Coaching

1. Coaching

2. What role can coaching play in supporting and sustaining leadership in independent schools? And how can we build a culture of coaching for all staff and faculty?

3. Leadership Coaching

4. Leadership Coaching as an Industry Thechanging perception is a reflection of the increasing demands on leaders.“The groundswell of understanding and appreciation for leadership coaching normalizes the fact that leadership is unerringly demanding.” Interview with independent school coach Abigail Wiebenson Growth of industry and changing perception The perception of coaching has changed in the last 10 years. Today, “‘having a coach is almost a badge of honor.’ That’s because it means the organization is investing in your future.” In the last 10 years, the membership of the International Coach Federation has more than tripled. Coaching is a $1 billion industry in the U.S. alone. Ashley Milne-Tyte, “The Business Coaching Industry Is Booming,” Marketplace (Feb. 25, 2016)

5. Leadership Coaching in Nonprofits Research shows nonprofit leaders at all levels are leaving due to lack of opportunities and mentoring. “The sector’s C-suite leaders, frustrated at the lack of opportunities and mentoring, are not staying around long enough to move up. Even CEOs are exiting because their boards aren’t supporting them and helping them to grow. [This] is coming at a significant financial and productivity cost.” The Nonprofit Sector's Leadership Deficit (2015 update) revealed that in the previous two years, one in four C-suite leaders left his or her position, and nearly as many planned to do so in the next two years. Bridgespan, The Nonprofit Leadership Development Deficit (2006 and 2015)

6. Leadership Coaching in Nonprofits Budgets and priorities have resulted in slow adoption in higher ed. “In the past, colleges and universities have set aside scant money for faculty development in general, so little has been available for coaching. Because academics may minimize the value of developing skills that are unrelated to teaching and research, many may be disinclined to use their own money to develop them.” Nonprofit leaders see value, but few have coaches. In a national survey, only 10% of 3,000+ nonprofit leaders had worked with a coach. Yet “among their top three recommendations for supporting their development as leaders was expanding the use of executive coaches. [They] overwhelmingly cited coaching as one of the most effective developmental resources especially when coupled with peer networks.” Nicki Roth, “Hiring a Coach: Is It Right for You?” Saroga.org Stefan Kalt, “How Coaching Can Help,” Inside Higher Ed (April 6, 2017)

7. Uses of Leadership Coaching “Thinking partners,” different from mentors or consultants Coaches “help spur your own thinking about what will work in your situation, unlike a consultant and unlike a mentor. A mentor implies that that person has walked in your shoes or done your job… and can give you advice. Consultants are hired to give you advice. Coaches, in contrast, might give you advice but are more likely to think through with you what will work for you.” Association of Governing Boards, “Meeting the Leadership Challenge: Why the Most Effective Presidents and Chairs Seek Coaches,” Trusteeship (March/April 2015) Facilitation of professional growth “An experienced coach has deep knowledge of human behavior, leadership, and your particular sector or field…. Coaching is a formal arrangement [that provides] the opportunity to privately raise challenging dilemmas, gain insight through meaningful discussions, and rehearse and refine new behaviors.” Nicki Roth, “Hiring a Coach: Is It Right for You?” Saroga.org

8. Uses of Leadership Coachingin Higher Ed Setting goals and learning new culture “A coach can help a president set goals and learn to recognize his or her blind spots, as well as help a board chair work more constructively with the president and get the most out of the board…. Even if you’re an experienced new president, when you go into a new setting, you need some coaching on the culture, what to expect.” Knowledge and outside perspective “Many of the problems a president deals [with] are confidential … and involve relationships with people….It is valuable to have a source of advice, someone knowledgeable about college presidencies and about higher education, but sufficiently removed to provide perspective, and committed exclusively to your success.” Association of Governing Boards, “Meeting the Leadership Challenge: Why the Most Effective Presidents and Chairs Seek Coaches,” Trusteeship (March/April 2015)

9. Uses of Leadership Coaching • in Independent Schools As part of the on-boarding process “Coaches can help set realistic expectations for everyone [head and board] regarding the challenges that likely lie ahead…. Coaches provide a safe space to process or ‘unpack’information and incidents, while also helping new heads recognize their skills and deficits so they can learn and grow.” “Almost everyone knows what they need to do; a coach helps leaders translate that notion into want to do by galvanizing energy and planfulness to accomplish short- and long-term goals.” Interview with independent school coach Abigail Wiebenson Interview with independent school coach Kathy Cohen

