Coaching Technical and Scientific Professionals

The Conference Board

Executive Coaching Conference

January 29-30, 2009

Jean L. Hurd, Ph.D.Janus Consulting, Inc.

Objectives

• Describe the unique characteristics of technical and scientific professionals

• Describe their leadership challenges and the implications for business success

• Show how coaching addresses these challenges, and the business benefits

• Define a coaching approach for this group

Background

• “We should write a book…” (R&D VP)

• Sources: – Line and management experiences (pharmaceutical R&D,

process engineering, information systems)

– Interviews (scientists, engineers, MDs, HR professionals)

– Consulting to range of industries and functions

– Accumulated anecdotes

– Academic research

• Applies to scientists…and engineers, lawyers, IT professionals, accountants, etc…

A Few Scenarios….

Characteristics of scientists

• Scientific research as a calling – the core of their identity

• Independence in thought and action

• Scientific creativity and exploring

• Technical expertise and precision of thought

• Influence of academe

The Flip Side

“You’re the best scientist, a star, and then…”

• Viewing scientific research as a calling

– Leaving the core of one’s identity behind

– No longer purely a scientist, not quite a businessperson…

– Star performers can feel suddenly ineffectual and demoralized

• Being independent in thought and action– Emphasis on the quality of one’s ideas

– My judgment should be respected and accepted - “just take my word for it”

– Listen? Influence? Sell? – “There’s one right idea – and I have it.”

The Flip Side

• Preferring scientific creativity vs. corporate goals– A continuum between creative, academic thinking and

business efficiency – learning to strike the right balance

– “A manager’s role is to make sure that things are done efficiently – which feels totally against curiosity and exploring.”

• Having technical expertise vs. people skills– Role change from “individual technical accomplishment” to

“socially skilled leadership”

• Role of academe– Trained that it is your idea, “we” doesn’t come into it

– Cauldron of competition

– You don’t care what happens in another department

The Leadership Pipeline

Each turn in thepipeline requiresacquiring a newway of managing and leading andleaving the old ways behind in: - Skills- Work values- Time horizon

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Managing self

Functional manager

Managing managers

Managing others

Group manager

Business manager

Enterprise manager

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- R. Charan, S. Drotter, J. Noel

Leadership developmentValues shifts

• Managing self– Getting results through personal proficiency

– High-quality technical or professional work

• Managing others– Getting results through others

– Success of direct reports

– Success of unit

– Self as manager vs. professional expert

• Manager of managers– Developer of managerial talent

– Deploying and redeploying resources among units

Leadership Challenges

• In all directions:

– Managing others

– Collaborating cross-functionally

– Having “the business conversation”

Leadership Challenges and Needed Skills

Collaboratingcross-

functionally

Leading others

Having the “business conversation”

Needed skills:

DelegatingInfluencingCommunicationTeamingListeningQuestioningFeedbackCoachingFacilitationMeeting managementConflict resolutionMotivatingInspiringUnderstanding personality differences

Scientific & TechnicalManager

Managing Others

• “You get promoted for managing a responsibility technically. No one ever asks “can this person make his people happy.”

• “All of a sudden you are asked to step back and let someone else do it. The toughest thing in the world is to let that go.”

• “The hardest and most frustrating thing is realizing that I’m not going to be involved anymore in everything that is happening.”

• “Delegating was the most difficult of all the things I had to learn; that and letting people make mistakes, giving them power, empowering them.”

• “I feel caught between two worlds: being seen as a ‘business thinker’ while at the same time motivating the scientists who work for me.”

• “Management of people is the most challenging, important and time-consuming aspect of my job, and exacts the greatest emotional toll on me.”

Cross-functional Collaboration

• “Finding the balance between the surety of my ideas and the need to work as a team, listening to others and questioning for full understanding.”

• “The challenge is developing the ability to recognize that others have different styles and process information differently than you do.”

• “I’m trying not to open my mouth in meetings, because my challenges are seen as not teamwork. How can I stand in my area and communicate across the boundary?”

• “I want to talk about the science, but no one wants to hear it. They are only interested in the business impact.”

• I thought I was being very open to others, but it turned out I was viewed as controlling and didactic.”

Having the Business Conversation

• “After getting the ‘seat at the table’ I had the feeling that I was not understood or appreciated for what my scientific background and training bring to the table.”

