Coaching for Leaders

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421: Help People Learn Through Powerful Teaching, with Pooja Agarwal Jul 22, 2019

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Pooja Agarwal: Powerful Teaching Pooja Agarwal is an expert in the field of cognitive science and is passionate about bridging gaps between education and the science of learning. She is the founder of RetrievalPractice.org and Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music, teaching psychological science to exceptional undergraduate musicians. She also serves as a consultant and facilitates professional development workshops on the science of learning around the world. Pooja is the author with Patrice Bain of the book Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning*. In this conversation, Pooja and I discuss the key strategies that leaders can use in order to maximize their effectiveness as teachers. Since almost every leader is responsible for talent development in some capacity, becoming a more powerful teacher will help you develop others more successfully. Key Points The three stages of the learning process are encoding, storage, and retrieval. We tend to focus too much on getting information into peoples’ heads (encoding) and not enough on getting it out (retrieval). Stop reviewing past discussions and meetings. Instead, invite people to recall and articulate prior interactions. Cramming works, but only in the short-term. For long-term retention, spacing is much more effective. There is no significant evidence that visual, auditory, and kinetic preferences correlate to actual learning. Instead, effective learning combines all these methods. Bonus Audio Why struggling is a good thing for learning Resources Mentioned RetrievalPractice.org PowerfulTeaching.org Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning* Are You a Visual or an Auditory Learner? It Doesn’t Matter Book Notes Download my highlights from Powerful Teaching in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Best Way to Do On-the-Job Training (episode 32) These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237) Essentials of Adult Development, with Mindy Danna (episode 273) Develop Leaders Before You Leave, with David Marquet (episode 405) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

420: Find Your Leadership Voice, with Johanna Nalau Jul 20, 2019

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Johanna Nalau: Climate Adaptation & Everyday Leadership Johanna Nalau is an adaptation scientist researching the ins and outs of climate change adaptation. She is an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow and the Adaptation Science Theme Leader at Cities Research Institute at Griffith University. She’s also the lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 6th Assessment Report, Working Group II. Johanna writes about climate adaptation and everyday leadership on her own blog and is an alum of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this conversation, Johanna and I discuss how she found her voice as a developing leader and how she took action through her writing and other professional activities to help others. Key Points Never underestimate the importance of having a group you can just bounce ideas off of. The most transformative way to build leadership is to start with the people below you who are the future leaders. Blogging is a great way to synthesize you thoughts while also being helpful for others. Resources Mentioned Johanna’s blog: Climate Adaptation & Everyday Leadership Stand Out* by Dorie Clark Great at Work* Morton Hansen Digital Minimalism* by Cal Newport Related Episodes How to Write a Killer LinkedIn Profile, with Brenda Bernstein (episode 285) Ideas Worth Stealing From Top Entrepreneurs, with Dorie Clark (episode 318) Six Tactics to Achieve Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337) How to Reclaim Conversation, with Cal Newport (episode 400) The Way to Nurture New Ideas, with Safi Bahcall (episode 418) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

419: Performance Measurement That Gets Results, with Stacey Barr Jul 15, 2019

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Stacey Barr: Practical Performance Measurement Stacey Barr is a specialist in strategic performance measurement and evidence-based leadership. She is the creator of PuMP®, a performance measurement methodology that routinely transforms measurement cynics into its greatest advocates. Stacey is also the author of two books, Practical Performance Measurement: Using the PuMP® Blueprint for Fast, Easy, and Engaging KPIs*, and Prove It!: How to Create a High Performance Culture and Measurable Success*. In this conversation, Stacey and I discussed some of the common mistakes that leaders and organizations make with performance measurement. We also explore what well-formulated performance measures have. Plus, Stacey has kindly made her book available for free to our listening audience. Key Points Common mistakes in performance measurement: Initiatives are not performance measures Events or milestones are not performance measures Measures of activity completion are not performance measures Sources of data are not performance measures A few vague words don’t make a performance measure Well-formulated performance measures have: A method of comparison that we can use to tell whether performance is good or not A base of objective evidence that gives a reasonably accurate and reliable picture of current performance A sufficient degree of granularity to detect small but important changes in performance to which we should respond Relevance to the organization’s priorities The ability to show changes in performance levels over time, giving us enough context to avoid short-sightedness Resources Mentioned Download a free copy of Stacey’s book, Practical Performance Measurement The PuMP® Approach to Performance Measurement and KPIs Book Notes Download my highlights from Practical Performance Measurement in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Actually Move Numbers, with Chris McChesney (episode 294) How to Leverage People Analytics, with Jenny Dearborn (episode 323) The Truth and Lies of Performance Management, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 361) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

