Coaching: Nice or Helpful?

It is unfortunate that Randy Pausch’s death on last Friday led me to write this post, and I am fortunate that Randy Pausch’s life has led me to write this post.

While rummaging through the endless videos and blogs honoring Randy I found an article on mentoring by Professor Kirk Martini who shared his experience when he had Randy as a college mentor. The title of his paper reflects a belief that I have about mentoring and the relationship you have with your client, “Usually Nice, Always Helpful: A Mentor’s Approach”.

Kirk begins immediately with a belief statement that I know will rub some experienced coaches the wrong way. He starts, “Being a mentor is not about being nice, it’s about being helpful.” Now this does not mean that a coach must approach the client by providing cruel and unusual punishment, when providing support effective coaching behaviors such as building trust and effective communication skills must not be overlooked. Yet at the time of support a coach must be the one who should push the hardest, demand more, and irritate you the most. A Coach should know that as hard as he/she can push, reality will always deal a stronger blow. Kirk explains that while he felt relieved when his time with Coach Randy came to a close, he knew that “Randy understood my long-term future was more important than my short-term comfort.”

Would you rather have your coach as someone who is always nice, usually helpful or usually nice, always helpful?

Who is on your Induction Team?

Thinking about who should be on your team? Is just wanting to be there to offer support enough?

Watching the Dolphins develop their roster for the new year made me wonder about their strategy to determine who should be on the team. It was obvious that Dolphin’s owner Wayne Huizenga wanted a leader of football operations by hiring football legend Bill Parcells. The next few weeks the Dolphin’s administrative staff evaluated each player (and coach) and assessed their value and future on the team. One player I believed to have a future with the team was running back Lorenzo Booker. I was shocked to hear of his trade. What I have learned is that even though he emerged as a valuable player, he was limited to being just a third-down receiver on short passes. It was determined that the team needed a player with more depth.

When building their team it takes more than to be just productive and valued, you need to have a purpose for the good of the group.

Measuring Success at 1-15

“We meet, but we are not a Learning Community…yet.”
“We have a Learning Community, but….”

These are two conversation starters that I have routinely heard this past year from teachers. After listening to the plight of facilitating a learning community our discussion turned to the recent performance of our local football franchise. When a football team has a season ending record of 1-15, are they considered any less of a football team? Even though popular opinion might disagree, not meeting expectations did not make this group any less a football team. This is true with our learning communities. Just because the team fell short of reaching their goals this does not take away from the vision or the effort. Developing a learning community is a process, they are just not there…YET. Moving closer to the vision requires all members of the team to reflect on their performance and review their plan and the systems of support. Is it fair to determine success by only a win-loss record?

American Idol is Feedback

Every week during the Spring television season millions of viewers are exposed to performances of possibly the next American Idol. What they also view are examples of different coaching behaviors from Randy, Paula, and Simon. For the past seven seasons these three have established their own styles of feedback.

Randy provides technical feedback. All I know about music is what I like and what I don’t like. Randy shares with us feedback on tone, range, and pitch. What is important is this technical jargon must make sense to the performer. Paula provides the emotional feedback. Regardless of the quality of the performance, she always begins with a positive comment to make the performer feel good. What comes next out of her mouth as valuable to the participants is open for debate. Simon provides the honest critical feedback. In his role as a listener, he shares how he feels about the performance in a straight direct approach. His feedback is strictly professional.

While all three are distinctly different all styles have a purpose. When providing feedback to teachers a coach must know how and when to provide feedback like Randy, Paula, and Simon.

Demonstration of Mastery at Too Jay's: Roles and responsibilities lead to results

If the post, "Being A Coach at Denny's” is about a recipe of success for support, then my experience at Too Jay's was the demonstration of mastery. During my short visit it was obvious that the staff knew their roles and responsibilities and they have succeeded in achieving their short and long term goals: my immediate satisfaction and having me longing for a return visit. Honestly I am thinking it was more than just knowing and performing their job, but it was the impression that they actually loved the job that they were hired to do.

