The Mindful Supervisor: Cognitive Principles in Staff Supervision

The Mindful Supervisor:

Cognitive Principles in Staff Supervision

A Production of the Great Western Regional Field Coordinators – 2005-2007Dr. John Eggers – Correctional Program Specialist, NIC

The Mindful Supervisor: Cognitive Principles in Staff Supervision

Great Western Regional Field Coordinators:• Dave Dusschee – Oregon• Tim Foss – Washington• Carrie Hodap – Arizona• Karen Holland – Wyoming• Steven King – Utah• Amy Le – California• Gregory Morton – Oregon• Aaron Shepard – Idaho• Toni Spencer – California• Wayne Ternes – Montana

With course design assistance provided by:

• Gary Lasater, Oregon Youth Authority

• Patrick Samples, Oregon Department of Corrections

• John Tyler, Oregon Department of Corrections



MINDFULNESS –

A technique in which a person becomes purposefully aware of his/her thoughts, feelings and

decisions in the present moment, non-judgmentally.

It serves as a pre-requisite to developing insight and

wisdom.

MINDFULNESS –•Overlapping

concepts:– Emotional

Intelligence– Self Awareness– Authentic Leadership– Metacognition

LEADERSHIP AND SELF AWARENESS

• “21st century leadership calls for a new type of leader who understands him/herself well and can call others into a higher state of being, rather than the old style leader who simply knows how to manage [business] processes.”– Connelly and Diaz; Executive

Awareness, 2007

LEADERSHIP AND SELF AWARENESS• “A fundamental starting

point for leadership development is self awareness . . . Self-knowledge continues to serve our growth and development throughout life . . . who you are and what you believe is possible.”– Avolio and Luthans; The High Impact

Leader, 2006

“Releasing ourselves from the need to keep half of ourselves hidden…, to entertain the possibility that there is an integral wholeness to all the seemingly antagonistic and opposing sides of ourselves, a possibility that we may not have to be ‘fixed’ or amended before we can serve ourselves or the company.”

– David Whyte; The Heart Aroused, 1996

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Socrates, 399 BC

http://www.quotedb.com/authors/socrates

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Socrates, 399 BC

Course Outline: 1. Qualities and Skill Building for Supervisors

Personal Position Statement; Cognitive/Behavioral Model

2. Values Dissonance: Personal Vision & Organizational Context

3. Effective Communication

4. Making Decisions and Creating Solutions

5. Valuing Differences

6. Encouraging Performance

7. Team Building

8. Supervisory Development Plan

Qualities and Skill Building

for Supervisors



• Discuss at least one professional mentor and model in your life.

• Explain the concept of automatic thoughts and feelings.

• Examine the three internal dimensions of the Cognitive/Behavioral model.

• Review the two external dimensions of the Cognitive/Behavioral model.

• Utilize the Supervisory Self-Awareness (SSA) Model

Performance Objectives:

• What is an effective supervisor?

• What does being a supervisor mean to you?

• What are the skill sets needed by a supervisor?

• What emotions contribute to effectiveness?

Questions

Mentors and Models

• Individually write the names of several people who you have learned from.

• List the memorable and effective characteristics and attributes that you adapted from each one.

Now list the negative attributes and characteristics that each had.

• Which would you keep?

• Which would you drop?

• Which would you add?

Mentors and Models

1. QUALITIES AND SKILL BUILDING FOR SUPERVISORS

• What’s missing in the picture of this tree?


• The roots!!!


• What are our roots like?

BEHAVIOR* Skill

* Stated Knowledge

THOUGHTS

FEELINGS* More likely aware

COGNITIVE STRUCTURE (thinking patterns)

BELIEFS AND ATTITUDES

* Under the surface

Source: Mark Carey, The Carey Group

Personal Position Statement

•“What’s your frequency?”

QUALITIES AND SKILL BUILDING FOR SUPERVISORS

• Cognitive/Behavioral Model

Cognitive/Behavioral Model

Situation

FeelingsThoughts

Consequences

Behavior

Two External Dimensions•Situations, Consequences


Three Internal Dimensions•Thoughts, Feelings, Behavior

Risky thoughts and feelings contribute to either ineffective

relationship or productivity outcomes.

Pro-social thoughts and feelings contribute to effective

relationship or productivity outcomes.


