Coached Others Flashcards
Can you recall a time when you provided coaching or mentoring to someone, but they struggled to make progress? How did you adapt your coaching style and support to help them overcome challenges?
Situation: As the CIO at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), I was mentoring a team member who was consistently missing deadlines, despite having the skills and knowledge to perform well.
Task: It was crucial for me to uncover the cause of this issue and adapt my coaching style to help this individual overcome their challenges.
Action: I had an open and honest conversation with them to understand the root of the problem. It became apparent that they were having issues with time management and prioritization. Acknowledging this, I changed my mentoring approach. Instead of focusing mainly on technical skills, we began working on time management techniques, setting priorities, and creating efficient workflows. I also emphasized the importance of taking responsibility for their work and meeting deadlines.
Result: This adjustment led to significant improvements in their performance. They started meeting their deadlines consistently and became more productive, demonstrating the value of adaptive coaching and the importance of personal accountability.
Describe a situation where you provided feedback to a team member, but they seemed resistant to accepting or implementing it. How did you handle the resistance and create a positive learning environment?
Situation: As the CIO at BAMC, I dealt with a team member’s project management challenges affecting timely IT project completion of milestones. He was resistant to feedback and improvement. He blamed the other stakeholders for missing the milestones.
Task: I aimed to address his resistance and foster a positive learning environment for project management and meeting the project milestones.
Action: In a one-on-one meeting, I discussed his challenges, providing constructive guidance and valuable resources on project management and time management. I emphasized teamwork and shared responsibilities.
Result: I fostered a learning environment that increased the individual’s openness to feedback and support. His engagement in training and team collaboration improved project delivery. Key to managing resistance and fostering professional growth were empathy, guidance, and teamwork.
Tell me about a time when you coached someone who initially lacked confidence or skills in a particular area. How did you help them build self-assurance and improve their performance?
Situation: As the CIO at BAMC, I faced a challenge with a team member, who lacked confidence and skills in managing large scale IT projects.
Task: Recognizing the importance of supporting and developing team members, my task was to coach him and help him build the necessary confidence and project management skills.
Action: I engaged in open dialogue to understand his concerns and identified areas of uncertainty. Together, we set achievable goals and a roadmap for his growth. I provided hands-on guidance, mentoring, and constructive feedback as he managed smaller projects. Gradually, I increased project complexity, encouraging calculated risks and supporting him through challenges.
Result: Over time, his abilities and self-assurance significantly improved. With each successful project, he grew in confidence and embraced more significant responsibilities, becoming a valuable asset to the team.
Share an example of a coaching relationship that led to significant improvement and growth for the individual. What coaching techniques did you employ, and how did you track their progress throughout development?
Situation: As the CIO at BAMC, I encountered a branch chief who sought to enhance her leadership skills and elevate her team’s performance.
Task: My mission was to provide coaching and support in order to foster significant growth in her leadership abilities and overall team performance.
Action: I actively listened and collaborated to assist her with her leadership and performance goals. I conducted a strengths assessment for her self-awareness and provided constructive feedback, along with actionable actions to foster growth. I offered relevant leadership development resources and ongoing support for executing action plans.
Result: My coaching led to notable growth in the branch chief’s leadership skills, boosting her team’s performance and work environment. Increased leadership capabilities fostered better engagement, collaboration, and efficiency, highlighting the importance of leadership development for organizational success.
Describe a situation where you coached a team member through a conflict with a colleague or a difficult situation. How did you facilitate resolution, and what did you learn about the importance of coaching in maintaining a harmonious team dynamic?
Situation: As the Chief of the Infrastructure and Operations Division, I managed a substantial and diverse team. A substantial disagreement arose between two key team members over the strategy for replacing our legacy VPN system. The conflict began to disrupt productivity and team harmony.
Task: My task was to quickly resolve the conflict, ensure the successful replacement of the legacy VPN system, and maintain team cohesion.
