The Adaptive Challenge
Understanding the Role of
Leadership in Times of Change and
Transformation
What are you trying to accomplish
What is challenging you?
Revisit the “change” issue which you are in the
midst of addressing; a change which may be
easier to tackle with improved leadership
skills. The change can be with an individual,
a team, your organization or cross agency.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Early Childhood Mental Health
• The Social, emotional and behavioral well-being of
young children and their families
• The developing capacity to:
 Experience, regulate, and express emotion
 Form close, secure relationships
 Explore the environment and learn
Adapted from ZERO TO THREE
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Protective Factors
• Positive self-esteem
• Active style of responding to stress
• Ability to elicit positive attention form adults
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Values and Principles
• INFUSE Mental Health in early childhood
natural settings – “where kids are”
Supports for care givers, parents, services for children and families
• USE PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL
(intervention is not enough)
1. Promotion - for healthy social emotional development of all kids and families
2. Prevention - focus supports for at risk children and families
3. Intervention - services to kids with diagnosis
• ACCEPT THAT THIS IS A CULTURAL
EXCHANGE PROCESS
Engaging and involving families, caregivers, early childhood providers, mental health
providers, and community at large.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Problems and Challenges
• Simple
• Complicated
• Complex
S. Glouberman and B. Zimmerman, “Complicated and Complex Systems: What Would Successful Reform of Medicine Look Like,” in P.G. Forest, T. Mackintosh and
G. Marchilden (eds), Health Care Services and the Process of Change (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004): 5
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Why Leadership? Why Now?
• Time of unprecedented challenges and turbulence
• Engaged in an increasingly diverse and complex
community
• Challenges do not have simple solutions and require
creative, inclusive and strategic responses
• Each of you is in a role where you can have
significant impact on the future
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
System
Resistance
to Change
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Mental Health Issues for Young Children and
Their Families in Vermont, 1996
What kind of mental health issues do you
experience or encounter among the families and
young children whom you serve?
Parents of Young Children:
Depression
Substance abuse
Domestic violence
Young Children:
Behavioral and emotional challenges
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
We know more now about the importance of early life experience than we ever have.
We know more now about what works than we ever have.
We know more about strengths of families than we ever have.
We know more about the power of community than we ever have.
The time to invest in the future is now.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Organizational Change Theories
Resistance is a characteristic of any major organizational change
effort and a major reason why organizational change efforts fail.
(Prochaska, Prochaska and Levesque, 2001).
Resistance should be expected in different stages of multicultural
organizational change because the topics of prejudice,
discrimination , oppression, and power are controversial and
emotionally charged. (Brantley, Frost and Razak, 1996).
The Transtheoretical Model of Change suggests that it is
counterproductive to forge ahead with action without addressing
issues such as resistance, that stand in the way of individual and
organizational readiness for change.
Data Source:
Mayeno, L. Multicultural Organizational Development: A Resource for Health Equity, in Cultural Competence in Health Care Series, The California
Endowment and Compasspoint Nonprofit Services, April 2007.
© 2010 NATIONALSlide
TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
CENTER
FOR CHILDREN’S
MENTAL
HEALTH, GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY
Source:
National
Center
for Cultural
Competence,
2010
Stages of Change
Precontemplation
Contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance
Data Source: Prochaska, J.O., Redding, C.A. & Evers, K.E. (1997). A Transtheoretical Model and Stages of Change. In K.
Glanz, F.M. Lewis, B.K. Rimer (Eds.) Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory Research and Practice a(2 nd edition) (pp.
60-84). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
© 2010 NATIONAL
CENTER FOR
MENTAL HEALTH,2010
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
SlideTECHNICAL
Source: ASSISTANCE
National Center
for CHILDREN’S
Cultural Competence,
Personal
Resistance
to Change
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Leadership and Change
“The changes required will be not only in
our organizations but in ourselves as well.
…Only by changing how we think can we change deeply
embedded policies and practices.
Only by changing how we interact can shared
vision, shared understandings, and new capacities
for coordinated action be established.”
Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline, p. xiv
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Leadership
Today
Deeply held beliefs about leadership
are challenged
Values that made us successful become less relevant
Skills that made us successful become less relevant or
must be re-framed or re-tooled
Adapted from Heifetz, Ron, Leadership without Easy Answers, 1996
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Technical
Work
Perspectives are aligned
Definition of the problem is clear
Solution and implementation of the
problem is clear
Primary locus of responsibility for organizing