Situation

FeelingsThoughts

Consequences

Behavior

SUPERVISORY SELF AWARENESS NOTES

SITUATION AUTOMATIC THOUGHTS

AND FEELINGS

(Real)

PREFERRED OUTCOME

MINDFUL THOUGHTS

AND FEELINGS(Desired)

ACTION

Identify several situations

• List your real, automatic thoughts, feelings and actions

• Stop there

Review:

• Mentors and Roots

• Personal Position Statement

• Cognitive Behavioral Model

• Supervisory Self Awareness Notes

Qualities and Skill Building for Supervisors

Personal Vision and

Organizational Context

Values Dissonance:

• Utilize the Supervisory Self-Awareness (SSA) Model to analyze congruence between your Personal Position Statement and your agency Mission

• Utilize the SSA Model to analyze discrepancies between your Personal Position Statement and an agency policy or practice


Where there is no vision, the people perish.

• Identify your agency’s mission statement. Don’t interpret it according to your own preferences.

• Retrieve your personal position statement.

• Using an SSA worksheet, compare the two.

• Is there any dissonance ?

Individual Activity - Mission Statement

• Choose a situation where you are in conflict with the expectations of your agency

• Fill out Automatic Thoughts and Feelings, Preferred Outcomes and Mindful Thoughts and Feelings

• Don’t fill out the Action section

Individual Activity - Personal Values vs. Agency Values Conflict

• Did you have automatic thoughts or feelings? Were they risky?

• How did you express those automatic thoughts or feelings?

• What were your behaviors?

• What were the positive and negative consequences of those behaviors?

Personal Values vs. Agency Values Conflict

• Do your personal beliefs impact your organizational expectations?

• Do your personal beliefs impact your expectations as a supervisor?

Personal Vision and Organizational Context

360˚ Supervisor Skills Assessment Instrument

The Mindful Supervisor

360 DEGREE FEEDBACK, aka Using Your Mirrors

“There is a way to do it better . . . find it.”

• Thomas A. Edison, describing his research strategy

360 DEGREE FEEDBACK

Three Reasons We Reject Feedback Given By Others

• Unwillingness to Challenge Self-perceptions• Fear of Exposing Weaknesses• Fear of Unbalanced Feedback

• Lepsinger, Lucia; The Art and Science of 360 Feedback

360 DEGREE FEEDBACK

• Unwillingness to Challenge Self-perceptions• Comfort zones are comfortable • Why mess with a good thing? • A strong belief in oneself and

one’s ability are important factors in management confidence

360 DEGREE FEEDBACK

• Fear of Exposing Weaknesses• And a voluntary 360 is like

asking for our weaknesses to be exposed – publicly

• Can set up defensiveness and denial

• Are you calling me fat?

360 DEGREE FEEDBACK

• Fear of Unbalanced Feedback• People will only see the negatives• The good things I do will be

overlooked and ignored• Nobody’s perfect, but I’m not a

total idiot

MINDFULNESS –

A technique in which a person becomes purposefully aware of his/her thoughts, feelings and

decisions in the present moment, non-judgmentally.

It serves as a pre-requisite to developing insight and

wisdom.

Supervisory Self Awareness Notes


AND FEELINGS (Real)

PREFERRED OUTCOME

MINDFULTHOUGHTS


ACTION

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Change your thinking and

you change your world.

•Discuss the value of Stephen Covey’s Habit #5.

•Identify the three components of verbal communication and the percentage of information found in each.

•Explain the relationship of Self Talk to the Communications model and to the Cognitive/Behavioral Model.


• Describe the Arc of Distortion.

• Utilize the Left-Hand Column Model to analyze thoughts and feelings.


“Seek first to understand and then to be understood.”

Habit #5

Stephen R. Covey,

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1990.

Communication Assessment

Courageous Communication. Win-win; we constantly learn from and grow with each other.

Problems occur; we work to fix them. Repeat as necessary. Pretty much on the same page.

Agree to Disagree, then step away. I’d do more if you would.

Adversarial; I win, you lose. It’s mostly your fault. Contentious.

Sabotage Communication. Enemies, enemies; everywhere you look.

Communication Assessment

Courageous Communication. Win-win; we constantly learn from and grow with each other.

Problems occur; we work to fix them. Repeat as necessary. Pretty much on the same page.

Agree to Disagree, then step away. I’d do more if you would.

