f peratinal, cmmercial and peple management rles) t supprt individuals and crpratins wh are cmmitted t develping and imprving leadership effectiveness. Over the past years I encuntered many situatins where the pprtunities t imprve emplyee alignment and mtivatin failed, mainly because the leaders did nt recgnize gaps in their wn behavirs and skills. As part f an executive team r as a cnsultant my degree f influence was very limited. As a Cach, hwever, the prcess and cmmitment that can be established n an individual level, based n creating a trusted, effective and mving frward space, may yield extrardinary results in bridging thse gaps. 2. Current Situatin: As part f the requirements t graduate as a Cach I have develped my wn Caching Mdel: the LeadER Mdel. This mdel is based n the premise that effective change can take place when individuals assume a leadership rle t create, steer and accmplish gals in their persnal r prfessinal dimensins. The LeadER Mdel defines a structure where the Client is listened t, learning ccurs thrugh pwerful inquiry, acknwledgement, assessments and perspective reframing. This knwledge is then transfrmed int actin plans, with clear steps t build a bridge between the current state, the desired state and an emphasis n Executin and Review phases f these plans. At the end f the jurney, the Client is able t experience psitive change t behavirs and skills, understanding that cmmn leadership traits can be useful in discvering and leveraging untapped ptential. As with mst Caching mdels and prpsitins, the Client is advised that in rder t develp the prper knwledge f the current state, desired directin and gals, and the executin f successful plans, time and effrt shuld be cmmitted in a genuine way. In this sense a typical Caching engagement may take arund 12 sessins, usually spread between 3 t 6 mnths, in rder t materialize the actins int results. With this in mind I began t lk fr alternatives that may add value t the Client by way f reducing the length f the engagement, in specific cases where this may be apprpriate. Because I wuld like t fcus my practice caching leaders in psitins f cnsiderable respnsibility, and as a frmer executive myself, I believe prviding an ptin fr a shrter but n less pwerful relatinship can be an attractive prpsitin. In late Octber 2012 I attended an ICF Spnsred Cnference in Barcelna, Spain. The primary mtivatin was t begin a netwrking strategy within the lcal Caching cmmunity, in rder t understand the market situatin and psitin my wn persnal brand and services accrdingly. Anther bjective was t learn any new trends r perspectives that the keynte speakers culd bring t my attentin. It was in this cntext that I first encuntered the cncept f Brief Caching, as presented by ne f its strngest practitiners, Dr. Peter Szabó f Switzerland. 3. Brief Caching: Accrding t Dr. Szabó s wn publicatins and his keynte speech, Brief Caching is a prduct f the Slutins Based paradigm, and has been extensively develped, practiced and dcumented thrugh his wrk. A well- stcked resurce center can be cnsulted in Dr. Szabó s Slutinsurfers website: One can better understand the rigin and prgress this particular apprach, since its rigins and thrugh the wrk f Dr. Szab, as well as the research cnducted by scilgists Steve de Shazer and Ins Kim Berg. In a summarized versin Brief Caching can be explained in the fllwing terms: Caches can be useful t Clients in different ways, depending n hw they apprach the jurney frm a current situatin, a desired utcme, and the steps in between t accmplish gals and bjectives. T represent these appraches ne can frmulate questins such as: Hw can I help yu unblck the situatin, r, What are the steps yu wuld like me t help yu with, which are assciated with the mre traditinal Caching relatinships. Or, in a slutins based paradigm, ne can ask: what have Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching 2

3 A Case Study: The Ptential f Brief Caching yu already dne t accmplish the desired situatin. That is, fcusing n what the Client has frmulated as slutins rather than analyzing the prblem. This apprach blends very well with the ICF and ICA principles stating that Clients are capable, resurceful and whle in rder t apprach their intentins t grw and intrduce psitive change in their lives. While Brief Caching supprts a structure cntaining the elements f: Listening, Pwerful Questins, Perspective Reframing, Actins and Cmmitment, it simply prpses t accmplish these phases in a much shrter perid f time by taking advantage f slutins the Client may already have in place. Dr. Szabó explains that in this apprach there are three distinct phases that distinguish Brief Caching frm a mre prblem based paradigm 1 : Explring the Future, r desired state f being Explring signs that the gal is already being reached Experimental Phase Dr. Szabó demnstrated this apprach by using an example where his wn 12 year ld daughter became a ne sessin Client: the prblem his daughter wanted t be cached n was the requirement t write a schl paper in the midst f an already busy schedule and time pressure. After listening t his daughter s descriptin f the prblem, Dr. Szabó asked his first questin: n a scale f 1 t 10, 10 being submitting the final versin f the paper n time, where are yu at?. His daughter replied: a 3. He then explained that the fllwing tw