It would only be an assumption that the hostess has aspirations to do more than to anticipate my arrival, but I would never know it. It would only be an assumption that the busboy has aspirations to do more than check ketchup bottles, but I would never know it. It would only be an assumption that the waitress has aspirations to do more than to make me feel that I was making the best food choice of the day, but I would never know it.

I actually believe the hostess, the busboy, and the waitress wanted to be there and make my experience as enjoyable as possible.

Avoiding Relapse

Not during this lifetime did I expect to think addiction and rehabilitation had anything to do with Induction.

As Induction in Broward County is not a “one-shot orientation”, but systems of processes embedded in all that we do to grow as educators; recovery is just not a “one-shot stint of rehab”, but a system that draws upon beliefs, values, and collaboration that focuses on new learning.

When attempting to make a change in your life, Dr. Drew from VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” points out that “Creation of Change” and “Sustainability of Change” are two completely different and equal components of growth. He not only introduces new choices in life, new approaches in decision-making and problem solving, but also prepares the patient to identify support systems that will reinforce the new paradigm after the doctor has left.

It appears that without a plan to sustain the new behavior, the creation of change might just be an exercise of futility.

Growing your own

For months my HRD Program Facilitator partner has included in her email signature the phrase “Induction: Nothing beats growing your own!” We are constantly reminded that when developing competent and qualified teachers, one of the most effective ways is to take ownership for professional development. It also appears that Marvel Comics harbors that same belief.

(The following requires your suspension of disbelief)
When faced with the recent death of Captain America Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada states, "We were toying with the idea of someone new taking over the mantle of Captain America," Quesada said by phone from his New York office. "But we kept coming back to Bucky.” Bucky Barnes was the Captain’s sidekick for many years before he went missing at the end of WWII and later returned to join his side. Yet during their time together Bucky took every opportunity to learn from his role model.

After his death, Steve Rogers expressed in a previously written letter that the mantle of Captain America needs to continue. The replacement needs to uphold all of Captain’s beliefs, morals, and values. The replacement needs to meet and possibly exceed the expectations of the people Captain America has protected for many years. Who else better to serve that role than Bucky?

For those keeping track on comic book heroes and preparing replacements, when Bruce Wayne was injured with a broken back and faced with making a decision for a Batman replacement he chose someone else other than Dick Grayson. He felt Robin was not ready for the dangers that came with the mantle of the Bat. Even though Dick constantly demonstrated his maturity, Bruce was blinded by his own emotions and failed to give him the opportunity he has been preparing for. Bruce chose someone who had the skills, yet lacked the attitude and aspiration. This KASAB deficit led to a complete breakdown of crime fighting responsibilities in Gotham. Eventually Robin did what he was trained to do and stepped up and took out Bruce’s first choice. When the time comes to step aside, Bruce will not make the same mistake twice. Nothing beats growing your own!

Cooperation vs Collaboration

Have you ever noticed that educational buzz-words have a shelf life of no more than 6 months yet they seem to surface year after year? Recently “cooperation” and “collaboration” have surfaced and are being used interchangeably. What I did not realize is that these two words although quite similar* describe two different processes. I was just as guilty of using these terms interchangeably until a coworker explained the difference using the analogy of a “sandbox”.

“Cooperation is both of us sitting in a sandbox together respecting each other’s space. We are both focused on independent projects inside the same sandbox and occasionally once in a blue moon we might even share a shovel. Collaboration has us both in the same sandbox and not only are we utilizing the same space, sharing the shovel but we are actually working on the same project.”

She had me thinking. What I noticed differently with collaboration is that the end product could not have been accomplished separately. Too often people are placed in the same sandbox with the expectations to collaborate without considering the differences in background, experiences and beliefs. When teachers are placed on the same team is there an expectation to collaborate?

Perhaps teachers should expect common planning time, opportunities to work on the work, and site-based professional development that reinforces the relationship with your sandbox partner. Who knows this just might lead to doing something differently.