Adversarial; I win, you lose. It’s mostly your fault. Contentious.

Sabotage Communication. Enemies, enemies; everywhere you look.

Self

Work

Communication and Trust

Empathy/Caring

Commitment/ Dedication

Honesty/Openness

Competence/

Expertise

3 Components of Communication

Language 7%Body

Language 55%

Paralanguage 38%

The Communication Iceberg

Attitude, motivational level

Communication skill level

10%

90%

“Seek first to understand

and then to be

understood.” Stephen R. Covey

Behaviors of Courageous

Communication in

Supervision

The Communication Model

The Sender

The Receiver

Feedback

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The Messa

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The Responsibilities of the Receiver

The Receiver

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The Sender

The Message

How do you know someone is NOT listening?

Receiver Filters

What we are thinking and feeling,

Our Self Talk

while the other person is speaking.

Receiver Filters

Self Talk

The Receiver

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The Sender

The Message

I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. Unknown

What you actually heard

Arc of “Distortion MAYBE

YES

Arc of Distortion

“Focus on the Situation, Issue or

Behavior and Not on the Person.”

Achieve Global

Advocacy and Inquiry

Advocacy: n. an advocating: a speaking or writing in support (of something)

Inquiry n. 1. The act of inquiring. 2. An investigation or examination. 3. A question; query.

4 Steps of Inquiry

1. Temporarily suspend your internal filters

2. Listen

3. Ask questions about what you hear

4. Ask more questions about the answers you receive

Mindfulness in communication

• P

25

Cognitive Behavior

Behavioral• Observe and describe the behavior• Communicate appropriate approval or disapproval • Require appropriate response and commitment to change• Support and follow up

Cognitive• Pay attention to thoughts and feelings• Notice & appreciate risk in thinking• Use new thinking to reduce risk• Practice until good• Support & follow up

Fight or Flight?

Fight• Expression of

anger

• Subtle sarcasm

• Sharp answers

• Clever comebacks

• Belittling humor

• Judgments

Flight• Withdrawal• Feeling sorry for

oneself• Sulking• Growing cold• Being indifferent• Escaping

involvement• Escaping

responsibilities


Situation

FeelingsThoughts

Consequences

Behavior

Change your thinking and you

change your world.

Check your filters

Check your Self Talk

Work on reducing your Arc of Distortion

Practice the 4 Steps of Inquiry

Receiver Skill Sets

Responsibility of the

Sender

The Sender

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The Receiver

The Message

Sender Filters

• Left-hand Column • Right-hand Column

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What I’m thinking

What is said

Left-hand Column Exercise

Left-hand Column Right-hand Column

• Jon: I heard you bought a new car.

• You: Yes, I got a new red sports car.

• Jon: Really, what kind?

• You: A Jaguar.

• Jon: A brand new one

• You: You betcha.


Right-hand Column

• Jon: I heard you bought a new car.

• You: Yes, I got a new red sports car.

• Jon: Really, what kind?

• You: A Jaguar.

• Jon: A brand new one

• You: You betcha.

Left-hand Column

• Jon: How can you afford a new car?

• You: Woo hoo! Look at me now

• Jon: Probably a Ford

• You: A Convertible

• Jon: It’s probably a 1970.

• You: Eat your heart out


Right-hand Column

• Q: How long have you been working as a

supervisor?• A: About a year.• Q: Have you had any

major concerns with staff?

• A: Yea, a couple of times.

• Q: So did you talk to anyone about your concerns?

• A: No, I didn’t want my peers to think I was weak.

Left-hand Column

Sender Filters

• Left-hand Column • Right-hand Column

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What I’m thinking

What is said

• What was I trying to accomplish?• Did I achieve the results I wanted?• How might have my comments contributed to the difficulties? • Why didn’t I say what was in my left hand column?• What assumptions did I make about the other person or people?• How can I use my left-hand column as a resource to improve communications?

Reflection: Using Your Left-hand Column as a Resource

The Message

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The Messa

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Communication Stoppers• “This is the way it is…”

• “You’re wrong…”

• “What’s your proof…”

• “Whatever”

• “You…”

• We vs. They or Us vs. Them

• GOSSIP

To look outward is to blame;

to look inward is to own.

“When the relationship is not well established, a chapter of words won’t be sufficient to communicate meaning because meanings are not found in words – they are found in people.”

