Authenticity Consulting LLC
Case Study: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota
A Gateway to Hands-on Learning in Coaching and Mentoring
Leader Circles® at Blue Cross & Blue Shield
Overview
A day doesn’t pass without some healthcare issue in the news. Often the discussion
is about the high cost of healthcare administration. Inside any healthcare
company, Human Resource leaders look for ways to improve the performance of
managerial and supervisory staff, knowing that more effective leadership in various
departments should mean greater operating efficiencies and more cost-savings.
This formula is certainly true for one of Minnesota’s prominent healthcare
companies, the non-profit organization, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
Chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan, it is also the largest health plan
based in Minnesota, covering 2.8 million members in Minnesota and nationally
through its health plans, or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue
Cross and Blue Shield’s mission is “to promote a wider, more economical and timely
availability of health services for the people of Minnesota.” One of its missions within
its HR programs is to find ways to make training an integral part of the lives of staff by
making training easier to implement and to take root.
Challenge
In 2002, Pat Brinton, Senior Leadership Development Consultant at Blue Cross and
Blue Shield, was searching for a way to bring Action Learning to the organization by
developing a leadership course for manager training.
“At that point in time, mangers looking to develop leadership skills had plenty of
courses to take,” Brinton explained. “But there was no experiential component. We
wanted them to have an environment where real-time learning could take place
because we felt it would be more relevant and have more staying power.”
She found her method in a program that proved to be a gateway to both hands-on
learning and mentoring.
Solution
Working with Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting LLC, Brinton decided to
use McNamara’s Peer Coaching Group model, whereby people coach each other
and simultaneously learn to coach in the process. The rewards of that method
proved to be many. Brinton had found her Action Learning solution.
Since Peer Coaching relies heavily on learning by asking thoughtful questions — it
tends to create a flat playing field. Participants can address the many common
issues prevalent in any workplace such as problem solving, improving
communication and listening skills, and learning to become better people
professionally and personally, plus other workplace and life skills.
At Blue Cross and Blue Shield, McNamara convened 12 facilitators inside a “Leaders
Circle®*.” His objective: “We wanted to use the Circle to ensure each member got
coached effectively and could then actually apply the information and the peer
coaching tactic in training sessions they would later facilitate”
Brinton described the outcomes as “learning how to coach in a non-directive
manner — and people made significant progress.” She went on to praise not only
how effective the training was but to enumerate the benefits participants
experienced since that first engagement in 2002.
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The Leader Circles generated immediate and unsolicited positive comments
from participants
The Circles inspired deeper understanding about their roles as managers and
employees and how they could improve their people skills
It created a stronger network among peers wherein they felt less
apprehensive about approaching each other with challenges and feedback
They learned how to coach on a one-to-one basis
“Before we started using Leaders Circles, managers used to do all the talking in their
one-one meetings with staff“ Now they are more likely to ask questions to engage
their employees.
Result
Peer Coaching Groups are big hit at the healthcare organization. “Many people
stay connected to each other long after their circles have officially been dissolved,”
said the 11-year veteran of Blue Cross’ HR department. Blue Cross has used the
“circle” concept successfully for a number of years.
“We created mentor circles for our individual contributors facilitated by Vice
Presidents. The VP facilitators get as much out of it as the participants in their
groups,” Brinton pointed out. “One VP said it was the best development experience
that’s he’s ever had. I think it’s a wonderful process that’s easy to administer, allows
for a variety of uses, and withstands the test of time.”
*Leaders Circles is a registered trademark of The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits.