A Guidebook for Leading and Coaching

A Guidebook for Leading and Coaching Copyright © 2009 by HiPerf, Inc. "Helping you bridge the gap between strategy and success." Acknowledgment We would like to thank Ford McLain for sharing his knowledge, his dedication and hard work in bringing this workbook together. A special Aloha to the HiPerf group for their involvement and contributions to this work. Thanks all. We have made an honest effort to capture and acknowledge all contributions made reference to. Omissions have been an oversight not a conscious action. Please assume positive intent. To our friends in the Office of Administration, CBP, continue to do great things. You have our permission to utilize and print this book as a supplement to your leadership development initiatives. Thanks again all. Bill Rose CEO and Founder HiPerf, Inc. 3 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009 A Guide Book for Leading and Coaching Table of Contents Page(s) Section 1: Becoming a Successful Leader 1.1 Do you want to be a leader? 3 1.2 Leadership: Background and Influences 14 1.3 Levels of Leadership 31 1.4 Understanding Self 41 1.5 Understanding the Organization – Systems Thinking 61 1.6 Leadership Styles & Situational Leadership 67 Section 2: A Guide Book For Leaders and Coaches 2.1 Supervisor Leadership 83 2.2 Delegation 87 2.3 Coaching 101 2.4 Building a Healthy Environment 119 2.5 Positive Discipline 125 2.6 Leveraging Diversity 133 2.7 Build Productive Teams 147 2.8 Communication 167 2.9 Time and Meeting Management 189 2.10 Problem Solving and Decision Making 205 2.11 Groups and Facilitation Skills 221 2.12 Supporting Change 245 2.13 Conflict Management 261 2.14 Motivation 277 2.15 Customer Service 285 2.16 Emotional Intelligence 301 2.17 Stress Management 317 2.18 Creative Thinking 327 Section 3: Conclusions for Supervisors Conclusions for Supervisors 337 Appendix 339 4 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009 Becoming a Successful Leader 1.1 Do You Want to Be a Leader? Leadership is a diverse and complex discipline that has evolved from being strictly a science to a combination of science and art. Its focus was once primarily on tasks to be accomplished. Today its focus is on both tasks and people. It is firmly grounded in interpersonal skills. In the past, it was believed that leaders were born to lead—certain people had the talent while others did not. Today we know differently: leaders can be made if they have the training, tools, and willingness to develop the appropriate skills. This book is written to help new leaders as well as those who have been leaders for a while. It is also intended to help those who are currently not in leadership positions but who may be thrust into them in the future. We will discuss the fundamentals of leadership, but will also address the complexity of leadership at higher levels within the organization. Throughout this book we emphasize that successful leaders must understand themselves and their emotions. This, emotional intelligence, dimension of the leadership equation is critical to leader effectiveness. The purpose of this book is to provide guidance, strategies, and hands-on activities to help you become the best leader you can be. It is not meant to be read cover-to-cover, but rather used as a reference guide for developing and refining specific leadership skills. Seek out the section that is of immediate interest to you, or the area that is most challenging to your career at this time. The sections are organized by leadership topics and augmented with helpful activities to fuel your continued growth as a leader. Before going further, it is essential that you ask yourself, ?Do I want to be a leader?? There is an old, Japanese saying, ?If you don‘t like people, you are not fit to be a doctor.? This bit of wisdom applies also to leadership. If you do not like people -- really like them, you should probably not strive to be a leader. This may sound trite, but your attitude toward people and your emotional intelligence are at the very heart of your ability to become an effective leader. In this section we will investigate this from three perspectives. First, we will discuss the difference between leadership and management. It is important for you to understand exactly what leadership is and how it differs from management. Second, we will discuss the benefits and disadvantages of accepting leadership responsibilities. What is your motivation for becoming a leader? Third, you will be given the opportunity to assess your motivation and predisposition to become a leader. Then, it will be up to you do decide whether the leadership path is for you. Leader versus Manager. “The leader’s most basic role is to release the human spirit that makes initiative, creativity, and entrepreneurship possible.” —Harvard Business Review (Bartlett and Ghosal) Leaders deal with people and change. They lead others by coaching, training, and motivating. As innovators and visionaries, leaders inspire people to succeed. They have a holistic perspective and set the 5 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009 strategic vision for the organization. Above all, leaders influence people to accomplish organizational goals. Managers allocate and manage resources to achieve the organization‘s strategic vision. If people are part of those resources, managers move them around like chess pieces. They specialize in organizing, planning, and monitoring resources and transactional tasks. As operatives and implementers, managers are typically more predictable than leaders. Some individuals perform the functions of managers and leaders. The title of manager does not reduce or eliminate a person‘s leadership responsibilities. The figure below outlines the different roles of leaders and managers. LEADERS MANAGERS (strategic) (transactional) Change-Oriented Resource-Oriented 1. Aligns People 1. Plans and Budgets 2. Inspires and Motivates 2. Organizes and Staffs 3. Guides and Sets Direction 3. Controls and Solves Problems Fig.1 By aligning people, leaders ensure all team members are moving in the same direction—toward a common goal that supports the organization‘s vision. Inspiring and motivating require the leader to match individual talents, needs, and drives with projects where they will be most productive. Guiding means the leader sets the course and prioritizes the work to achieve organizational goals. Certainly, leaders at all levels have to manage. Both leadership and management are needed for an organization to be