418: The Way to Nurture New Ideas, with Safi Bahcall Jul 08, 2019

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Safi Bahcall: Loonshots Safi Bahcall is a second-generation physicist and a biotech entrepreneur. He co-founded a biotechnology company developing new drugs for cancer, leading its IPO and serving as its CEO for 13 years. He worked with President Obama’s council of science advisors on the future of national research. Safi is the author of the book Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries*. In this conversation, Safi and I discuss how leaders can work intentionally to nurture new ideas through three key practices. If you are an innovator (or leading an innovation team) and hearing the voices of the naysayers, this framework will help you begin nurturing new ideas more successfully. Key Points A loonshot is a neglected project, widely dismissed, its champion written off as unhinged. The ice cube is an analogy for the soldiers and artists in the organization. This is called phase separation. The most effective leaders view their work as gardeners, gently cultivating news ideas and investigating with genuine curiosity. Leaders who have a heart for both their soldiers and their artists will support a dynamic equilibrium in their organizations. Most innovation fails in the transfer between the artists and the soldiers. Steve Jobs is an example of a leader who, for many years, refused to show heart — but discovered it later with fantastic success. Resources Mentioned Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries* by Safi Bahcall Book Notes Download my highlights from Loonshots in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Four Critical Stories Leaders Need For Influence, with David Hutchens (episode 148) How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) Get Better at Deep Listening, with Oscar Trimboli (episode 408) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

417: Finding Joy Through Intentional Choices, with Bonni Stachowiak Jul 01, 2019

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Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Key Points Don’t spend time feeling guilty about things you have to cut. Focus on quality over quantity. Your priorities will change over time. Sometimes even good things can crowd out what is really important. Resources Mentioned The Checklist Manifesto* by Atul Gawande Getting Things Done* by David Allen TripIt PackPoint Ending Human Trafficking podcast Related Episodes How Storytelling Helps You Lead, with Sandie Morgan (episode 51) Getting Things Done, with David Allen (episode 184) How to Reduce Drama With Kids, with Tina Payne Bryson (episode 310) How to Be a Happier Person, with Neil Pasricha (episode 334) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

416: How to Negotiate When Others Have Power, with Kwame Christian Jun 24, 2019

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Kwame Christian: American Negotiation Institute Kwame Christian is a business lawyer and the Director of the American Negotiation Institute. His TEDx Talk, Finding Confidence in Conflict, was the most popular TED Talk on the topic of conflict of 2017. Today, he’s working extensively with procurement departments within companies to help them make better deals. Kwame hosts the top negotiation podcast, Negotiate Anything and is the author of the book Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life*. In this conversation, Kwame and I discuss walking into a negotiation situation when someone else has more leverage, power, or authority. Yes, there are still many things you can do to influence a positive outcome for both parties — and we detail several practical actions almost anybody can take. Key Points Preparation before entering into negotiation is essential. Research supports that you will do better, even if the tables are tilted to one side. Finding what is publicly available about the other party before you go into a conversation can be very useful to both parties. Our tendency is to give things away before we are even certain the other party wants them. Your self-awareness and emotional state are key to acknowledge going into negotiation. Beware feeling too positive about the potential outcome. Resources Mentioned Kwame’s Ultimate Negotiation Guide Negotiate Anything podcast Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life* by Kwame Christian Thinking Fast and Slow* by Daniel Kahneman Book Notes Download my highlights from Finding Confidence in Conflict in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, with Chris Voss (episode 262) Negotiation Tactics for Results, with Kwame Christian (episode 311) Enhance Your Self-Awareness, with Daniel Goleman (episode 353) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

