Used in the business world for years, the application of Stakeholder Centred Coaching to education is just beginning. I have used this model for three years with senior leaders, central office leaders and educational consultants who are working to lead their organisations.
The mismatch in perceptions between stakeholders, those who work for leaders and their appointed leaders is a common problem in schools. Leaders often do not perceive their behaviours in the same way as those under his or her leadership. A leader might think he or she is a good listener, only to find out that the stakeholders do not agree. Other leaders assume no news is good news, but instead, it really means the stakeholder does not know how or does not want to give constructive feedback.
There is an old adage: “Don’t mistake my silence for approval.” More often than not, it is because the stakeholder does not trust that the feedback would be of value or it would be judgmental and they would get an emotional response. No one wants to jeopardise a relationship with a superior and their long-term career.
Marshall Goldsmith has worked with businesses all over the world to build reciprocal processes to help leaders learn what their constituents think about their actions through Stakeholder Centred Coaching. Not only do leaders need honest feedback, but they need to learn how to
be ready to receive this feedback as well. After receiving the feedback, they must take the appropriate actions necessary.
The problem with feedback, as we learned through Humble Inquiry, is that it is often not received as intended. Even willing receivers are not always receptive to the feedback they encounter. We have all had the experience of receiving unwanted feedback: A well-meaning friend gives us feedback, and our internal voice responds, “Well, that is not what I wanted to know.” Yet external feedback is often necessary as it exposes “blind spots” that need to be overcome if the leader is to grow.
Initially, Bill has used Stakeholder Centred Coaching to assist good leaders in becoming even better. Marshall Goldsmith’s book, What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There, describes how to close the discrepancy between how direct reports view the leader and how the leader views him or herself. The focus is on improving one or two leadership behaviours that may be getting in the way of accelerated performance for the leader and the organisation. Getting real feedback from those who report to the leader is critical in enhancing and sustaining capacity.
Leaders, who have the courage to receive feedback make great strides in their leadership, model a willingness to take feedback for improvement and receive increased trust and positive results in their organisations. With an external feedback source, the coach’s job is not
to give feedback, but rather to help the receiver interpret and evaluate the data to make plans for improvement and then to check in to assure follow through. It takes the coach out of the judgment role and maintains a collaborative, problem solving framework. One goal of Stakeholder Centred Coaching is to increase self-awareness. Selfawareness is a habit of mind and must be developed and cultivated.
Einstein is credited with variations on this famous quote,
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Indeed, efficacious professionals know this and seek out feedback. One of the ways that Goldsmith works with leaders to help interpret the data is to uncover conversational blind spots that impeded their attempts at effective communication and are judged by others in non-complimentary terms.
The list is as follows: The leader may…
• Insert opinions for every situation. Others see this as arrogant.
• Interrupt with helpful suggestions. Others see this as “butting in.”
• Delegate to others. Others see this as shirking responsibility.
• Delegate but continue to give directions. Others see this as being controlling.
• Think they need to “hold their tongue.” Others see it as being unresponsive.
• Think that conflicts are healthy debates. Others find them emotionally damaging.
• Leave the group to let them think for themselves. Others see it as not caring.
As Marshall says, “I work with good people who want to get better.” It should be noted that early in the process, when a person is not open to feedback and change, the Goldsmith’s consultant will terminate the process. If the leader is not going to have the discipline to follow
through, there is no point investing time and energy in the personal and professional development of the leader.
Learning from our successes is as important as learning from our failures.
Stakeholder Centered Coaching Process
For Bill’s work with senior leaders, however, he has found it more expedient to use interviews of six to eight stakeholders and to then provide the data to serve as feedback. In order to select good candidates for this type of coaching, Goldsmith has three requirements:
• Courage: Have the courage to confront issues honestly.
• Humility: Be willing to accept feedback in the spirit in which it is given.
• Discipline: Have the discipline to follow through.
There is nothing more dangerous to reputations as a failure to follow through. Bill asks the following questions of stakeholders:
• What are the senior leader’s strengths?
• What are the senior leader’s challenges?
• If the senior leader could change one or two things, what would they be?
• Do you have any other observations or important data?
• When using a more informal data collection strategy, Bill gives stakeholders the following instructions:
• Focus on behaviours to be improved in the future (do not dwell so much on the past).
• Aim for truthfulness, not niceness, so that the feedback is helpful.
• Obtain specific examples of the behaviour to be changed.
• Expect me to check in for additional feedback at set intervals.
When using easily identifiable stakeholders, Bill works with the senior leader to make sure that he or she understands that this is an improvement process, that no one is perfect, and that those offering feedback are providing positive support, even if the senior leader
does not see it that way.
Although it may seem excessive, we also advise a strict rule: The senior leader may not engage in conversations about the data directly with those who volunteer to be of support. Any violation of this rule will terminate the process, and the termination will be communicated to a superior.
For most, this would not be a problem, but Bill did have one senior leader who went right out and confronted a stakeholder because he did not like the message. It is noteworthy that this would be an example of counterproductive behaviours, which would indicate that the person is not a good candidate for coaching and more than likely does not belong in the job.
Goldsmith likes to ask his clients to take a “feedforward” stance; instead of looking back, look to how this will help in the future. Feedforward gives the following attitude toward data:
• Accept the data without judgment or prejudice.
• Listen without interrupting or giving excuses.
• Show humility and accept a possible better way.
• Show courage and acknowledge what is difficult.
• Show gratitude and say, “Thank you.”
• Show discipline and take positive steps to change.
• Feedforward focuses on what you are going to do differently. There is nothing you can do about the past; the future, however, offers an
enormous opportunity to behave differently and for the better.
Making Changes Public
Another important aspect of Stakeholder Centred Coaching is to make the intended changes public. Humans get used to patterns of behaviours and expect more of the same. When the pattern changes, they notice, but the disruption is not always perceived positively.
Without realising it, stakeholders can be highly critical of changes that seem out of the norm.
Consider this crass statement: “Oh, boy! What workshop did he go to this week? I am not sure what he is up to, but it bugs me.”
Stakeholders are much more forgiving when they perceive that the changes are for the good of the organisation.
Furthermore, this public disclosure offers a chance for public reflection, which models what would be wanted from the stakeholders as well. Bill has also found that the ongoing collection of data also communicates the serious intent of the leader.
“Successful people love getting ideas for the future. Successful people have a high need for self-determination and will tend to accept ideas about concerns that they ‘own’ while rejecting ideas that feel ‘forced’ upon them.”
We believe Stakeholder Centred Coaching provides useful processes for dealing with complex issues of change.
The Final Word: Coaching Your Superintendent
Diane and colleagues used a similar process to provide feedback to a superintendent who was floundering on the job. When the school board asked for feedback, the senior leaders initially balked at the request. Then they realised nothing would change if they did not speak up. So, a group of senior leaders interviewed the stakeholders and used the feedback to create a work plan based on identified leadership standards.
Initially, this task was daunting. After all, the constructive feedback was going to the boss.
Diane reflects how proud she was of their work. “Not only did we provide honest, constructive feedback, but we created a document that made it clear to all what was and was not working. It was one of the most professional activities of my career.” She goes on, “We also had to reflect on our own leadership behaviours, as they served as a basis for our comparisons. It helped me be clearer of my own expectations for leadership.”
In the end, it turned out that the superintendent was not in the right position and moved on. Once again, the stakeholder process provided objective feedback; it was up to the superintendent to decide to make the changes.