questins were fundamental in mving the Client frward and represent the essence f Brief Caching: What have yu dne already t be in a 3. After his daughter explained the first steps in cllecting data fr the paper, rganizing ther surces f cntent and agreeing with anther student n sharing the wrk, Dr. Szab s next questin was simply what else?. After repeating this questin several times, the Client reflected that she had accmplished much mre than she riginally thught, and stated that her current psitin n the scale was mre a 4 than a 3. With this realizatin came empwerment and cnfidence, and after nly 15 minutes the Caching engagement came t an end. Dr. Szabó s daughter did nt return fr a secnd sessin, but did reprt t her Father that a few weeks after that single cnversatin she was nw a 7 n the scale and eventually she turned the paper in, n time, and with very satisfying scres. I was very impressed by this cncept and realized that this was prbably the first significant new trend in Caching that I had cme in cntact with since cmpleting mst f my ICA training, and ther research I had been cnducting t expand my knwledge f the prfessin. I cnsulted Dr. Szabós website and fund several cmpelling case studies where he applied the cncept f Brief Caching t real life engagements with managers and leaders f cnsiderable crprate respnsibility. In mst cases the key t implement the Brief Caching apprach was t use a scaling type questin and t repeat the prcess that Dr. Szabó demnstrated in the cnference: ask the Client what has already been accmplished t reach the initial psitin in the scale, and fllw up n that level f inquiry. In mst cases the Client required ne r tw sessins t realize that significant slutins were already in mtin, smetimes imprving the psitin n the scale, and feeling very empwered t take the remaining part f the jurney n their wn. 4. Brief Caching A Case Study: With all the abve infrmatin, I emplyed sme f the basic Brief Caching techniques t specific caching cnversatins where I felt they culd add value and prvide a faster and mre 1 Caching reduced t the maximum by Peter Szabó Intrductin t Slutin- fcused Brief Caching. Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching 3

4 A Case Study: The Ptential f Brief Caching visible result. These included a specific sessin where ne f my Clients was expressing sme degree f preccupatin with creating a business develpment strategy. In a ne hur sessin, using the scaling type questin, the three step prcess utlined by Dr. Szabó, and the frequent use f the what else pwerful questin, the Client was able t discver a rbust strategy, clear actin steps and time frame, realizing that she had already accmplished a mre significant bdy f wrk than riginally thught. With this inspired cnfidence in the methd, I apprached my next Client with the idea f prpsing a Brief Caching frmat. I chse this prcess simply because the cmmercial agreement that was reached prvided a three sessin engagement. In the fllwing paragraphs I prvide sme relevant infrmatin n hw the Caching prcess was riginally defined, fllwed up n, and the results that were reached by the Client. The Client is a 37- year- ld graphic design prfessinal wh has been wrking in a small business that creates and distributes vide games. He has been emplyed in this cmpany fr nearly 5 years and has been prmted twice, frm junir designer t senir designer, and later as a team leader respnsible fr a unit f 2-3 persns charged with specific respnsibilities. When the Client apprached me, he had been prmted t the Studi Chief psitin, reprting t the cmpany s wner and general manager, and respnsible fr all peratinal, cmmercial and administrative aspects f the business, including leading a team f 22 prfessinals. This was the Client s first significant management and leadership respnsibility, and he wanted t be cached in rder t gain insights, cnfidence and practical slutins t succeed in his new rle. I agreed t be his Cach and utlined a prcess where we culd fcus mst f the effrt in 3 sessins. Befre the actual sessins cmmenced, I did spend apprximately ne hur t utline the terms f reference f the engagement, including the schedule fr sessins, the cncept f Caching vs. cunseling r cnsulting, and ther cnsideratins that were agreed upn in rder t bring practical slutins. The First Sessin: Althugh I had met the Client befre, in brief scial circumstances, I emplyed the first hur f the Caching engagement t be prperly intrduced and gain knwledge abut the Client s verall persnal and prfessinal prfile. We then discussed what was his desired utcme fr the Caching prcess we were undertaking. He expressed tw specific gals: Hw t drive a strnger influence in the verall business strategy, as the Owner/General Manager had frmulated a business plan fr 2013 where the new Studi Chief had sme serius reservatins abut its success in terms f cre prduct and service delivery. A secnd gal was frmulated arund imprving the relatinship with his team nw that he was invested with a new figure f authrity and respnsibility. The Client was cncerned n hw t manage the team effectively, withut cmprmising sme f his persnal relatinships and the standing he had achieved amngst his clleagues befre he had been prmted. While the gals were clearly stated by the Client, I used mst f the time f this first sessin t better understand the crprate culture