• “I feel caught between two worlds: being seen as a ‘business thinker’ while at the same time motivating the scientists who work for me.”

• “In the scientific community people have to be creative; in business they want to be efficient, productive, and that can stifle creativity. How to keep the balance?”

• “The challenge in talking to the business is that words mean different things. There is a fuzziness in marketing and business strategies. It feels amorphous and vague. These are things that scientists hate.”

Scientific Leadership Study

• Five expert panels of 147 scientists (PhD, MD, PhD-MD).

– Describe the best example of scientific leadership you have encountered and why this person was effective:

• Caring, compassionate, supportive, enthusiastic, motivating

• Communicating effectively – including listening well and resolving conflict

• Good role model, mentor, coach

• Technically accomplished to lead a scientific effort

– Most difficult challenge you personally have experienced as a scientist• Balancing scientific efforts with management responsibilities – delegating

• Dealing with conflict

• Motivating people

• Communicating effectively - primarily providing feedback

Managing ScientistsAlice M. Sapienza2004

In Meeting Leadership Challenges

What helped the most?

1. FEEDBACK – specific, thoughtful, supportive, actionable - leading to self-awareness

2. EARLY INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT in developing leadership skills

Coaching Approach

Scientific Method Coaching

• Problem/Question

• Observation/Research

• Formulate a Hypothesis

• Experiment

• Collect & analyze results

• Draw conclusions

• General focus of the coaching

• 360 feedback, self-awareness tools

• Development of goals and action steps

• Try out new behaviors

• Note and discuss outcomes

• Formal assessment and intentions for the future

1Problem/Question

• Broad goal definition– High potential enhancement

– Behavior change/problem

– Leadership development program participant

– Recent promotion challenges

• Normalize the leadership experience– People management and development IS your job now

– Concern for the broader organization

– There are skills, tools and techniques to assist

2Observation/Research

• 360 interviews – “The Data” – Careful selection of interviewees

– 8-12 people total

– Enrollment for future feedback support

– Incorporate existing 360 assessments

• Feedback from interviews– Specific (situation, behavior, impact)

– Direct, Constructive, Supportive, Actionable

• Self awareness tools:– Personality style (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)

– Leadership style (Situational Leadership principles)

– Others as appropriate to the organization

3Formulate a hypothesis

• Root cause thinking • Clarify and blend performance needs and personal goals • 2-3 specific development goals• Emphasis on leveraging scientific and technical strengths• Reflect and clarify:

– How will my organization or work group benefit?

– What will I gain by achieving the goal and participating in the process?

– What will I have to give up?

– What obstacles or difficulties might I encounter and how will I manage them?

• Develop action steps

4 & 5Experiment and Collect & Analyze Results

• Try out new behaviors, skills, tools, techniques• Develop habit of self-observation• Attention to process as well as content of interactions• Create personal feedback loops

– Develop and project attitude of openness to feedback

– Enlist specific individuals (“I told everyone I knew what I was working on”)

– Enlist at least one trusted peer

– Ask for immediate, situational feedback

– Be as specific as possible about the desired feedback

• Record self-observations and feedback• Discuss, modify, refine, integrate• Experiment/practice some more

6Draw Conclusions

• Formal assessment of progress (3 month intervals)– Self

– Manager

– HR partner

– Brief/selected 360 follow-up interviews

• Explicit intentions for the future

What else helped?

(The Organizational Context for Coaching)

• Active support of immediate manager • Role models within the functional group• Effective mentors• Involved HR business partners• Trusting environment for feedback • Leadership development training

– With “like” individuals (or not!)– Learnings are individualized, reinforced and practiced

• Early participation in cross-functional teams– Learn the business– Develop awareness of other styles– Develop influencing and communication skills

• Attention to the entire pipeline• Top management walking the talk

In Summary

• Scientific and technical professionals have unique leadership development needs

• Coaching can significantly enhance leadership performance by providing feedback, tools and support

• The results show up in improved performance management, cross-functional collaboration & decision-making, and contribution to achieving corporate goals.

• Early intervention is key, as is a systemic organizational approach at all levels

• The business benefits can be significant, far reaching, and lasting

“When I go through customs, I still write ‘scientist.’ That is my identity.”

- Senior VP, pharmaceutical company