Action: I called a meeting with conflicting team members to understand perspectives better. Facilitated a discussion where each person presented their proposed strategies and openly discussed strengths and drawbacks. Guided them to collaborate and develop a combined solution leveraging the best aspects of both strategies.
Result: The approach resolved the conflict, improving collaboration and team dynamics. Their combined strategy successfully replaced the legacy VPN system. This highlighted the importance of active intervention, open discussions, and collaborative problem-solving in conflict resolution and achieving goals.
How have you been able to marshal diversity to achieve your organization’s stated mission?
Situation: As the CIO at BAMC, I aimed to optimize patient and staff safety, documentation, and engagement.
Task: I facilitated the $4.5M Vocera acquisition to bring in a cutting-edge communication and collaboration system to the hospital.
Action: I formed a diverse project team, valuing their insights, and developed an diversity and inclusion internal policy based on army regulations and hospital policies for seamless execution.
Result: The Vocera acquisition was a success, greatly improving patient and staff safety, documentation, and engagement. Embracing diversity led to an inclusive and innovative culture.
Can you tell me about a time when you helped a colleague improve their performance?
Situation: While serving as the Chief Information Officer at the Regional Health Command-Pacific, I noticed a colleague struggling to meet deadlines due to inefficient task management.
Task: As a leader, my role was to help him improve his performance without causing any stress or humiliation.
Action: I initiated a private conversation to discuss his challenges. I offered him practical advice on task prioritization and time management, recommending some tools and techniques that had served me well. I also set up weekly check-in meetings to monitor his progress and provide ongoing support.
Result: Over the next few months, he significantly improved his task management skills, which led to more timely completion of projects and a decrease in stress. This situation reminded me of the importance of mentorship and providing actionable advice in improving team performance.
Describe a situation where you mentored a less experienced team member.
Situation: When I was Chief, IT Infrastructure and Operations at the Defense Health Agency, a new team member who was fresh out of college joined our team.
Task: As the team leader, my task was to get this new member up to speed with our workflows and system deployments.
Action: I decided to mentor this individual personally, offering training sessions on our work protocols and providing insights into the practical applications of his theoretical knowledge. We also worked on soft skills like effective communication and teamwork.
Result: Over time, this team member became proficient and even excelled in his tasks. His progression reiterated the value of personal mentorship and patience in nurturing talent within a team.
Share an example of when you gave constructive feedback to a team member.
Situation: During my tenure as CIO at the Brooke Army Medical Center, I noticed a team member whose performance was slightly slipping due to a lack of organization.
Task: As his superior, it was my job to address the situation and help him improve his performance.
Action: I arranged a one-on-one meeting to discuss the situation in a non-confrontational manner. I shared specific instances where I noticed the issues and offered constructive feedback on how he could improve, such as implementing organization tools and setting personal deadlines.
Result: The team member appreciated the feedback, implemented the changes, and his performance improved significantly. This incident highlighted the effectiveness of delivering feedback in a supportive, constructive manner.
Tell me about a time when you guided your team through a difficult situation or project.
Situation: During my tenure as Chief, IT Infrastructure and Operations at DHA, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, necessitating a swift pivot to support remote operations. We had to provide technical support to 10,000 COVID-19 patients and participants, while maintaining 24/7 IT support to the MHS and its nine million users.
Task: The task was to quickly transition our services to accommodate remote operations without impacting the quality of support.
Action: I took the initiative to leverage Amazon Connect, planning for the transition of 300 call agents to remote work. I ensured clear communication and provided detailed guidelines to the team regarding the shift in work methodology. I monitored the execution and made adjustments where necessary to ensure smooth operations.
Result: The transition was successful, with efficient support to 240,000 users maintained, demonstrating agility in adopting innovative solutions during crisis. This experience taught me the importance of swift decision-making, clear communication, and flexibility in guiding a team through a difficult situation.
