Volume 8, No. 2: Section 10

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ELAM REPORT

Class discussions led by learning communities comprise one of the activities that take place during the yearlong Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) ELAM fellowship.  Each of six learning communities is composed of 7-8 ELAM class members, assigned in advance, and based broadly on geographic regions. Each learning community conducts a discussion involving the entire class over a 2-week period; comments continue to be posted after the assigned dates.  Discussions occur via the distance learning web site on which ELAM announcements, information and class materials are posted.  This year’s learning communities led class discussions on the following six topics:

The Archigia Divas (the name Learning Community #6 created for itself) were intrigued to learn the power of our Fellows’ collective wisdom.  We chose the discussion topic of “Lesson learned from ELAM (so far) and ‘What is to be done?’ ” in hopes of identifying themes that would be useful as we gathered in Bryn Mawr PA in April 2006.  We had found our ELAM experience so powerful that we were looking for ways to sustain the learning process by encouraging our Fellows to identify ongoing plans.

The responses of the Fellows to our topic were slightly paraphrased and grouped into themes, with an executive summary at the end (Table 1).

We look forward to our last week together and to our collective and individual contributions in the future. 

Archigia Divas membership:

• Mary Beckerle, PhD, University of Utah
• Kathryn Reed, MD, University of Arizona
• Mary-Ann Shafer, MD, University of California, San Francisco
• Rosalyn Scott, MD, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
• Dena Towner, MD, University of California, Davis
• Hannah Valantine, MD, Stanford University
• Nancy Zahniser, PhD, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

LESSONS LEARNED from ELAM Thus Far: Themes

The Big Picture:

Information on organizational patterns was helpful.

• We can now better understand own institution.
• Institutional comparisons reveal useful differences.
• School of Medicine exercise surfaced complexities of organization.
• Business literature has pertinent theories and examples.

Finances are generally poorly understood but can be learned.

Women in academia still struggle, face barriers and lack some important skills.

Connections:

We are an incredible resource to each other.

• We have varieties of approaches and experiences.
• We are willing to share.
• Small group experience differs from large group experience.
• Non-competitive atmosphere was beneficial (different fields and institutions).

Networking within and outside the university is important.

• There is strength in numbers.
• It makes it easier to get some things done.
• It provides avenues for connection/reassurance.

Key officer interviews are an excellent entrée into contacts and understanding the “system”.

Mentoring (Teaching and Learning): Themes

Identifying positive deviants allows local/peer learning.
Coaches may be quite useful.
Negotiation exercises are instructive.

• TOPS (Tops/Middles/Bottoms/Customers) exercise made an impression on people re: how challenging roles are.

Asking for advice and resources is important and gets results.

• Women Don’t Ask by Babcock L and Laschever S is a great reference.

Declining some offers is important (depending on priorities).

• Page Morahan’s Passion Thermometer is useful.

Conflict management involves listening.

• Ladder of inference explains much about how behavior can escalate.

Conversation style affects outcomes.
Awareness of unconscious patterns may help us break them.
Personality testing (MBTI) was instructive.

• People are different. It helps to understand this and work with differences.

360⁰ review was instructive. [The 360⁰ review consists of ratings from supervisors, reports, peers, and others. The review is conducted through the Center for Creative Leadership, and collected into a detailed summary of performance from 360⁰.]

• People (like us) can be unaware of negative impacts they have.

Learning and teaching are deeply interwoven.

• We can teach what we have learned to others.
• There is always more to learn.
• Maintaining an open mind and asking questions is important.

Working outside one’s comfort zone is important.

Action:

The Action Project designed by the fellow and her mentor to accomplish a goal of important to the institution was helpful.

Development Plan (based on the 360⁰ review) was useful in guiding activities and choices.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE? Themes

Big Picture:

Continue to change.
Stay open to inquiry; stay curious.

Connections:

Continue contact/network with:
Continue contact/network with:

• ELAM class members
• ELUMS within your institution and nationally
• SELAM
• People of import (e.g., other professional women, mentors, key officers) within your institution and nationally

Mentoring:

Find a way to teach skills to others. Set up curricula locally.
Ask questions. Seek advice from others.
Learn to say “NO”.
Encourage others to apply to ELAM.
Have a coach.

Practical/Action:

Continue action project.
Keep working with benchmarks.
Continue to get feedback from raters.
Subscribe to Harvard Business Review.
Continue to read, including literature outside one’s discipline.

Executive Summary of Lessons Learned and Action

Learned:

There is power in connection.
It is important to ask.
It is important to listen.
There are recognizable patterns of organizational behavior.
There are recognizable patterns in individual behavior.
There is value in difference.
Learning may be uncomfortable, and
There is always more to learn.

Action:

Foster continued connection.
Stay open (to differences, to feedback).
Be curious.
Be willing to change.
Continue to learn and teach.
Learn from listening.
Model all of the above for others.

                                                                                              Kathy Reed, MD
University of Arizona
ELAM Class of 2006