Peer Coaching to Counteract Organizational Silence and Foster a Culture of Dialogue

Abstract

Dialogue is essential for transforming the culture of academic health centers, yet organizational silence is common. Senior faculty and administrative leaders can play key roles in building a healthier environment by not only developing their own skills in discussing difficult issues, but also in coaching others to do so. These resources are designed for use in a professional development workshop intended to raise the level of understanding of senior faculty about the impact of organizational silence, generate discussion about practices to support dialogue around challenging issues, and increase their ability coach others to have difficult conversations. Brief didactic components present key background information and the activities allow participants to apply their learning and practice skills, thereby enhancing their confidence and coaching behaviors to effectively assist colleagues in engaging in challenging conversations. Two worksheets, a case example for role play, and a power point slide deck are included. This workshop was presented at a national conference (the 2013 Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Faculty Affairs Professional Development Conference). The audience was comprised primarily of faculty affairs deans at U.S. medical schools, a group of institutional leaders often called upon for advice about, and management of, difficult issues. Evaluations from attendees documented the usefulness of the hands-on activities and the value of the “take home” messages provided during the session. This proposal is limited by not having more robust program evaluation data. Unfortunately, only 10 attendees completed the formal evaluation for the conference. However, because there are so few resources available on the topic of coaching others to counteract organizational silence, we believe it is important to begin filling this gap by offering resources on the topic.