successful; however, dealing with people and change are essential for a vibrant, growing, successful organization. Leaders at all levels attend to these things. Benefits of a Leadership Position Being a leader is not for the faint of heart; it requires a complex mix of strategic insight, operational knowledge, and interpersonal skills. It also requires a deliberate and careful transition process for those who are moving from positions as individual contributors to leaders. There are many rewards to being a leader; and there are disadvantages and frustrations as well. Understanding these rewards and frustrations can help you to decide if leadership is for you. Further, it can help you adjust your expectations and adequately prepare for the days ahead. In the book Leadership, Research Findings, Practice, and Skills1, the author lists the most common leadership satisfactions and dissatisfactions. Satisfactions of Leaders ? ?A seat at the table.? The opportunity to become an influencer ? A chance to help others grow and develop ? An opportunity to control money and other resources ? Good opportunities for advancement 1 6 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009 ? Respect and status ? High income Dissatisfactions and Frustrations of Leaders ? Uncompensated overtime ? Organizational politics and headaches ? Not enough authority to carry out responsibility ? Too many problems involving people ? Pursuit of conflicting goals ? Loneliness If you decide to continue on the path of leading others, you will want to take a good look at yourself and think about your values, beliefs, and motivations. These things will be important to your effectiveness as a leader, because they are at the core of how you lead. They will guide your relationships with those you lead. 7 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009 NOTES 8 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009 Leadership Predisposition The third step in determining if you want to be a leader is to make an objective assessment of your current competencies and attitudes. To help you with this, we have created a personal assessment instrument. This is for your information alone. Respond as honestly as you can. Read each item and indicate how well it describes you. Rank each from 1 to 5. One (1) indicates that the statement does not apply to you at all. Five, (5) means that the statement describes you very well. Here is a rating scale to assist you. To what extent does each statement describe you? 1 – Very little. This statement does not describe me at all. 2 – A little. 3 – Some. 4 – Fairly well. 5 – Very well. This is me. Leadership Disposition Assessment After each statement, circle only one number. 1. I am fully competent at the work that I currently do as an individual. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. I am completely dependable. When given a task, I always complete it well and on time. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 3. I have an energetic approach to my work on a daily basis. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 4. People describe me as fair minded. I never let personal bias influence me. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. I communicate well with others including my boss. That includes being a good listener. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. My attitude is positive and people look to me for motivation. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. I am always open to the ideas of others, even when they conflict with mine. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 9 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009 8. People describe me as usually looking to the positive side of things. Optimistic. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 9. I am the first to give someone a pat on the back to recognize his or her accomplishments. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 10. I am a team player. It is important to me for all of us to succeed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 11. Everyone sees me as honest and highly ethical. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 12. I have a good idea of the ?big picture? and I have a vision for the future. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 13. I like new ways of solving problems and am comfortable trying new things. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Add the value of each number you have circled and divide by 13. Record your score. If your score is 4.5 to 5.0 you have excellent potential as a leader. This does not mean you can not hone your skills and improve your attitudes, but it does mean that you all highly predisposed to be a successful leader. The path toward becoming a successful leader should be an exciting and rewarding one for you. This book should be very helpful. If your score is 3.5 to 4.4 you have good potential for leadership. Identify the statements for which you circled less than 4 and recognize that you may need to concentrate on these competencies. Pay close attention in this book to the transition to leadership and understanding who you are as a person. Those who scored from 2.0 to 3.4 probably have a difficult challenge before them in order to become a successful leader. You should weigh your current competencies against those of the successful leader to determine how much effort will be required to perfect them. You may also want to review your reasons for considering a leadership position. Can you become a person who enjoys coaching, training, motivating and inspiring others to work as a team and to succeed as individuals? If you still choose to commit yourself to the path of becoming a leader, you may want to seek counsel from a coach or mentor. The first part of this book should be especially helpful to you. It will be important for you to understand the fundamentals of leadership and the tools that can help you develop values and beliefs that are conducive to becoming a good leader. If you scored less than 2.0 on this instrument, you are commended for your honesty. This score may indicate that you are not ready to begin the path toward leadership responsibility. However, each of these items can have a bearing on your future growth and development as an individual contributor. All of the competencies suggested by these statements can promote success in your present position. Such things as being optimistic, fair minded, energetic and dependable are desirable for any technical or transactional person. 10 © HiPerf, Inc. 2009