*(The Encarta World English Dictionary has these two words listed as synonyms)

Is it Culture Shock or Culture Change?

I am not going to be another fan who joins the “Here we go again” bandwagon with the new Dolphin head coach. Even though Tony Sparano was named the latest head coach in what seems to be a revolving door of leaders for this organization I have seen two indicators that just might produce different results.

1) Identifying and hiring a leader. When it comes to Dolphin football, the buck stops with Bill Parcells. He has a vision and hired management staff who has already demonstrated similar beliefs.

2) A Coach who understands coaching. When asked about his players, Sparano keyed in on what the research says about achieving results- it’s about the coaching. "We're going to surround our players with the best coaches and teachers. We're going to work them as hard as we can. At the end of the day, we hope that will be good enough." Being hired by Bill Parcells, we know Tony’s work will hard and SMART.

For the past few years the Dolphins have not been meeting their AYP goals, Tony believes he is the right person to lead this organization. Does everyone else feel the same way?

Buzzword BINGO!!!!

I though IBM was original in their portrayal of the overuse (and lack of meaning) of high frequency catchphrases with their recent “Buzzword Bingo” television commercial, yet further investigation showed that this alternative office practice has its origins from a Dilbert cartoon.

Quite often in meetings and in trainings these buzzwords are scrambled around to motivate, inspire, or influence change in the workplace. Does anyone listen? From the perspective of Dilbert or the IBM commercial is it possible that the use of these words actually deters task and relationship-oriented behavior and instead fosters ridicule and avoidance?

What behaviors have you observed when motivating, inspiring, or influencing others? If results are important to change behavior, does your school:

• Uses student data and mission statement to guide site-based decision making,
• In partnership with stakeholders develops a written list of expectations for all staff members,
• Use multiple sources of data to identify the professional development needs of all staff members,
• Implements and monitors the School Improvement Plan based on the needs of all staff members,
• Uses action research to monitor the effectiveness of each Induction/staff development component,

or preach buzzwords to motivate?

I offer you the opportunity to make your own Buzzword Bingo card for your next meeting/training and enjoy the conversation that follows.

(The IBM video is available to view; search using the phrase: IBM Buzzword Bingo)

Does Monitoring Help?

There is a feeling of nervousness and guilt that dries my mouth. I sheepishly sit and wait for her to arrive. Her bland green mask hides her grin as she greets me for my 6-month checkup. Even though Gail has great intentions, I loathe the experience of her inquisitive style as she probes into my mouth. All she does is ask questions to answers she already knows. “Have you been brushing after each meal? Flossing? Gargling?” I shake my head in response to “No, no, no…” I hate this! Through a series of pokes and prods leaving my gums sore and the floss bloody she evaluates the current reality of my dental heath. Form her perspective, things are not bad, not good either, and could be much better.

Yet despite my own investment in caring for my teeth and gums she proceeds to bring my smile to a point of shiny brightness. She informs me of specific flossing techniques that MUST be done routinely after each meal. Lack of this type of maintenance will only lead to receding gums- YUCK! That was six months ago.

This time I follow her advice and I change my flossing behavior. I add flossing to my routine; even became quite obsessed with it. I did everything she suggested just to avoid hearing her questions. The first few days were not easy, my gums were still tender from her deep cleaning and the used floss still radiated crimson. I don’t remember the actual day when my mouth stated feeling better and when the multiple daily cleanings no longer felt like a chore. Before I knew it my 6 month visit was due. While at the dentist waiting for Gail was different; my nervousness was replaced with eagerness and now I looked forward to her questions. Quite honestly I already knew of my progress without Gail.

Lucky Number 12

Did you know that…
In astrology, there are 12 signs in the Zodiac.
In English, twelve is the number of greatest magnitude that has just one syllable.
There are normally twelve pairs of ribs in the human body.
As of today November 14, 2007 there have been 12 starting quarterbacks for the Miami Dolphins since the retirement of Dan Marino.