Covey, Stephen R., The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY, 1990.

How to get your point across

•State your main point immediately•Use language easily understood•Write to the needs of the listener•Spell correctly•Have a friend or co-worker review it•Don’t assume with e-mail

The Filters

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The Sender

The Receiver

The Message

Story of the PioneerDuring the days of wagon trains moving west, a rest station formed overnight in Northern Minnesota. Most wagon trains passed through this station. One old gentlemen always greeted each group of pioneers. One day, a family of pioneers asked the old man what the people were like out west. The old man says, “What were the people like where you came from?” The pioneer says, “Oh, they were great people. In fact, our neighbors all got together and bought us this buckboard. We are really going to miss them.” “Well,” says the old man, “you are in luck. That is exactly how the people are out west were you are going.”

A month or so later, another pioneer family passed through the rest station. They approached the old man and asked him what the people were like out west. The old man says, “What were the people like where you came from?” The pioneer says, “They were mean and despicable and always trying to cheat us. That is why we left the East to go out west.” “Well,” says the old man, “ (fill in the blank) “

MAKING DECISIONS AND

CREATING SOLUTIONS

•Apply the Cognitive/Behavioral Model to past outcomes.

•Develop an alternative list of Thoughts and Feelings related to a past outcome.

•Coach others in the use of the Cognitive/Behavioral Model related to past outcomes.




AND FEELINGS (Real)

PREFERRED OUTCOME

MINDFULTHOUGHTS


ACTION

• State the situation objectively

• Identify your thoughts and feelings

• Identify any risky thoughts/feelings

• What behavior did you choose?

• What were the consequences?


• Brainstorm a list of new thoughts and feelings to replace your risky thoughts and feelings

• Decide what new thoughts and feelings will bring you closer to the outcome you desire

• Decide the action you will take following those new thoughts and feelings


VALUING DIFFERENCES

•Identify professional strengths in four color types.

•Develop and present non-labeling “Differences” presentation.

•Apply the color types to a job-specific event.

•Relate the color types to agency diversity practices.


Blue

Gold

Green

Orange

True Colors

3. VALUING DIFFERENCES

• BLUE• Sympathetic, personal• Relationship oriented, cherish

harmony• Process rather than content• Can project uncertainty • Adept at interacting with and

supporting others• “I personally don’t care

whether it needs to be fixed or not as long as we all agree. The agreement’s the thing.”


• GOLD• Prefers practical, realistic

plans• Measurable goals; rational • Blueprint with time lines, e.g.

PERT chart • Follow-through • May be rigid and formulaic • Honors traditional methods• “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”


• GREEN• Abstract, analytical, inventive• Create new systems and improve

designs• My head rules my heart, logically• Appreciate work that is mentally

stimulating • May question authority, be

impatient with routine • Long-range focus • “It needs to be fixed on some level.

Look harder.”


• ORANGE• Experimentation, pilot projects • Change is an on-going process • Timing is everything • Short-range focus • Desire immediate

results/instant gratification• “We haven’t changed things for

a while, so why not today?!”

True Colors Activity

• What are the strengths of your color?

• What attributes does your group possess that each of the other groups should possess? Explain why.

• BE PERSUASIVE AND DIRECT.

True Colors Activity

•Develop and present a brief lesson to the large group, dealing with “True Colors” in a non-pejorative fashion.

Review

•What have you learned or taught yourselves from this exercise?

Encouraging Performance


• Explain the concept of reinforcement as a relative relationship

• Discuss the value of a 4:1, positive : negative reinforcement ratio

• Describe the steps for using negative consequences

• Examine the value of modeling in the effective use of authority

Reinforcement

•Exists in the relationship between things

•Incentives and rewards should always be individualized

Reinforcement•Positive Reinforcement is the introduction of something desired to increase a behavior

• Negative Reinforcement is the removal or reduction of something undesirable to increase a behavior

4:1 – WATCH YOUR RATIO!

• 4 – INCENTIVES AND POSTIVE REINFORCERS

matched with

• 1 – LIMITS AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

ENCOURAGING PERFORMANCE

FOR MOST PEOPLE . . .

