discussion 5
Chapter 6
Our Coherence Framework is “simplexity.” Simplexity is not a real word, but it is a valuable concept. Simplexity means that you take a difficult problem and identify a small number of key factors (about four to six)—this is the simple part. And then you make these factors gel under the reality of action with its pressures, politics, and personalities in the situation—this is the complex part. In the case of our framework, there are only four big chunks and their interrelationships. Not only are these components dynamic but they also get refined over time in the setting in which you work. You have to focus on the right things, but you also must learn as you go. One of our favorite insights came from a retired CEO from a very successful company who, when asked about the most important thing he has learned about leadership, responded by say- ing, “It is more important to be right at the end of the meeting than the most important thing he has learned about leadership, responded by saying- ing, “It is more important to be right at the end of the meeting than the beginning” (David Cote, Honeywell, nyti.ms/1chUHqp). He was using this as a metaphor for a good change process: leaders influence the group, but they also learn from it. In fact, joint learning is what happens in effective change processes. If you are right at the beginning of the meeting, you are right only in your mind. If you are right at the notional end of the meeting, it means that you have processed the ideas with the group. McKinsey & Company conducted a study of leaders in the social sector (education et al.) and opened their report with these words: “chronic underinvestment [in leadership development] is placing increasing demands on social sector leaders” (Callanan, Gardner, Mendonca, & Scott, 2014). Their conclusions are right in our wheelhouse. In the survey of 200 social sector leaders, participants rated four critical attributes: balancing innovation with implementation, building executive teams, collaborating, and manag- ing outcomes. Survey respondents found themselves and their peers to be deficient in all four domains. In one table, they show the priorities—ability to innovate and implement, ability to surround selves with talented teams, collaboration, and ability to manage to outcomes—in terms of how respon- dents rated themselves and rated their peers as strong in the given domain. Both sets of scores were low—all below 40 percent. Collaboration, for example, was rated as 24 percent (self-rating) and 24 percent (rating of their peers). So the top capabilities are in short supply. Leaders build coherence when they combine the four components of our Coherence Framework with meeting the varied needs of the complex organizations they lead. Coherence making is a forever job because people come and go, and the situational dynamics are always in flux. They actively develop lateral and vertical connections so that the collaborative culture is deepened and drives deepened learning and reinforces the focused direction. Achieving coherence in a system takes a long time and requires continuous attention. The main threat to coherence is turnover at the top with new leaders who come in with their own agenda. It is not turnover per se that is the problem, but rather discontinuity of direction. Sometimes systems performing poorly do require a shakeup, but we have also seen situations where new leaders disrupt rather than build on the good things that are happening. And we have seen (more rarely in our experience) districts like Garden Grove where there was a change of superintendents based on a deliberate plan to continue and deepen the effectiveness of the system. The idea in changeover ideally combines continuity and innovation. As we have said, coherence making and re-making is a never-ending proposition. The previous chapters contain many ideas about leadership, and we hope the reader has garnered key lessons about each of the four components. We won’t repeat these ideas here. Instead, we boil down leadership to two big recommendations: master the framework, and develop leaders at all levels.
There are many different ways to proceed. Here are a few: conduct a mental inventory with others by applying the framework to your system to examine whether you have included everything and to determine how well you are doing on each sub-item; discuss the framework among your leadership team, starting with the four main headings to see if the ideas resonate; start discussing the main concepts with other leaders in the system as you begin to form plans and strategies; and start through action forums, working on the four domains. However you go about it, take the advice we gave in Chapter 2: participate as a learner working alongside others to move the organization forward. The framework is not a blueprint but a prompt to assess whether you are actually addressing the four components and the 13 subcomponents. Use the framework to get a 360-degree snapshot of how the coherence is perceived at all levels. To get you started, we provide a Coherence Assessment Tool in Figure 6.2. The tool includes the four components and prompts for starting discussions about the subcomponents. We encourage you to focus on identifying the evidence of each element in your organization. You may want to have individuals in different roles in the organization reflect and then combine those reflections to get a full picture. Consider areas where perceptions are similar and use areas that are different as starting points for deeper conversations—Is your approach comprehensive enough?
Are you addressing all four components? Consider your strengths but also the areas of greatest need as you review the four parts of the framework, and identify ways you can leverage the former and develop the latter. There is no one right formula—but what’s important is to use the exercise to move to action. Once again, the strongest change process shapes and reshapes quality ideas as it builds capacity and ownership among participants. As you become stronger and stronger in practicing the Coherence Framework, you will get greater enthusiasm and greater results that will spur people on to accomplish more. “Talking the walk,” as we have said, is both a great indicator and a great strategy for the group to become clearer and more committed individually and collectively. Can leaders at all levels clearly describe the framework as it is being used in the system?
As you use the Coherence Framework to reflect on organizational coherence, you can also think of progress in terms of developing specific leadership competencies. Kirtman and Fullan (2015) show how the seven competencies of highly effective leaders mesh with “whole system improvement.”
The seven skills are listed in Figure 6.3. figure 6.3 Leadership Competencies for Whole System improvement
1. Challenges the status quo 5. Has a high sense of urgency for change and sustainable result
2. s 2. Builds trust through clear 6. Commits to continuous improvement communications and expectations
3. 3. Creates a commonly owned plan 7. Builds external networks/partnerships for success 4. Focuses on the team over self.
These competencies map on our Coherence Framework. Challenging the status quo is part and parcel of focusing new directions. Building trust and creating a commonly owned plan are very much part of collaborating with purpose. Focusing on the team is about leadership development in others. The next two—sense of urgency in relation to results and continuous improvement—relate directly to internal and external accountability. External networks and partnerships are a wraparound set of collaborative activities that enable leaders to both use and contribute to the external environment. Most leaders, as the McKinsey & Company’s study revealed, are not good at leading the change process. Mastering our framework will address that deficit and enable you and your system to become much more effective and much more likely to become more sustainable. Most leaders, as the McKinsey & Company’s study revealed, are not good at leading the change process. Mastering our framework will address that deficit and enable you and your system to become much more effective and much more likely to become more sustainable. And you don’t have to do it alone; indeed, it cannot be done alone. It takes the group to change the group, and it takes many leaders to change the group. This is why developing leaders at all levels is essential.