You might have known some if not all of these facts yet I would bet the last one is probably the most relevant for South Florida natives. I like most have been frustrated with the lack of team performance of our Miami Dolphins these past few years yet to be honest I did not expect much with the revolving door of quarterbacks. More often than not the offensive leader of a football team is the man who stands behind the Center, that being the case, just how can a team reach greatness without leadership ability …or is it stability? Right now the only change I can handle is the structuring of the team around quarterback number 12, John Beck.

Just imagine the possibilities if the right people are placed around him.
Just imagine the possibilities if this team starts to align their beliefs to their actions.
Just imagine the possibilities if the Dolphins front office have the patience to rebuild.
Just imagine the possibilities if the fans return. Then again some have never left.

Doctors preparing their replacements

A few days ago Kimberly Dozier’s story shared her story of survival from a car bombing in Iraq on Memorial Day 2006 on National Public Radio. I wondered if she new about the concept of Induction.

What caught my attention was the part of her story regarding the interest her doctors had when after her full recovery she returned to see them. She shared that since medical treatment in Iraq is administered in different stages, the doctors are not always able to receive feedback on whether they were a success. From what I understand from her interview it appears that there is a fast turnover with medical doctors in Iraq and they sought to identify and record the proper procedures to share with the "newbies" in the field. Perhaps it would be better I share an email I received from Kimberly describing her situation.

Kimberly writes, “...it's not so much an attrition rate I was aware of, but the year-in-year-out turnover of doctors just like all the other troops. One set rotates in, gains expertise, then has a short overlap with the new set of about a month, and rotates out. The new guys have to start from scratch, relying on what they learned in the few weeks of exchange. That's one of the reasons my trauma docs said they need a database that everyone can refer to, so the newly acquired knowledge isn't lost.” Kimberly’s story is unique in that a doctor’s Induction system is essential in saving lives.

I replied to her email, “Would you believe that a similar situation exists with teachers, department chairs, office managers, and administrators in our schools? The problem is similar with the Doctors in that since the routines and procedures of the work are people driven as soon as someone leaves that position the organization drops back down to a point of zero. The doctor database might just be a possible solution. In our schools identifying and developing a written plan facilitates the move away from being people centered. If the work has value then by all means it should stay with the organization just as the doctors look to develop a process that retains the most effective medical routines and procedures available.”

What processes exist to prepare your replacement?

Additional information on preparing your replacement is available as an HRD Podcast. Search for “Induction Air #2” and “Induction Planning”

Exceeding Expectations

Have you ever found yourself glued to ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? While most of the show is considered a glorified commercial for Sears, Pier One, and many other name brands there is something interesting that happens during the first 10 minutes and the last 15.

If you never watched before, the show is focused around a Design Team that facilitates and participates in the remodeling of a home for a needy family—with a completed project deadline in 7 days. During the first 10 minutes the Design Team reviews the family’s submission tape and assesses the housing needs by interviewing each family member of his/her current living situation. After listening to the family, the Design Team collaborates on their vision of the house and they begin to talk about the barriers, dreams and passion that each family member shared with them. The bulk of the show is a fast-paced timeline of Days 2 through 6 of the builders, interior designers, landscapers, woodworkers, electricians and hundreds of volunteers who work together to complete the job.

What strikes my interest in the show is always found in the last 15 minutes. It seems that regardless of the housing needs the outcome always exceeds the expectations of the homeowners. Why? Is the key to success the interview process that identifies the needs of family? What made the interview valuable to the process? What fostered the development of the collective conscience of the hundreds of volunteers? Why is it even important to study the process that led to the results when the outcome exceeded the expectations? Isn't that enough?

There is a procedure...no need to worry.

By now most of us had the opportunity to see or at least hear the taser incident at the University of Florida this past weekend. What I find interesting is the statement made by the university spokesman Steve Orlando, "The police department does have a standard procedure for when they use force, including when they use a Taser. That is what the internal investigation would address — whether the proper procedures were followed, whether the officers acted appropriately."