Attention is like sunshine to usWhat we give our attention to, growsWhat we ignore, withers


We Learn By:

• What We See and Hear (Observe)

• What We Practice (Model)• What Is Reinforced


Therefore, make sure:• Staff SEE desired behavior;• Staff HEAR desired behavior;• Staff PRACTICE desired behavior;

and• Staff ARE REINFORCED when

desired behavior is demonstrated.


Key Components of Positive Reinforcement:

• Noticing• Sincerely praise progress (any

progress)• The more frequently and sincerely you

pay attention to a behavior, the more it will be repeated

Limits and Negative Consequences

• Apply immediately to extinguish unwanted behavior

• Follow through

• Apply at the level of the behavior

• Apply consistently

• Use a variety of negative limits and consequences

Limits and Negative Consequences

• Use short-sweet consequences, never spread out or use harsh and extensive consequences

• Apply these unemotionally or with neutral affect

• Stop showing disapproval once the current behavior is extinguished.

Effective Use of Authority

• Clarify expectations

• Set standards

• Provide respectful feedback

• Model desired behaviors

1. Arguing for change2. Assuming the expert role3. Criticizing, shaming or blaming4. Labeling5. Being in a hurry6. Claiming preeminence

1. Arguing for change2. Assuming the expert role3. Criticizing, shaming or blaming4. Labeling5. Being in a hurry6. Claiming preeminence

Avoid The Boss Traps

Not Listening: Roadblocks

(Thomas Gordon)

1. Ordering, directing, commanding2. Warning, cautioning, threatening3. Giving advice, providing suggestions and solutions4. Persuading with logic, arguing, lecturing5. Moralizing6. Disagreeing, judging, criticizing, blaming7. Shaming, ridiculing, labeling8. Interpreting, analyzing9. Reassuring, sympathizing, consoling10.Questioning, probing, interrogating11.Withdrawing, distracting, humoring, changing the subject


Instead:• Roll with resistance. Defending

breeds defensiveness. Resistance is a signal to respond differently.

• Avoid arguing for change. Labeling is unnecessary.

• Use momentum to positive advantage.

• Invite new perspectives rather than impose them.


And:• Recognize “Change Talk”; Support it.• Notice it; Reflect it; Don’t ignore it.• Ask for examples/elaboration. The

employee is the primary source for new answers and solutions.

• Affirm change talk (reinforce, encourage, support).

• Summarize; paraphrase.

Reminder!

People change because

they think they have

a problem, not because

you think they have

a problem.

Summary

• Reinforcement can be both positive and negative

• Incentives and rewards should always be individualized

• Remember the 4:1 ratio

• Model desired behaviors

Team Team BuildingBuilding

•Accomplish guided team Accomplish guided team activitiesactivities

•Utilize previous training Utilize previous training material during team material during team building activities in order building activities in order to increase team to increase team effectivenesseffectiveness

•Coach class members Coach class members regarding relevant skill sets regarding relevant skill sets demonstrated during team demonstrated during team building activitiesbuilding activities

Performance Performance Objectives:Objectives:

•Snow SurvivalSnow Survival

•Control TowerControl Tower

•Blind ShapesBlind Shapes

•Hollow SquareHollow Square

Exercise Choices:Exercise Choices:

• How was the team How was the team practicing practicing effective effective

communication skills?communication skills?

• Did the team use Did the team use cognitive cognitive behavioral behavioral

techniques?techniques?

• What decision making What decision making and and creating solution creating solution

skills did you skills did you observe being observe being used?used?

ObserversObservers

Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw

8. SUPERVISORY DEVELOPMENT PLAN


• The Supervisory Development Plan is the bridge between this course and your return to the work site. It puts everything into the context of the bigger picture.


To begin your Supervisory Development Plan, use these lists to decide which areas are strengths and challenges for you.

With each of these areas fill out a Supervisory Self Awareness Worksheet.


In the Situation column of the worksheet, list the situations you see you most need improvement in.

List your thoughts and feelings,

both automatic and mindful, and then the preferred outcomes.

What action do you plan to take to increase your effectiveness in each area?


• If you have Supervisory Self Awareness worksheets unfinished

• Fill out the bottom half of the “Action” part of the form—what will your actions be now?

Thank you all for your time, energy, thoughts and feelings.

A Production of the Great Western Regional Field Coordinators – 2005-2007Dr. John Eggers – Correctional Program

Specialist, NIC

The Mindful Supervisor: Cognitive Principles in Staff Supervision

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