10. Uses of Leadership Coaching • in Independent Schools Developing the board-head relationship “Coaches can help a new head and board chair define their respective roles and create … boundaries while simultaneously helping them learn to work together flexibly and negotiate gray areas together. Coaches can help [them] determine shared vision and goals, what can be reasonably accomplished…, develop a common language…, and create processes for regular, direct, honest, and constructive conversations.” Coaching “normalizes the airing of ideas [between head and board], seeing and sorting through different perspectives, understanding the complexity of decision-making, and taking ideas from notions to actionable decision-making in a timely, deliberate way.”Interview with independent school coach Abigail Wiebenson Interview with independent school coach Kathy Cohen

11. Leadership Coaching Basics Four times to consider a coach (for college presidents) “1. When the president gets the job and before starting; 2. the first 100 days of the presidency; 3. the broad middle period, which could extend for years, where the major dynamics are periodic problems or challenges … with the board, faculty, staff, enrollment, team building; 4. and the exit phase, when the president is thinking of departure, or others are thinking of it for him or her.” • The importance of confidentiality and goal setting • “Developing a clear understanding about confidentiality at the beginning of the engagement is essential. • “The goals should be transparent, agreed upon at the beginning.” Association of Governing Boards, “Meeting the Leadership Challenge: Why the Most Effective Presidents and Chairs Seek Coaches,” Trusteeship (March/April 2015)

12. Leadership Coaching Basics Four steps for choosing a coach “Get recommendations from colleagues who have had success with a coach.… “During the interview, ask probing questions. What is your measure of success?… How would you address my specific issue?… “Connecting with a coach is critical but not especially scientific. … Do you believe she or he can help with your particular situation? Can you see yourself trusting this person? … Ultimately the decision is more intuitive…. “Explore knowledge and logistics. …Inquire about scheduling flexibility… [and access]. Discuss fees…. Get clarification on frequency of meetings and contract terms.” Nicki Roth, “Hiring a Coach: Is It Right for You?” Saroga.org

13. Leadership Coaching Basics Questions to ask to get the most out of coaching What motivated me to hire a coach in the first place? Was it wanting to improve or grow in a certain area, achieve certain objectives, or did the board insist on coaching because of an existing problem? What are the top three issues I want work on? What are the top three issues I have been told to work on? How aligned are the top three issues in questions 1, 2, and 3? How important are the top three identified issues? How urgent are the top three identified issues? What are the objectives I need to achieve? What measures can I use to assess my progress against these objectives? Interview with independent school coach Kathy Cohen

14. Leadership Coaching Basics How long should coaching last? Guidelines from expert coaches in higher ed “I generally recommend a minimum of three months, because change can’t happen more quickly than that. But there is ‘laser’ coaching, where someone is working on one particular issue and wants to do so quickly. “If you’re working on strategy or onboarding, it probably takes six months, sometimes more…. “With an experienced president transitioning to a new institution, it could be a short relationship.” Association of Governing Boards, “Meeting the Leadership Challenge: Why the Most Effective Presidents and Chairs Seek Coaches,” Trusteeship (March/April 2015)

15. Budget Considerations Determining the value of an investment in coaching “Business coaching can be expensive, time intensive, and resource consuming…. There is the inherent presumption that business coaching is a good investment. While there is considerable anecdotal evidence to this effect, there is very limited ‘proof.’… To determine the value obtained from a business coach, goal setting with specific success criteria is required.” Russ Alan Prince, “Are Business Coaches Worth the Time and Money?” Forbes (June 9, 2015)

16. Coaching in Fast-Changing Times • Coaching in a time of complexity and change (Takeaways from presentations about the future of coaching) • It’s important that coaching “simulates the real-world environment where solutions aren’t straightforward, time is rushed and scarce, and multiple issues are demanding attention simultaneously.” (David Peterson, Executive Coaching & Leadership, Google) • Coaching can foster creativity in senior leaders and management teams; generating trust and establishing relationship is key to allowing creativity to unfold. (Allen Schoer, the TAI Group) • Leaders’ attributes like ambition and dedication often put them at risk for unhealthy habits (drugs or alcohol, lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, etc.); it’s important to coach for a healthy lifestyle. (Pamela Peeke—Lifestyle Expert for WebMD & Author) • Caroline Ceniza-Levine, “The Future of Leadership Coaching,” Forbes (May 11, 2014)

17. Building a Culture of Coaching at Schools

18. Culture of Coaching: • Benefits

19. Culture of Coaching: Benefits Research shows that coaching is part of how people learn. “Studies in the academic and corporate world find the most indelible lessons stem from a combination of learning through doing, learning through hearing or being coached, and learning through formal training.” Bridgespan, The Nonprofit Leadership Development Deficit (2006 and 2015) 20% The 70/20/10 Model for Learning and Development asserts that adults learn approximately 70% through on-the-job stretch opportunities, 20% through coaching and mentoring, and 10% through training programs to grow discreet skills.