Okay, Steve is letting us all know that the police department had a plan and now an internal investigation will determine if the plan was followed. Great, yet I would like to know if the plan had a procedure that addressed accountability for its members. Can you imagine if this internal investigation is that process? Would there even be any thought of following the plan (or accountability) if it wasn’t for the YouTube video? Perhaps the department is just happy that the investigation is internal and not being investigated by an external source.

Should the ownership of accountability fall with the internal investigation? The police officers? The video? The man that was tasered? Or his attorney?

I had a mentor who believed that sometimes folks only think about accountability when they hit their wall. Unfortunately I believe that she was right. Why is it that some only react to situations while others plan for them? Why are ownership lines of accountability too easily passed to others? Is integrity challenged when people are quick to point the finger and not look in the mirror? When you have undesirable results, who should ask why?

It is all about Scrubs

Now that summer is over and the routine of my job seeps back into my life there is one daily pleasure that I noticed missing…my hour of Scrubs. I will admit that for practically every day Monday through Friday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. on Comedy Central I sat, watched and reflected along with John “JD” Dorian as he struggled with making sense of understanding friends, work, and the big picture of life.

Watching Scrubs was not always a staple in my TV viewing habit, heck I have not watched NBC’s “Much Watch TV” night since Sam and Diane has their thirteenth break-up. Yet on one of the first Sunday’s of the summer, the staff at Sacred Heart Hospital was featured in a 22-episode marathon. I would not be exaggerating if I confessed to watching all 22 episodes, but since the show has a strong connection to coaching and mentoring I’ll just chalk this up as my professional learning time.

If you are unfamiliar with the show, each episode chronicles the lives of a close-set group of doctors and nurses as they find their niche in each other lives and in a profession they hold dear. I was amazed on how each episode touched a day in my life, as if the writers were secretly watching my every boring move. Perhaps I sympathized with JD as he grew from a newbie intern into a confident resident or maybe it was the callous big-hearted Dr. Cox whose favorite coaching tool was his own sharp-witted tongue. What I do know is that the episode called, “My Fifteen Minutes” had me a believer that the writers in the show knew much more about professional development than they did medicine.

After his first year as an intern, Dr. Cox asks JD to evaluate himself. Unfortunately JD was more concerned in the motivation behind this demand than in actually fulfilling his coach’s request. The storyline leads up to a pivotal point in understanding Dr. Cox’s role as a mentor and the true nature of accountability and evaluation.

How come Hollywood writers understand that the value of accountability and evaluation does not stem from a paper form but from the SELF? When looking back at your experiences as a coach or being coached do you find yourself acting like Dr. Cox or JD?

Below is the best version of the script from the conclusion of “My Fifteen Minutes” or now know as “Evaluation Drama.”

Dr. Cox: (emerging from the shadows) It's time. Sit down.
[J.D. sits]
Now what do you want me to say? That you're great? That you're raising the bar for interns everywhere?
J.D.: I'm cool with that.
Dr. Cox: Well I'm not gonna say that. You're okay. You might be better than that someday, but right now all I see is a guy who's so worried about what everybody else thinks of him that he has no real belief in himself. I mean, did you even wonder why I told you to do your own evaluation?
J.D.: I can't think of a safe answer, I just figured...
Dr. Cox: CLAM UP! I wanted you to think about yourself, and I mean really think. What are you good at? What do you suck at? And then I want you to put it down on paper. And not so I could see it, and not so somebody else could see it, but so you could see it. Because ultimately, you don't have to answer to me, and you don't have to answer to Kelso...you don't even have to answer to your patients, for God's sake! You only have to answer to one guy, newbie, and that's you! There. You are...evaluated. (tosses evaluation to J.D.) Now get out of my sight. You get me so angry I'm afraid I just might hurt myself.

Is Cam Preparing a Replacement?