that is displayed in the business in terms f cmmunicatins, leadership styles, and the way the leaders engage the rganizatin t execute the strategies and business plan. It became clear that the Client s visin n these matters differ frm his direct bss, in terms f behavirs and skills, making the prcess f achieving his gals mre challenging. In terms f facilitating the sessins, I am cnscius n the basic steps f the Brief Caching prcess, but I am als intrducing elements f my wn LeadER Caching Mdel, specifically in the Executin and Review cmpnents f the actin plans we will discver and agree upn. Fr the benefit f the relatinship, I articulate these steps and hw they can empwer the Client t reach a satisfactry level f prgress thrughut the fllwing tw sessins. The Secnd Sessin: In this sessin I leveraged the Brief Caching steps utlined abve, and asked the Client fr his assessment, using a scaling questin, fr bth f the gals he wanted t achieve. As Dr. Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching 4

5 A Case Study: The Ptential f Brief Caching Szabó predicted, mst peple faced with a similar questin will place themselves n a number 3. I then asked the Client t utline all the steps and actins he has already taken t psitin himself n that level. After a very prductive ne- hur cnversatin, I tasked the Client with frmulating a written plan that incrprated his desired utcme, his wn assessment n what was required t accmplish that state, and timing f sme f the activities. Between these sessins, the Client was able t prduce tw detailed dcuments: ne described the main challenges and pprtunities he identified in frmulating an alternative strategy t the ne the Owner/General Manager had cmmunicated, divided int clusters (peratins, cmmercial, administratin and peple aspects). Each cluster in turn cntained alternatives, risks and rewards assciated with his prpsed amendment f the riginal strategy. The secnd dcument was aimed at intrducing shrt term actins fcused n imprving the emplyee climate in the studi, which were mre f behavir vs. resurce investment nature, fllwing sme f the Client s cre principles and values as a Leader. The Client apprached the develpment f bth dcuments under a scenari f what wuld I d if this were my wn business, and I had three mnths t either turn it arund r t cease peratins. Befre the third sessin, I reviewed bth dcuments and tk ntes in rder t prepare fr ur last cnversatin. My aim was t reach validatin n whether this infrmatin was useful t achieve the ultimate desired state n bth gals, clsure n the specific steps required t execute and review prgress, and evaluate the Client s verall satisfactin with the prcess. What is significant in this step, is that the quality and detail f the wrk the Client undertk was excellent, displaying already a mre cnfident and reslute attitude than the ne I bserved during ur first sessin, in a shrt perid f time. The Third and Final Sessin: Having had a week in between t review the dcumentatin, we came t this last cnversatin with a strng fcus t clse the engagement in the mst prductive and successful way. With regards t achieving the tw riginal gals, the Client realized that a series f meetings had t be undertaken between him, his bss, and later with the rest f the team in rder t reach agreements using a CORE philsphy: What are the Cmmitments, Objectives, Respnsibilities and Expectatins that shuld be subscribed between all the parties in terms f the fundamental business strategy, the crprate culture, the way in which the individuals and team execute the business plan, and reslve any nging r utstanding differences. The aim f the CORE meetings is t identify the elements where the key parties: The Owner/General Manager an Studi Chief, and the Studi Chief and his Team, are already in agreement, leveraging and building n that alignment t tackle ther matters where they may differ n. The Client feels extremely energized and empwered with this structure. He is aware that this is nt a magic wand, which will autmatically reslve all the differences he anticipates will surface in the day t day running f the business, but it will prvide a clear agreement in writing and after cnstructive debate, n hw t mve frward. In additin t discvering the CORE apprach t frame and frmulate the issues, actins and agreements he plans t undertake with his mst critical stakehlders, we als discuss a secndary actin aimed at identifying, assessing and imprving leadership and management cmpetencies. Fr this actin I share with the Client a standard Leadership and Management Cmpetence Framewrk (LMCF), which describes 36 specific behavirs that a Leader and Manager can exhibit r develp in rder t reach a high degree f perfrmance and effectiveness in running a business. The Client has Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching 5

