Innovation, Integration and Leadership Development through a Peer Coaching Process Marcia Hyatt, Waterline Consulting, LLP Todd Tonneson, St. Paul Travelers

Peer Coaching A group of peers commits to meet over a period of time to coach one another on their respective work challenges

Key Ingredients Complex challenges with accountability for action Groups meet over time to learn and apply actions Questioning process uncovers assumptions

In Peer Coaching we get support to broaden our perspectives and then to look at ourselves for the answers.

Sample Agenda Check in Skill building Review past projects Current projects Reflection

Project Ideas A new project or program start-up Developing a new service, product or strategy A new change initiative Challenges with management staff Developing client or customer relationships Managing relationships Career development

Action Learning Groups ARE Real time Ongoing Discovering new approaches, creative solutions Learner driven Reflective ARE NOT Simulation, training Event Finding right answer, applying known solutions Externally driven Quick fix

Why Peer Coaching? Develops strategic leadership Cross-functional integration Outside-of-the-box thinking Foundation in listening and coaching skills Organizational learning

Practice Session 1.Form trios 2.Identify volunteer to share current work challenge 3.Volunteer shares challenge in 4 minutes 4.Others are passive listening devices

0 Be a person who sees others – who gets who they are and what is important to them, who gets behind them and helps move them ahead in their world. 100 Be a person who puts your projects out to others – who lets them know who you are and what is important to you, who allows them to get behind you and move you ahead in your world. ©Power and Systems Inc, Boston, MA The 0/100 Model of Partnership

Levels of Reflection What we see and do Mindsets  Pre-conceptions  Beliefs  Assumptions  Frame

Waterline Action Learning Framework Situation Frame Explore Reframe Action

Learning informs action and action informs learning. Action Learning

Creating Great Questions Honestly don’t know the answer Make the current frame more visible Provocative Broadening perspectives

2 nd largest writer of commercial U.S. property and casualty insurance 2 nd largest writer of U.S. personal insurance through independent agents #85 on Fortune 500, with $24B in ‘05 revenue 32,000 employees in every U.S. state, Canada, Mexico, Ireland and the U.K.

Journey Business Unit Leader and Marketing groups Claim Services group Business Unit Leader group Business Unit Leader and HR Director groups Business Unit Director groups HR Director group # of Groups # of Participants..... # of Sessions/Group merger

Life Cycles Groups were started by the business, not HR Business conditions had substantial impact on sustainability Relationship-building, information-sharing, and problem-solving kept groups together Informal peer coaching continued after groups formally ended

Key Results Greater information-sharing Improved listening and coaching Stronger peer relationships Better resolution of individual challenges Joint decision-making

Success Factors Starting small and at the top Obtaining executive sponsorship as groups form Shifting quickly to self-management Targeting directors and above who are ready Fitting it to the culture

In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. ~~ ~Eric Hoffer~