Thursday, April 18, 2019

Coaching Systems Development; Implementation Drivers


In the previous blog post, the first of this three point series, I began connecting coaching to the Implementation Science Formula for Success.  I presented a conundrum faced by coaches across the state--they are being asked to implement the innovation without a system of support. In today’s post we will consider the Implementation Drivers and how their development is essential to supporting coaching.  

When the innovation of coaching is supported by the system drivers located on the outside of the triangle, the likelihood that coaching will be implemented to fidelity increases.  Drivers are considered, both integrated and compensatory, because they must all work together as a support net (i.e., integrated); however if one is more weakly established, the others will compensate (i.e., compensatory).  
                Let’s begin by considering the competency drivers along the left side of the triangle: Selection, Training, and Coaching  

Selection, Training, and Coaching
Selection of coaching staff is a critical cornerstone, but in my travels around the state of Wisconsin I find that it is given little consideration.  All too often good teachers are put into coaching roles under the assumption that they will also be good coaches.  The thought being that “good teachers make good coaches”.  In one example, an educator showed up to start the New Year as a classroom teacher only to be placed in a coaching role without consultation or training. 

A district that is achieving high levels of success through their coaching program, decided to open available coaching positions for anyone to apply.  This meant that individuals within or outside of the district knew what they were committing to.  Furthermore, the district carefully crafted job description under which the coaches would operate.  This simple, yet essential, document is often missing from many coaching systems.  In the same district, once staff was selected they received initial and ongoing training to support their instructional coaching work.  It is important to collect some type of data to determine training needs.  In my experience much of the training available to coaches circles around building trust and conversations within a coaching cycle.  These skills are absolutely necessary, but what is available to the coach that has already built relationships and is ready to move past coaching light?  The final competency driver is coaching.  Coaches need coaches too!  Coaching can be a very isolated position and it is important to have networking opportunities.  This can be achieved by creating peer coaching programs or hiring an external coach. 

Last summer I visited a district that had a comprehensive learning plan for their coaching team.  They met monthly and spent part of each day engaging in whole group learning before breaking into smaller study groups to cover content they had selected as necessary to their growth.  Coaches were engaged in training and meaningful dialogue with other coaches.  Coaching of coaches is critical in the implementation of the innovation of coaching in order for coaching to obtain socially significant outcomes.

Decision Support Data System, Facilitative Administration, and Systems Intervention
                The second set of drivers to consider is the organizational drivers.  Systems interventions are considered by a district-level team and consider if policies/practices and funding align to the district vision, mission and action plan.  When coaching is new, funding will often be a topic of consideration.  How will the new position be funded? How will the funding be continued?  Facilitative Administration relates to creating a culture where the new innovation will be received.  It is a rare occurrence to have a successful coaching program without the support of leadership.  At the minimum, leadership must be aware of the research and promote the coaching model to staff.  In some of the strongest programs I’ve seen, leaders themselves will engage in a coaching cycle of their own.  The use of data in making decisions is crucial to the ongoing improvement of coaching.  Anecdotal data seems to be the most common data source for coaches with teacher testimonials centered on a coach’s accomplishments.  Another data that may be regarded is student outcome data.  These data sources are both worth considering; however when taken as single sources, they don’t always tell the entire story.  Other data sources may include teacher surveys, coach observations and coaching logs.  Best practice would have the leadership team consider various sources to triangulate the data. 

Technical and Adaptive Leadership  
                The final set of drivers is in regards to leadership.   I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a supportive leader in building systems of support for coaching.  Technical leadership speaks to management. This is the where there is general agreement about what needs to be done and an understanding of how to do it (i.e., compliance).  Unlike with “technical leadership” (i.e., management), adaptive leadership seems to bring with it less certainty.  This work of changing culture, which is a tenant of adaptive leadership, is “messier”; mainly because this is where conflict lives.  We know that human beings struggle with change and the reaction to change can range from emotional to resistant.  Therefore, leaders must have the skills, persistence, and heart to lead through and past this resistance.  While both types of leadership are necessary to support the system, leaders with strong adaptive leadership styles result in the highest implementation with fidelity.
At first glance, establishing systems for coaching may seem overwhelming.  After all, it does require a lot of intentional work.  However, when considered through implementation stages, the work begins to take an evergreen shape, and even seems more manageable along the way.  In the next, and final post of the series, I will work through the steps within the stages of implementation to establish a robust system of coaching. 


No comments:

Post a Comment

Coaching Emotions: The Client

Part III In parts I and II of this series we have explored the history of emotions and how emotions show up for us, as coaches.   In this t...