he CameronLeadershipProcessTM (CLP) is based on an empirically-tested method of leadership consulting and coaching developed by Mary Beth Cameron, fast becoming a leading authority in the field. Mary Beth’s straightforward and highly effective process has consistently delivered successful results for many leaders in a broad spectrum of professions. The focus of the CLP is belief modification and behavioral change. By identifying specific beliefs to eliminate and behaviors to improve and choosing concrete methods of change, the CLP supports leaders in making positive and measurable behavior improvements. How does the CLP differ from other belief and behavioral consulting-coaching models?
Focus on only one or two beliefs, as well as one or two behaviors to improve:
- Visible process that involves key constituents
- Systematic measurement of progres
Specifically, the CLP consists of the following eight steps that are typically carried out over the course of a year:
Step 1 – Establish Leader Buy-In
Leaders are more responsive when they set their own goals. During this step, the consulting-coach guides the leader through the process of defining the characteristics and qualities that are important for a leader in his/her position as well as the importance of improving, both for himself as well as for the company.
Step 2 – Identify & Enroll Assessment Contributors
In the case that the leader does not have a current leadership assessment, the consulting-coach involves the leader in identifying a suitable set of contributors to assess the leader. It is important that the leader be involved in this step so that he accepts the assessment results as valid and will not be likely to dismiss or discredit the feedback.
Step 3 – Implement & Review Assessment
This step involves conducting the assessment in a timely manner, compiling a report of the data collected, and sharing the report with the leader. If appropriate, the consulting-coach can conduct interviews with selected stakeholders to provide additional input.
Step 4 – Determine Key Belief(s) and Behavior(s) & Stakeholders
Using the assessment report, the consuling-coach guides the leader to determine which one or two belief(s) and behavior(s) should be the focus of the consulting-coaching engagement and which assessment contributors should be the key stakeholders – individuals who are committed to the leader’s development and willing to provide FeedFuture to the leader during the consulting-coaching engagement. Once the leader has identified belief(s) and behavior(s) and stakeholders, they are validated with the leader’s manager (and/or HR).
Step 5 – Collect FeedFuture
This step requires two types of activities. The first is to enroll the key stakeholders, which happens only once during the CLP. The second activity is to collect feedfuture (suggestions on how to improve the selected behavior in the future) from the key stakeholders. Collecting feedfuture happens regularly throughout the CLP.
Studies on the value of this step are very clear. When successful people identify and articulate goals, announce these goals to others and involve colleagues in helping them improve, positive and measurable change is more likely to occur.
Step 6 – Develop Action Plan
Once the stakeholders begin to provide feedfuture, they become the true “coaches”. This step involves the consulting-coach and leader developing an action plan with specific and measurable behaviors based on the feedfuture suggestions of the stakeholders.
On a monthly basis, the action plan will be revisited and revised according to the leader’s progress.
Step 7 – Facilitate Follow-up
This step occurs iteratively with Steps 5 and 6. In the leader’s conversations with stakeholders, he or she will ask for feedback on his/her performance over the last month and then ask for feedfuture suggestions. Depending on the stakeholders’ suggestions, the consulting-coach works with the leader to adjust the action plan regularly.
Step 8 – Review Results
In addition to the informal follow-up conversations (leader-stakeholder, leader-coach, and in unusual cases, coach-stakeholder), more formal methods of assessing progress, called mini-surveys, are conducted at the mid and endpoints of the consulting-coaching engagement. These mini-surveys are designed to assess the stakeholders’ perceptions of the leader’s improvement in his selected behavior(s).
After the final assessment at the end of the engagement, the consulting-coach and leader determine how the leader can continue applying the steps of the CLP without a consulting-coach as they identify new beliefs to be eliminated, target positive belief replacements and work with behaviors they want to improve.