20. Culture of Coaching: • Benefits in Independent Schools Building tools for problem solving “Admin teams and teaching teams all profit immensely from learning and practicing the tools, techniques and frameworks of coaching. They provide a powerful context for tackling all sorts of personnel situations and visioning/revisioning discussions.” Satisfaction with effective teamwork “Coaching can help teachers and administrators go home every day with a sense of satisfaction that comes with a job well done and with the joy that comes from working with a constructive and productive team that educates our children in the most effective ways possible.” Interview with independent school coach Kathy Cohen Interview with independent school coach Abigail Wiebenson

21. More Tools in a Culture of Coaching Cohort groups “Being part of a cohort—a tight-knit, reliable, common-purpose group—was very important…. the interpersonal relationships that peers developed in the cohort [during the study] made a critical difference to their academic learning, emotional and psychological well-being, and ability to broaden their perspectives.” National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, “The Power of a Cohort and of Collaborative Groups”(October 2001) Strength assessment “The strengths movement in psychology, education, business, coaching, and related fields offers a welcomed shift from traditional approaches that focus on weaknesses and deficits…. [The tests and tools offer] individuals and groups an opportunity to shift attention toward what is strongest and best in people.” Ryan M. Niemiec, “VIA Survey or StrengthsFinder: Comparing the Two Most Dominant StrengthsTests in the World,” Psychology Today (Dec. 17, 2013)

22. Culture of Coaching Elements of a mentorship/talent development program • Managers who are committed and effective talent champions with accountability to mentor and develop others • Identification of development opportunities aligned to organizational goals and individual needs, and differentially allocated to the most promising rising stars • Co-created individual development plans that help staff members identify what skills they need to develop…, what development opportunities they should take advantage of, who their mentors will be • Mechanisms to ensure follow-through on development plans, including linkages to performance reviews rooted in strategic objectives Bridgespan, The Nonprofit Leadership Development Deficit (2006 and 2015)

23. Culture of Coaching • Strategies to motivate team members and connect individual work to mission • “Listen, Listen, Listen: … Think of yourself as an educator, a teacher with the goal of making your employee both successful and self-sufficient….using all active listening skills available…. Listen, don’t judge. • “Facilitate: When your employee articulates an idea that you both agree is one to move forward, … provide the resources [money, removal of roadblocks, help with freeing up time] to make it happen. Help the employee concentrate on the big picture. … Ask the questions that lead to answers. Don’t offer the solution. • “Results: … Let your employee define, with your approval, what success will look like. Make sure that you give permission to fail….Provide opportunities for the employee to share results…. Give public credit for a job well done—let your employee enjoy the moment!” The Singer Group, “Put Me In, Coach! Guiding Your Employees to New Heights” (May 31, 2017)

24. Culture of Coaching Younger execs approach coaching differently. “Executives in their thirties had lower ratings on self-reflection, and their level of change was less dramatic than that of executives in their forties and fifties. … [The] younger executives [also] tended to respond to concrete recommendations and specific rules or guidelines to follow, but they often did not show interest in understanding why they did the things they did.”Lois Tamir and Laura Finfer, “Younger and Older Executives Need Different Things From Coaching,”Harvard Business Review (July 2017) Millennials and gen Z value coaching.Like millennials, “Generation Zers will also pursue coaching relationships because they won’t be looking to leaders for answers … but, rather, will want leaders to coach them through their learning, decisions, and actions.” Ryan Jenkins, “The Similarities Between Gen Z and Millennials—Are You Prepared?” HR Daily Advisor (October 2, 2017)

25. References Ashley Milne-Tyte, “The Business Coaching Industry Is Booming,” Marketplace Interviews with independent school coaches Abigail Wiebenson and Kathy Cohen Bridgespan, The Nonprofit Leadership Development Deficit Nicki Roth, “Hiring a Coach: Is It Right for You?” Saroga.org, Stefan Kalt, “How Coaching Can Help,” Inside Higher Ed Association of Governing Boards, “Meeting the Leadership Challenge: Why the Most Effective Presidents and Chairs Seek Coaches,”Trusteeship Russ Alan Prince, “Are Business Coaches Worth the Time and Money?” Forbes Caroline Ceniza-Levine, “The Future of Leadership Coaching,” Forbes Steve Nguyen, “The Benefits of Coaching Employees,” Workplace Psychology National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, “The Power of a Cohort and of Collaborative Groups” Ryan M. Niemiec, “VIA Survey or StrengthsFinder: Comparing the Two Most Dominant Strengths Tests in the World,” Psychology Today The Singer Group, “Put Me In, Coach! Guiding Your Employees to New Heights”

26. References (cont.) Lois Tamir and Laura Finfer, “Younger and Older Executives Need Different Things From Coaching,” Harvard Business Review Ryan Jenkins, “The Similarities Between Gen Z and Millennials—Are You Prepared?” HR Daily Advisor