the work is the formal leader
Adapted from Heifetz, Ron, Leadership without Easy Answers, 1996
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Adaptive
Work
Legitimate, yet competing,
perspectives emerge
Definition of the problem is unclear
Solution and implementation is unclear
and requires learning
Primary locus of responsibility is not
the formal leader
Adapted from Heifetz, Ron, Leadership without Easy Answers, 1996
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
The Collective Intelligence
It is in the collective intelligence of
people at all levels, who need to use
one and other as resources, often
across boundaries and learn their
way to new solutions.
Adapted from: R. Heifetz and D. Laurie: The Work of Leadership. Harvard Business Review, 1998.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Vermont Early Childhood System
Agency of Human Services
Central Office
• Head Start – State Collaboration
• Success By Six Regional Planning
• Parent-Child Centers
• Domestic Violence Network
Child Welfare Department
• Protective Services & Family
Support Child Care
• Child Care Subsides
& Fee Scales
Private
Children
&
Families
• Child Care Centers
• Day Care Homes
Health Department
• Healthy Babies
• Women, Infants, Children (WIC)
Education Department
• Family, Infant, Toddler (FIT) (Part C)
• Early Education Initiative
• Alcohol & Drug Abuse Programs
• Early Essential Education
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Who participated?
• Family members
• Early Childhood System of Care (including health,
early care and education and all other early
childhood providers )
• Leaders from Systems of Care for Children with
Emotional and Behavioral Challenges
• Other community agencies and leaders
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Identified Top 3 Community
Survey and Forum Priorities
•
•
•
Parenting and child care training opportunities.
Behavioral consultation in child care settings and
school settings.
In-home direct therapeutic and consultation
services.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
State
Outreach
Team
– Family members
and
– Representatives from:
•
•
•
•
Agency of Human Services
Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services
Department of Health
Department of Social Welfare, Social and Rehabilitation Services (child
welfare)
• Department of Education
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Key
Question
To differentiate between
Adaptive and Technical Work ask...
Does making progress on this problem require
changes in people’s values, attitudes and/or habits of
behavior?
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Examples
The Work of the Leader
Adaptive
Computers in the
workplace
Strength based care
Family involvement
Interagency collaboration
Cultural competence
Building relationships
with families and child
care providers
RESET
• Whose values, beliefs,
attitudes or behaviors
must change in order to
move forward?
• What shifts in priorities,
resources and power
are necessary?
• What sacrifices would
have to be made and
by whom?
Technical
Computer training
Assessment form
A Parent on a Council
Memorandum of
interagency
agreement
Translation services
Parent and child care
training
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
TABLE DISCUSSION
Now that you understand the difference between
adaptive and technical work, please take some time
to discuss when you have either experienced when
technical solutions have been used to solve adaptive
challenges or when you have put a technical solution
to an adaptive challenge.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Relationship between Technical
and Adaptive Work
• Process flow between technical and adaptive work
• Using technical work strategically to gain short term
wins and move a change process forward
• How does this framework impact the way you think
about the implementation of your strategic plans?
• Do not put a technical solution to an adaptive
challenge!
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
BIG QUESTIONS
How to leverage Federal dollars for these services that
don’t identify a specific client?
•
•
•
Promoting public health model.
Consulting and providing Technical Assistance to
early childhood providers.
Screening all children for social and emotional
issues.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
TRAINING & TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
The Work of the Leader
Adaptive
Facilitation
Shared Vision
Collaborative Decision
Making
Technical
STRESS
Coordination
Expert Advice
Procedures
• Would expert advice and technical adjustments within basic routines
suffice, or would people throughout the system have to learn new
ways of doing business, develop new competencies and begin to work
collectively?
• How might T/TA be useful in order to help define the adaptive or
technical challenge and facilitate adaptive and technical work?
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
New Role and Skills for
Leadership in Adaptive
Work
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Leadership as a Function in
Adaptive Work
• Leadership can be seen as the process of envisioning
and initiating change by mobilizing others to alter
the status quo, in response to an urgent challenge or
a compelling opportunity.
How do you understand this definition now?
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Role of Leadership in Adaptive
Work
Create a context for learning and
support so that the innovation or
change or new effort can be
generated, understood, absorbed
and ultimately acted upon by all.
Source: Ellen B. Kagen, Georgetown University, 2010
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
DIFFERENT SERVICES
• Consultation without identified client
• Cross training of early childhood caregivers
DIFFERENT PLACES TO SERVE
Childcare
 Parent Child Centers
 Pediatric practices

© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Achieving System Reform Goals

Work together

Emphasize shared values

Learn from differences

Engage key stakeholders

Focus on the philosophy and
values
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Role of Leadership in Adaptive
Work
Create a context for learning and
support so that “the change” or
new effort can be generated,
understood, absorbed and
ultimately acted upon by all.
Source: Ellen B. Kagen, Georgetown University, 2010
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Addressing the Adaptive Challenge
New Skills for Leaders
in Adaptive Work
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
RESET
“Reset requires figuring out what, of all
that you say you value, is really
important and must be preserved……
and what, of all that you value, you must
leave behind in order to adapt to a
fundamental new reality.”
Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., Linsky, M., Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis, Harvard
Business Review (2009)
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Stages of Change:
Where are you?
Precontemplation
Contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance
Data Source: Prochaska, J.O., Redding, C.A. & Evers, K.E. (1997). A Transtheoretical Model and Stages of Change. In K.
Glanz, F.M. Lewis, B.K. Rimer (Eds.) Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory Research and Practice a(2 nd edition) (pp.
60-84). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
© 2010 NATIONAL
CENTER FOR
MENTAL HEALTH,2010
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
SlideTECHNICAL
Source: ASSISTANCE
National Center
for CHILDREN’S
Cultural Competence,
The Work of Leadership:
Key Skills
• Get on the Balcony
• Identify the Adaptive Challenge
• Regulate Distress
• Maintain Disciplined Attention
• Give the Work Back to the People
• Protect All Voices
Heifetz, Ron, Leadership without Easy Answers, 1996
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Key Skill:
Get on the Balcony
Leaders need to see a context for change
• Identify lack of alignment between values and
behavior
• Identify struggles over values and power
• Recognize patterns of work avoidance and potential
for conflict
• Watch for unproductive reactions to change
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Key Skill: Identify the Adaptive
Challenge
• Putting the unspoken on the table
• Recognize changes in values, practices,
and relationships.
• Recognize the need to call for a collective sense of
responsibility utilizing our diversity.
• Recognize the requirements for:
– Learning new ways and competencies
– Working collectively to connect ideas
– Identify where our diversity intersects
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Application of the Adaptive
Framework to the Work of Leading
Transformation
Reset: What needs to shift in order for elements of the your change
initiative/the new innovation to become a reality?
Me as a Leader
My Organization
Values and
Attitudes
Relationships
Behaviors and
Practices (habits)
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Regulate Distress
• Create a “Holding Environment”…a place
where:
–Difficult adaptive challenges can be discussed
–Diversity of opinion is welcome
–Experiences, values, and assumptions are
challenged (Challenge conventional wisdom)
–Stress is expected and tolerated
• The leader must use presence and composure
to defer personal emotional response in order
to regulate distress, tolerate uncertainty and
frustration, and facilitate the learning process
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
How to Regulate Distress in a
Holding Environment
Raise the Temperature
• Draw attention to the tough issues
• Give people more responsibility than they are
comfortable with
• Bring conflicts to the surface
• Don’t let people explain away the problem
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
How to Regulate Distress in a
Holding Environment
Lower the Temperature
• Address technical aspects of the problem
• Establish a structure for the problem solving process
by breaking the problem into parts and creating time
frames, decision making rules and clear role
assignments
• Temporarily reclaim responsibility for the tough
issues
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Maintain Disciplined Attention
• Do not avoid disturbing issues through work
avoidance maneuvers such as:
– Scapegoating
– Denial
– Focusing on technical issues
– Focusing on individuals
• Leaders must expose conflict and use it as a source
of creativity.
• Leaders must identify distractions immediately
and move to regain focus.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Give the Work Back to the People
• Get the people to take greater responsibility for the
work of change.
• Get the people to take the initiative to define and
solve the problems.
• Support the people rather than control them.
• Instill confidence in the people so that they will
take risks, and back them up if they make mistakes.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Protect All Voices
• Leaders must rely on others to identify the lack of
alignment between values and behaviors and raise
questions about an impending adaptive challenge.
• Leaders must provide cover for employees who
identify internal conflicts in the organization
• Leaders must avoid the urge to silence unexpected
leadership voices and be open to them even when
they are different from their own perspectives.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
APPLICATION EXERCISE
THE APPLICATION OF THE
SKILLS of the
ADAPTIVE CHALLENGE
FRAMEWORK TO MY
CHANGE INITIATIVE
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Adaptive Leadership Framework
Diagnosis
Action
Organization
Adaptive or
Technical
Authority or
Leadership
Individual
Personalize the
adaptive
challenge
Competing values
and risk taking
Source: Cambridge Leadership Associates, Cambridge, MA
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
The Paradigm Shift: Responsibilities for
Leadership
Responsibility
Direction
Protection
Technical
Adaptive
Skill Example
Define problems
or provide
solutions
Identify the
adaptive
challenge and
frame key
questions and
issues
Ask leading or
open-ended,
tough
provocative
questions
Let the
organization
feel pressures
within a range
it can stand
Resist the urge to
shield people
from tension and
uncertainty. Let
the pinch of
reality stimulate
adaptation.
Manage the rate
of change.
Shield the
organization
from external
threats
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
The Paradigm Shift: Responsibilities for
Leadership
Responsibility
Orientation
Managing
Conflict
Technical
Adaptive
Skill Example
Clarify roles and
responsibilities,
orient new staff
Challenge
current roles
and resist
pressure to
define new
roles quickly
Recognize
opportunities to reorient staff so that
new relationships
can develop where
they can learn
from each other
Restore order,
quell conflict
Draw the issues
out, encourage
debate, and
Expose conflict
facilitate
or let it emerge differences as a
source of
creative energy
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
The Paradigm Shift: Responsibilities for
Leadership
Responsibility
Shaping
Norms
Technical
Maintain norms
Adaptive
Challenge
norms that are
not productive
Skill Example
Challenge
conventional
wisdom. Don’t be
a prisoner of your
experience. Give
up obsolete
practices.
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Leadership Journey Question
• How does this conceptual framework of leadership
make me think about my role as a leader now?
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
“The measure of success is not that
we have difficult problems to face,
just that it’s not the same problem we
had last year.”
John Foster Dulles
© 2010 NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY