Over the years I’ve noticed that both new and experienced physician leaders occasionally get stuck. Sometimes they are not sure what to do, but feel pressure to make things happen; other times, they understand their goals but are not certain how to bring them about.
Leadership development often benefits from coaching and mentoring, and they are not the same process. Coaches are non-directive guides who help you discern and prioritize your goals (doing right things), while mentors are the directive teachers who can show you how to accomplish these operational goals effectively (doing things right).
If you’re not prepared properly for your new leadership role non-directive coaches can sometimes make you feel pretty frustrated (please, just tell me how to do this!). Mentors may offer advice on how they might make something happen and not let you discover how to accomplish it in your way, with your facts, in your setting.
Traditionally, these have been separate processes. Coaches focus purely on process and do not offer operational advice. Mentors focus on ensuring that you have the skills and knowledge you need to be successful, but they sometimes forget to hand back the reins and leave you with the final decisions. But what if there were a way to combine the best of both processes?
My blended approach is primarily a non-directive coaching process. During our sessions I will also use my operational experience to monitor our discussions and periodically inject practical, operational mentorship advice when I detect that you’re stuck because you need to learn something to move forward. I have had both coaching training as well as considerable operational experience as a CMO and senior leader. That means that I can function primarily a coach but can also briefly switch to a mentorship role with brief micro-didactics until both of us are convinced that the missing knowledge or skill is understood or mastered. We can then revert to the indirect process of coaching, allowing you to resume control of your learning and decision-making.
This process is likely different than the leadership coaching and mentoring you may have experienced in the past. The key to this design is the integration of the coaching and mentoring — flexibly moving between the two modalities as needed so that you can achieve the largest effect in the smallest amount of time. It works quite well.
Finally, adult education research has demonstrated that we learn best by trying things out and reflecting on what works and what doesn’t. That means making and learning from mistakes. So sometimes leaders just need to vent and share the helplessness and frustration they can feel when things just don’t turn out the way they would like, especially when they know they are trying to do the right things the right way.
I’ve been an experienced counselor for 4 decades, and I know how to simply listen and let you gradually realize that you can fix it yourself. Sometimes you’re clear about your goals and priorities, and you understand how to get things done, but you’re a little too hot under the collar or exhausted from the difficult work of culture change, and it would nice just to get some affirmation. Been there, done that.
I’ve been the happy beneficiary of all three approaches throughout my career, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to pass on this wisdom as you progress forward in your leadership journey.