415: Employee Retention in Small Business, with Chris Deferio Jun 17, 2019

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Chris Deferio: Keys to the Shop Chris Deferio is a cafe quality specialist who has dedicated 20 years of his life to working in and studying specialty coffee retail. He is also the creator and host of the industry leading podcast, Keys to the Shop, which gives listeners insights, inspiration, and tools to grow as specialty coffee professionals. Chris previously appeared on the show to help us get more perspective on managing part-time staff. In this conversation, Chris and I explore some of the practical steps that small business owners and general managers can take in order to support employee retention. Key Points Be mindful of the realities of turnover in a small business, but don’t let it stop you from thinking about the future and investing in people. Yes, hire for attitude — and also have an eye to future potential as the business grows. Ask people this question in interviews: “Where did you contribute to dysfunction in your prior organization?” Make an investment in people beyond the paycheck. This could be learning, culture, competitions, or more. There are ways to do this without tremendous expense. Practice intentional breaks in your rhythm, since nobody else in your business is likely to do this. Resources Mentioned Keys to the Shop podcast Good to Great* by Jim Collins Good Authority* by Jonathan Raymond Chris Deferio’s consulting Related Episodes Three Steps To Soliciting Feedback, with Tom Henschel (episode 107) How to Lead Part-Time Staff, with Chris Deferio (episode 289) Six Tactics to Achieve Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337) How to Connect Personal Growth to Business Outcomes, with Jonathon Raymond (episode 373) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

414: Permission to Be Yourself, with Bar Schwartz Jun 15, 2019

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Bar Schwartz: Bring Your People Along Bar Schwartz is a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. She’s a software engineer by training and today a consultant and coach who lives and works in Berlin. Bar helps leaders to look differently on how they lead people to create meaningful work — and building structures that put people first. When Bar joined the Academy last year, she quickly set a goal to capture a few ideas in writing. This goal led to her writing a book in just a few short weeks. More importantly, she discovered the power of consistent movement in creating future opportunities. Since this episode originally aired, Bar's book has been published as Leadership in a Time of Continuous Technological Change: Align, Strengthen, and Mobilize Your Team*. As a result, it is no longer available as a free download. Key Points Your team will be more productive if it feels connected. It’s not hard to find questions if you listen. Small, manageable steps are more likely to lead to long-term success. Bonus Audio How to work in your strengths Resources Mentioned Bar Schwartz on LinkedIn Leadership in a Time of Continuous Technological Change: Align, Strengthen, and Mobilize Your Team* by Bar Schwartz Happen to Your Career podcast by Scott Anthony Barlow (bonus audio) Related Episodes How to Know When to Move On (episode 175) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

413: Effective Delegation of Authority, with Hassan Osman Jun 10, 2019

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Hassan Osman: Effective Delegation of Authority Hassan is a project management office leader at Cisco, where he leads a team of over 150 project and program managers on delivering complex projects across the world. He’s also served as a management consultant at Ernst & Young (now EY), where he led projects and programs for the largest enterprises. He’s the author of Effective Delegation of Authority: A (Really) Short Book for New Managers About How to Delegate Work Using a Simple Delegation Process. In this episode, Hassan and I discuss the three stages of delegation, the critical importance of planning, and how to leverage delegation as a development opportunity. Also impressive is the ten books Hassan has published while working full-time as a manager at a Fortune 100 company. He teaches others how to do it on his Writer on the Side podcast. Key Points Before you begin the delegation process, decide on the outcomes you need and the right person to get you there. Set expectations for goals, not actions. Use checkpoints to ensure progress and adjust frequency for experience and visibility. Summarize delegation meetings in writing after they occur. The real work of managers is to define the work, before it starts. Resources Mentioned Effective Delegation of Authority: A (Really) Short Book for New Managers About How to Delegate Work Using a Simple Delegation Process* by Hassan Osman Writer on the Side podcast Book Notes Download my highlights from Effective Delegation of Authority in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Start Influencing Virtual Teams, with Hassan Osman (episode 234) The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284) Five Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

412: How to Address Underperformance and More Questions, with Bonni Stachowiak Jun 03, 2019

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Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Listener Questions Elizabeth asked about a tricky issue with an underperforming team member she inherited. Gordon wondered what he could do to support resilience during a time of massive change. Leona asked how she might think about the disconnect from what her organization espouses and what she sees in practice. Anthony was curious about when it’s appropriate to ask “why” and when it’s not. Resources Mentioned Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It … and Why the Rest Don’t* by Verne Harnish Scaling Up Growth Tools Analyzing Performance Problems* by Robert F. Mager and Peter Pipe Related Episodes How to Succeed with Leadership and Management, with John Kotter (episode 249) How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) How to Clarify What’s Important, with Ron Williams (episode 410) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

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