Recorded webinar: http://slidesha.re/1nOR5i5
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This webinar features content from Karen's workshop and talk at the Lean Enterprise Institute and Lean Frontiers Coaching Summit, held on July 29 & 30, 2014 in Long Beach, California.
Both the workshop and talk focus on learning how to break the "telling" habit as a leader or improvement coach, and how to use the right questions at the right time to develop people more effectively and get better work results.
2. Consultant / Coach / Facilitator / Trainer:
Lean transformation & business performance
improvement in all industries.
Teacher: University of California, San Diego
Author & Speaker:
Karen Martin, President
@KarenMartinOpEx
2013 Shingo
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4. For more Coaching information
See Chapter 4 - Discipline
www.bitly.com/TOObk
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5. Learning Objectives
• The role of the improvement coach
• Necessary skills for improvement coaches
• How to accelerate problem-solving skill
building through asking the right
questions at the right time
• When it’s appropriate to “tell” people
what to do
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6. 5 Observations & 1 Decree
1. There aren’t enough improvement “experts” to
go around in an organization.
2. Improvement “experts” aren’t content experts
(and, therefore, shouldn’t be the ones solving
problems).
3. Problems aren’t being solved quickly enough.
4. Problems aren’t being solved well enough.
5. Managers don’t know enough about the
improvement process.
6. Improvement can’t be delegated.
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18. 18
Detailed Steps
1. Define and break down the problem.
2. Grasp the current condition.
3. Set a target condition.
4. Conduct root cause & gap analysis.
5. Identify potential countermeasures.
6. Develop & test countermeasure(s)
7. Refine and finalize countermeasure(s).
8. Implement countermeasure(s).
Study
Evaluate
Results
9. Measure process performance.
10. Refine, standardize, & stabilize the process.
11. Monitor process performance.
12. Reflect & share learning.
Adjust
Do
Clarifying the PDSA Cycle
Plan
Develop
Hypothesis
Conduct
Experiment
Refine
Standardize
Stabilize
Phase
Continuous
Improvement
New
Problem
Often
50-80%
of the
total
time
Adjust
Adjust
Adopt
Adapt
Abandon
19. Coaching: Dual Roles
REFLECTIVE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIVE DEVELOPMENT
From The Outstanding Organization, p. 117
Heavy use of Socratic
questioning to assess learning,
develop critical thinking, and
build confidence
Here, the coach serves as teacher.
Beware of the difference!
21. Warning: The Expert Turned Coach
• Be aware of the juice you get from being the expert.
– Replace with the juice of serving others
• Avoid believing that everyone needs to think and
behave the same way you do.
• Avoid “the way I would do it” thinking.
• Turn “THE” thing they need to learn to “A” thing
they need to learn.
• Be aware of moving into “do-er,” “rescuer,” or
“fixer” mode.
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22. Socratic Questioning
• Named for Socrates
• Based on his belief that the
deepest learning results from a
disciplined practice of thoughtful
questioning.
– Way of assuring rigorous thinking
• Open-ended questions that cause
the learner to think deeply.
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23. 23
Socratic Questions for Problem Solving
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pp 196-197 in The Outstanding Organization (pp 196-197)
24. Open vs. Closed Questions
• Open-ended questions
begin with:
– What…?
– Why…?
– How…?
• Closed-ended questions
begin with:
– Is /are…?
– Do / did…?
– Would / will…?
– Could / can…?
– Was / were…?
– Have / has…?
– Which…?
– Who…?
– When…?
– Where…?
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25. Serving the Problem Solver
If the problem solver… Potential Questions
…hasn’t clearly defined the problem. What’s the problem?
Why is that a problem?
How do you know it’s a problem?
…has framed the problem as a solution or
a cause—or isn’t thinking high enough
What causes that to happen?
What problem will that address?
What larger problem does this smaller
problem cause?
…operating without data or has unclear
data.
What about the current state is not ideal?
(What “should” it be?)
What is the data telling you?
How does the data support your conclusion?
…hasn’t uncovered the root cause(s) or
hasn’t dug deeply enough.
Why does that occur?
How do you know that?
What else might explain the current state?
Only ask questions to: 1) Assess learning/understanding
2) Help the problem solver discover that he/she has more work to do. 25
26. Questioning “Don’ts”
• Masked recommendations
– Disguising your recommendation as a question (and
thinking that counts as a question)
– “Leading the witness”
• “Run on” questions
– Long questions that contain multiple questions
• “The inquisition” – asking question after
question
– Instead of pausing and allowing the person to think
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27. Questioning “Don’ts” (continued)
• Harsh or judgmental tone
• Multi-tasking or half-listening instead of
engaging the person in a focused dialogue
• If the problem owner asks, “What do you
think?,” don’t take the bait!
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28. Closed questions and “telling”
are acceptable when…
1. The person clearly has little or no experience with an
improvement practice or tool that’s needed.
2. You’re clarifying your understanding.
3. Listen with respect and validation; listen without judgment.
4. Listen for unspoken fears, concerns, and aspirations.
5. Use all of your senses, not merely your ears.
6. Take a mental journey and walk in others’ shoes.
7. Listen without thinking about how you’re going to respond.
8. Listen with optimism and positive human regard.
9. Confirm your understanding. (“I think what you’re saying…”)
10. Listen for “why.”
11. Listen with two hats: teacher and psychologist.
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29. 10 Keys to Deep Listening
1. Be 100% present.
2. Listen without thinking about how you’re going to respond.
3. Listen with two hats: teacher and psychologist.
4. Seek to understand. Listen for “why.”
5. Listen with respect; listen without judgment.
6. Listen for unspoken fears, concerns, and aspirations.
7. Use all of your senses, not merely your ears.
8. Take a mental journey and walk in others’ shoes.
9. Listen with optimism and positive human regard.
10. Confirm your understanding. (“I think what you’re
saying…”)
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30. Coaching Approach for Various Learning Stages
Problem Owner’s
Problem-Solving Skill Level
Goal What to Ask / Do
Problem-solving is spot on. Thought partner
“How’s it going?”
“What’s working well?”
“What’s not?”
“What have you learned?”
“What’s been most
surprising?”
“What are you doing next?”
“How can I help?”
Problem-solving is off course
and needs correction.
Get person back on
track
Probe using Socratic
questioning; turn to
teaching only when needed.
Problem-solving is on track,
but the problem owner is
having difficulty taking next
steps.
Build confidence;
remove obstacles;
create an action plan
Use Socratic questioning to
help person realize his/her
strengths & grow
competencies; provide
mentoring for knowledge
transfer (e.g. specific tools).
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31. Building Organization-wide Coaching Capabilities
Executive
Team
Senior
Leaders
Middle
Managers
Frontlines
Second Coach
Second Coach
Second Coach
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