Coaching, Manipulation, or Collaborative Learning?

In the last few months I have had the opportunity to work with a client to help them develop develop an Emergency, Disaster, and Contingency Plan for the business.

In the past, the business owners I worked with wanted to write and develop the plan themselves. The owner wanted a Emergency, Disaster, and Contingency Plan but actually did not want anything to do with it. Recognizing the opportunity, I suggested that we could use this to develop the project with the employees and that I could lead the team to collaborate and get the project done.

My condition was that he would be just another member of the team and I would facilitate the process, coach the team, and lead the project meetings. The process was not without its bumps along the way, bottom line, it has been an amazing experience.

Structure

I created a template/example of the emergency, disaster, and contingency planning (EDC) process, a writing guide, and then led the team virtually to identify the specific areas our plan should address.

Then each team member  was assigned a specific event to research, write, and develop a EDC Response Plan based on that specific scenario and/or event.

Roles

This was the first time the company had taken on a collaborative project and the first time the CEO did not lead, manage, and drive a project. I took the role of facilitator but my little secret was that I planned to 'coach' only - as my goal was to draw out new leaders and raise the 'players' game.

I knew that eventually, the CEO and team would become frustrated because they saw me as the manager and facilitator of the process - in fact I was coaching, encouraging, and drawing people out in our meetings - the team took on the role of manager and facilitator.
 

Remember, as a coach, I do not typically 'play in the actual game' rather I set the game plan, strategy, and training - it is up to the 'players' to play the game to the best of their abilities.

Collaboration Tension and Peer Pressure

For quite awhile the team was looking to the CEO for leadership but he was sitting back and allowing me to coach the team. Eventually, certain individuals rose to the challenge and naturally began to lead.

The CEO and I came to a point in time where we had a discussion about who was actually accountable and managing the project. 

As the project progressed, it was fascinating to watch people deal with the ambiguity of an absentee leader. Half of the team struggled, while the other half flew along and rose to the occasion.

I knew that the CEO really saw me as the leader and facilitator and I allowed him to think that because I wanted him to learn to sit back and let the team struggle through and form their own structure and ownership of the project.

I explained to the CEO that as a facilitator, I did not see my role as the project manager but more of a coach. In that discussion we decided to explain to the misunderstanding to the team. We told them that I would continue as coach and that the CEO would simply be a team member - we told them that the team would manage the project and make decisions.

As a team we then decided to do peer-to-peer assessments of each others EDC plan. The peer pressure to perform was enormous. As a result we ended up creating a very challenging environment that pushed everyone way outside their comfort zones. They struggled but showed incredible tenacity and commitment to each other and the company. Everyone rose to the occasion and as a result learned a great deal.

Results and Benefits

The project is nearing completion but so far we have been able to identify increased morale and confidence from members within the team. They now have the positive experience of working together on a challenging project witnessed the team come together to discuss and solve a business problem.

In the process each person learned a great deal about themselves, other team members, and that they can keep the business operational without the CEO. Plus they have the satisfaction and security of knowing they are prepared for just about any emergency, disaster, or event and have the systems to guide them step-by-step.

The CEO has a much better understanding of his team, their strengths, and how they will likely respond in challenging situations.

Risky Move?

You might be thinking that my approach was manipulative, you might be right, and it worked great. Remember, this is a client that I have been coaching for 18 months. This is not the first time I have drawn him out of his comfort zone. In fact, he always comes away with post facto observations and rationale.

The CEO now knows to ask me, "Was that your intention?" and I say, "Yes it was." to which he responds with what he learned and what next steps he is going to take as a result of this learning.

Now he is beginning to shift from managing the minutia to coaching and leading by example.
Knowing that he and his team came work through any issue and come away from it all the better for it. 

Could this have resulted in a conflict? Perhaps, remember I was them every step of the way. I was able to watch their progress as they used the wiki to create their documents. Plus I would speak to the CEO twice a week, met with the team once a week, and when necessary provided support, training, and coaching so team members could achieve their goals while contributing to the greater good of the project and the company.

Does it get any better than that?

Sincerely,

Greg Balanko-Dickson
Author, Business Coach, Entrepreneur
Remote Control CEO