It’s far easier to make a decision that yields guaranteed quick results than to opt for a plan with mediocre results yet with long-term gains. With Miami Dolphin’s new head coach looking towards the future, Cam Cameron brought in an old friend that has experience on the field. Instead of tossing his top draft pick (fresh out of college) against an angry NFL defensive line, Cam opted for experience over hype and fought to bring in Trent Green (see pic). Most of the Dolphin fans already know that Cameron served as Trent’s coach back in the 1995-96 season at Washington. At the time who would have known that his was the start of their relationship.

Trent Green was acquired by Cam as the Dolphins starter and this year’s second-round pick John Beck was placed as the third-stringer. The Dolphins are hoping that Green serves as a mentor to Beck, who is projected as the Dolphins' long-term starter. Trent too is hoping that he will meet the team’s expectations and mentor this NFL future hall of fame superstar.

The idea of the Dolphins bringing in an experienced quarterback to hold things down and mentor until John Beck is ready to take over isn't too far-fetched. If an organization is producing positive results, then maintain status quo and focus on continuous improvement. If an organization is not producing results, then it time for change. When it comes to the quarterback position in Miami a change is necessary. With Trent, Cam knows what he is getting on the field. Cameron walked in to his new job thinking, "It's not going to be about any individual. We're going to build a team here. You're going to see a football team.''

Only time will tell if Cam’s beliefs, actions, and commitment support a system of preparing a replacement quarterback. I wonder whom Cam is mentoring.

You Can Do It, We Can Help.

Training support for Home Depot’s new employees usually came in the form of plumbing, electrical, flooring, hardware, and lightening content. Now it is common to hear professional development terms such as online training, coaching, demonstration, mastery, role-playing, and mentoring.

When looking at developing new employees, Home Depot’s director of learning believes in a balance between online training and on the job training. New knowledge and skill content area comes in the form of online training. The balance of the employees’ professional development comes in the form of job-embedded coaching.

They key to Depot’s training success lies with the combination of coaching and demonstration of mastery of new employee skills. How are knowledge and skills introduced at your work site? How does your coaches add value to the work of your new employees?

Customer needs assistance in hardware!

What a TEAM can do

There have been hundreds of articles and commentaries written regarding the University of Florida Gators 2nd NCAA basketball national championship. A lot has been expressed about their success as repeat champions, yet when I think about Induction and professional development I am drawn to the story about the TEAM.

Head Coach Billy Donovan’s after the game press conference mentioned that this team may not have the best players in history, or the most skilled or have the slick style, yet when it comes to the word TEAM they are the national benchmark. In a NCAA basketball world where talented players regardless of years on the court leave for the NBA, the 2006 Gator National Champions all agreed to pass up millions (this is plural) and return for another trip to the Final Four. That was a year ago. How did they know they would reach their goal? Sixty-three other teams all had the same opportunity to cut the net, yet after a month of tournament playing, after the final buzzer, Florida was the one with the scissors.

Donovan described his team using words like: Unselfishness, Sacrifice, and Together. What words would use to describe your team?

If you are trying to figure out the secret to their success, perhaps listening to Joakim Noah’s reflective comments might help, “I feel like it's always about what is going to happen next….”

As with Induction, for them it was not about the now it was always about their future.

How do you measure commitment?

How do you measure commitment? Integrity? Beliefs? The Buddhist monks of the Hong Hock See Temple in Malaysia have been faced with an interesting and for some a dangerous situation.

In the past month the Buddhist temple have been infested with poisonous red ants. The ant situation has become aggressive enough where on worshipper was already sent to the hospital for excessive bites.

Most if not everyone we know would have called an exterminator, sprayed RAID, stomped, squished, drowned, burned, or done anything imaginable to remove the ants. Yet the Buddhist monks are bound by a belief of nonviolence and have maintained actions that have yet to deviate from their belief. They have demonstrated integrity by minimizing the gap between beliefs and actions.

Current efforts to remove the ants peacefully have not been successful. It would be quite easy, when the temple is closed from the worshipers, to secretly react in a way (that would make Tony Soprano proud), where no one would know and remove the ants.

And where would that leave commitment? Integrity? Beliefs?

When was the last time you had the opportunity to demonstrate integrity? To practice the application of beliefs and actions?