Benchmark Learning's Blog

I just finished an excellent article in the New York Times about “Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss.  It’s not clear where the code name, Project Oxygen came from, but regardless, the results are impressive.  It confirmed what we ate BenchMark Learning have been saying for a long time – you build a better leader by focusing on developing their talent management skills and behaviors.

Google did an incredible job analyzing more than 10,000 observations about their managers across more than 100 variables and accumulated over 400 pages of interview notes.  Then they rolled out the results and incorporated into their training and coaching programs.

Of the eight major points that were the result of the analysis, a few deserve special mention.  First, technical expertise ranked dead last among Google’s findings.  What employees valued were bosses who focused on their development, made time for one-on-one meetings and helped people by asking questions and took time to get to know their employees…in other words, a good part of talent management.

One of the highest desires of employees is the desire for coaching.  Google has its own internal coaching program and trains leaders to be effective coaches.  People appreciate this and see the value; in fact, they want the program expanded.  The article gives one example of a very poor people manager who was given one-on-one coaching.  Six months later the team members acknowledged he was improving and a year later he was promoted.

Most companies do not have the resources of Google, but have the good intentions.  This is where self-initiated development becomes most important.  If an organization can instill the need into their employees and provide access to resources, such as our SID Workbook Series (www.thesidway.com) , people will take advantage of the resources and improve their management and leadership skills.

In today’s technical world, employees don’t expect their managers and leaders to be the best in technical expertise.  They do expect, however, that their leaders be great at coaching, motivating, problem solving, and attentive to their personal and professional needs.

In the previous two blog entries, Sid discussed Receiving Feedback.  I want to look at the other side of the topic of feedback and present a new concept related to giving feedback.

I was reading some articles by Marshall Goldsmith the other day and his concept of “Feedforward” was very intriguing and a concept that all coaches should consider.  Most leaders have difficulty giving feedback and we work with them to improve this skill.  Fewer, however, provide their teams with feedforward. 

Feedforward is the approach of offering suggestions to the individual on what they can do in the future to be more in alignment with your expectations and those of your organization.  Feedforward should be linked to behavioral changes that the person can make.  It does not preclude using examples from the past to illustrate incorrect behaviors, but the focus is on the future.  The person should be given clear guidance on what they can do in the future to make positive behavior changes.

It can be more productive to help people be “right” than to focus on proving they are “wrong;” which is typically what happens when feedback is provided.  Rather than approaching the situation with optimism and hope for the future, in many feedback situations the person becomes defensive and argumentative.  This precludes both parties from talking about the future, something that can be changed.  Rather, they are stuck in the past, arguing about perceptions of a situation that cannot be changed.

Commit today that you will use the Feedforward process the next time you need to coach someone on your team!

In todays economic environment, we tell ourselves we must work harder and harder to gain a competitive edge.  I know  that is my self-talk as well.  But, we need to slow down.  I recommend, to many executives that I coach, something called sacred time.  This is time spent a couple times a week in a quiet place with no technology and no distractions.  At a minimum, I recommend two 20-minute periods.  It is uncomfortable at first, but most people come to cherish it as time well spent.  What happens during sacred time?  Well, after a few sessions we begin to listen  to that inner voice of calm and reason.  We prioritize better.  We think about what is important and what isnt quite so pressing.  We become better at what we do.

But, in times like these the tendency is to forget things like sacred time  and that is when we become disoriented and frazzled; because, there are few things on your schedule more important than the sacred time.  Also, remember that your family and loved ones feel your stress as well.  Take time for them and dont forget what is most important in your life.  Sacred time will help you focus on what is most important  try it  you need it now, more than ever.

For coaching to be successful there must be a strong level of trust between the coach and the coachee.  Coaches must be as confidential as doctors or lawyers.  It is expected by coachees and this trust is not to be broken. 

Assessment results and conversations between the coach and coachee are considered very confidential.  The coach should make this very clear up front and demonstrate confidentiality throughout the engagement.

However, coaches need to keep in mind that their confidentiality may be tested.  Often, a person is being coached on the recommendation of a supervior or someone in leadership.  They may expect that you report progress to them about the coaching engagement.  Although this may be expected, the coach must be very careful and describe the progress (or lack thereof) in general terms.  The sponsor may ask probing questions, but the coach must be prepared to state that specific information cannot be provided.  Again, the parameters of confidentiality must be made clear with the sponsor up front.

We often don't think about the coachee keeping the engagement particulars confidential.  But, we have had situations where a coachee will tell a colleague specifics or state something like, "My coach told me to..."  Make it clear to the coachee that confidentiality is a two-way street.  The coachee's comments can damage the relationship as well, particularly if the person misunderstood something the coach has said or misapplied a principle that was being discussed.

The foundation of any coaching relationship is confidentiality.  It should be the overriding principle for every coach.

Coaching is usually thought of as a process whereby a coach helps someone develop their skills in a particular professional domain; for example, presentation skills or conflict management.  This approach is very helpful for many executives, especially when coupled with a leadership assessment to determine areas of strength or weakness.

However, many executives score very high on leadership assessments and even their lowest scored competencies are quite high.  Therefore, conventional coaching that focuses on developmental needs is not appropriate.

Many executives, though, can use a coach's help when working through specific problems or issues.  Often, the executive has no one in the organization that can be privvy to confidential information regarding a decision or issue being considered.  Or, an executive is sometimes too close to the situation to identify or analyze the alternatives to be considered.

I have found that this type of coaching, which I call issues-based coaching, is very beneficial to executives.  It gives the executive a safe forum to brainstorm solutions with a coach.  It enables the coach to act as an objective commentator to help the executive explore all the options to be considered.

I will present more in issues-based coaching in upcoming blog entries, including how it works and potential pitfalls for the coach and the executive.