6 A Case Study: The Ptential f Brief Caching cmmitted t reviewing the LMCF, identify tw sets f cmpetencies and behavirs where he is cnfident and strng, but that will require reinfrcement t succeed in his new respnsibility, and tw where he feels he is in need t build a same level f wnership and trust t execute. Final Sessin Debriefing: Fr the last sessin we allcate an extra 30 minutes s that we can discuss the Client s assessment n the verall Caching Engagement, the usefulness f the actins that were uncvered and agreed upn, and his degree f satisfactin n the entire experience. The fllwing is a summary f that cnversatin: On the Caching Experience: Very psitive review. The Client has felt new energy, ideas and cnfidence, by being able t speak penly and freely abut cmplex issues and his wn vulnerability when facing them. He feels that speaking t a Cach in an envirnment that is vid f judgment, fcused n his agenda, and able t sund ideas and ptins ut withut being tld If I were yu this is what I wuld d, has been rewarding and very satisfying. On the Specific Slutins: The Client feels very cnfident and empwered abut the CORE meetings and agreements that will cme ut f them. He believes this is a very prfessinal apprach t debating in a cnstructive way the prs and cns f the strategy, hw t frmulate a better crprate culture, and hw t manage the relatinship with his frmer peers, nw direct reprts. He is als very satisfied with having develped his wn tw dcuments that prvide clarity and depth f the issues he wants t raise. In additin t thse assessments, the Client expresses a great degree f satisfactin by speaking t a Cach that brings a lt f experience in executive and leadership matters, which prvides him an pprtunity t learn. Frm time t time, during ur cnversatins, I wuld ask fr the Client s agreement t break frm the Cach/Client rles in rder t prvide him with specific experiences and suggestins I have encuntered in similar situatins, highlighting that these were t prvide cntext and additinal infrmatin nly. I stressed at these times that the rewarding utcme f a Caching relatinship is based n the Client s wn discvery prcess and in wning the slutins as his r her wn, all the time. An interesting aspect f this final cnversatin, which I wanted t bring t the Client s attentin, is an element that Dr. Szabó stresses in his wn case studies and explanatin f the Brief Caching apprach: At this time I asked the Client if he wanted t frmulate a different psitin in the riginal Scaling Questin. As he had expressed in the first sessin, he fund himself n a 3 related t hw much f a slutin he thught was already in place t achieve his tw stated gals. After nly three sessins, and rughly 4 hurs f Caching ver a three week interval, the Client expressed with pride that he nw felt he was between a 5 and a 6. He acknwledges that there is much wrk t be dne, under pressure and with challenging circumstances, but he nw has greater clarity n what wuld be a successful utcme, the tls t build that future state, and hw t bridge sme f the key issues he has identified even befre he was prmted. Cnclusins: I was very mtivated t take n this Client and try a different apprach as was suggested by the Brief Caching prpsitin, while retaining sme f the key elements f my wn, LeadER mdel. After cnducting the debriefing with the Client, I was inspired and very satisfied with the utcme. It was very rewarding t ntice a different, mre cnfident and enthusiastic, attitude in the Client. The fllwing are sme f my cnclusins n this particular case situatin: Peple in leadership rles wh need an extra edge t imprve their skills, behavirs and verall effectiveness, are pen t a Caching prpsitin as a great tl t undertake that Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching 6

7 A Case Study: The Ptential f Brief Caching Fr Further Reading: develpment and grwth. Hwever, they are als pressed fr time t achieve results, t discver practical and almst turnkey slutins. In sme cases, I am certain that prpsing a shrter, but very fcused n slutins apprach, may give the Client the cnfidence they need t recruit a Cach and fllw that framewrk. This in turn can be cnstructed as a high value cmmercial prpsitin amngst caching prfessinals. As Dr. Szabó pinted ut, ne f the cncerns amngst the prfessinals when learning abut Brief Caching is understanding hw shrter engagements may affect their revenue stream. Dr. Szabó reslved thse cncerns by sharing that his practice is very successful, and that wrd f muth references and recmmendatins prvide him sufficient business. I am very excited t blend this apprach int my practice, and have prpsed sme degree f cllabratin with Dr. Szabó in terms f expanding the ffer f Brief Caching t Spanish speaking caching cmmunities. In Caching the abve mentined Client I reflected that, under different circumstances, with a less pressing envirnment t psitin his strategy and t claim a respectable degree f influence twards his bss and his team, I wuld have pted fr a mre cnventinal Caching engagement including assessments and ther tls. Hwever, given the need fr almst immediate results, I feel that my apprach was nt nly prductive but maintained a high level f integrity f the cre Caching cmpetences and principles. Caching, as everything else in ur prfessinal and persnal dimensins, is cnstantly evlving. I am nw mre secure and cnfident n my Caching skills and mdel, but pen t incrprate, revise and enrich my practice with new trends and influences that can prvide clear, substantial value t my Clients. Dr. Peter Szabó s Prfessinal Website with- kirsten- dierlf.html An interview with Kirsten Dierlf, Slutin- Fcused Cach and Trainer Brief- Caching fr Lasting Slutins. Ins Kim Berg / Peter Szabó. W.Nrtn Cntains infrmatin n slutin rientatin in business envirnments Hectr Sandval, Nvember 2012 Leadership Caching: A Case Study n the Ptential f Brief Caching 7