Articles by Nicole Orillac

At the beginning of The Cohort Experiment, we posted what we regard as the seven variables defining a “real cohort.” To test our thinking, we asked other fellows which of the variables from our list they considered indispensable in shaping a cohort experience for leadership development.  The general answer was “all of them”! This answer signaled we were on the right track.

Upon further probing, fellows selected a few “indispensable” variables from the list but with no identifiable trend. Variables that were deemed as core to some of the programs were considered less relevant in others. This lack of commonality in answers makes sense given that all the programs are quite different in their design (See our previous posts: Inward and Outward Approach; Full Time vs Incremental).

However, at least three of the seven fellows we interviewed identified the following variables as critical to shaping the cohort experience for leadership development:

1. Common purpose as the basis for collaboration (part of Variable #1). As Blair explained in her last post, success in bonding of the cohort for “full-time” programs is highly dependent on the shared vision of the group.
2. Balance of individual and group development (Variable #2) with special emphasis on the importance of incorporating tools and spaces for processing individual progress and group interaction (Variable #6).“People assume that by putting individuals together they will have a conversation about how to improve interactions. Unless you formally set up a time for analysis and discussion, this will not happen.” - Dileepan Siva (Coro Fellow)
3. Having a dedicated mediator/skilled facilitator (Variable #7) to assist the group in activities and processing its progress. In many cases, this role is played by the program manager.

In addition, a fellow suggested that we add one more variable to our list: “balance between process and content.” In brief, he refers to the idea that people gain understanding in different ways. “Some people are driven more by the process by which learning takes place whereas others feel motivated by the outcome.” Consequently, in this fellow’s opinion, programs should aim at incorporating learning opportunities that are both process- and content-based.

Finally, we identified a common concern among the fellows interviewed: how to build a sense of common purpose and connectedness across “classes” of fellows. In other words, how to build a strong alumni network to allow for continued interaction and learning. This will be the theme of next week’s blog where you will have to chance to learn from programs that are further ahead in their effort to build a strong alumni network and the challenges they had to overcome.

One of the premises of our experiment is the idea that cohorts are not only a structure (a group of people) but also the holding environment for learning and interaction among members. To test this hypothesis we asked fellows from other programs whether they felt that their cohort peers had played a role in their learning process and development as individuals. The unanimous answer was yes. Below we present what the fellows shared as ways in which the cohort environment added value to their fellowship experience.

First, by coming closer to people from other fields that share a common purpose and are doing similar things fellows became more aware of themselves as leaders and entrepreneurs.

“Meeting the other fellows in my group allowed me to become more aware of what happens in the outside world and what others are doing. It is a humbling experience that obliges you to reflect on what you are doing and challenges you to think about how you can do better.”- Kamal Mouzawak, Synergos Arab World Social Innovator

Fellows from other programs agree with Kamal and add that by sharing experiences with their cohort they gained a better understanding of the common challenges faced by the group. Whether this realization will spark to develop collaboration or new ideas is another matter shares Derek Ellerman, an Ashoka Fellow. “You need time to build the trust that will lower the barriers to natural collaboration” says Derek.

Derek’s comment is related to the third value added of the cohort environment: a safe space to talk openly about personal challenges. Last week we talked about this “safe space” as a characteristic of programs that follow an “inward” approach to leadership development. As some of the fellows interviewed pointed out, a cohort does not translate into a collaborative environment. Initial structured activities focused on interpersonal relationships and peers getting to know each other are critical to building trust and creating a “safe space” for sharing personal experiences. Once this is achieved the possibilities for learning and collaboration are endless!

Fellows concur that a fourth way in which their cohort peers shaped their leadership development experience was by challenging them and providing feedback. Elizabeth Edwards, a participant of GE’s Experienced Commercial Leadership Program (ECLP), explains how the program incorporates many structured occasions for peer to peer feedback. In addition, because participants of the program truly care to see each other succeed, they also find opportunities to exchange feedback more informally. This has made a real difference in her personal leadership development process.

Finally, fellows talked about the value of peer learning to understand their own individual motivation and moral center and using this to encourage action. Dileepan Siva, a Coro Fellow, refers to this as the process of doing away with “walking wounded”. In Dileepan’s words:

“There are many leaders out there that are walking wounded. Amazing individuals outwardly but internally they have not worked through understanding what is walking them into their work. One of the true values of having cohorts is creating the space where one can explore the connection between personal motivation, background and why you do what you do in the world.”

These are the five major value-added qualities of cohort environments in the process of leadership development that we found from the interviews. If you have ever participated in a cohort program for leadership development and have an additional experience to share, we would like to hear about it!

Stay tuned for next week’s post when Blair will talk about some new considerations to cohort program design that we discovered from the interviews and their effect in program objectives and group dynamics.

Last week Blair and I interviewed current and previous participants of seven different fellowship programs. The process was very exciting — thank you to everyone who participated in the interviews!

One thing that became evident from our conversations is that programs approach leadership development in very different ways. Some programs are more “outward” focused, exposing individuals to a network of leaders with whom they can have conversations about their personal leadership experience. With this approach, the regularity with which participants access the network and whether they involve the cohort in processing the lessons learned is highly dependent on individual motivation. Programs like Ashoka, White House Fellows and Synergos Arab World Social Innovators, which use the “outward” approach, are great at connecting individuals and building large networks of program supporters.

“The strength of the White House Fellows program is the ability to give people the opportunity to get access to powerful people in government making important decisions on so many different dimensions and gain a sense of what it takes to create change”- Sunil Garg, White House Fellow

A second approach to leadership is what we are calling an “inward” approach where discussions about leadership happen mostly within the cohort. This type of program combines a number of activities and experiences asking the participants to spend time reflecting on their own leadership style, assessing their role as leaders in the world and obtaining feedback from their peers. Examples of this category of fellowship programs are Acumen Fund, Henry Crown and Coro. Some characteristics that make the “inward” approach programs unique are:

Length and intensity of interaction: Program duration is of a year or less if full-time and up to two years if fellowship is incremental. In either case, participants come together as a cohort frequently. For example, Acumen Fund Fellows come together as a cohort for 6-8 weeks at the beginning of the one-year program, two more times during their 10-month international field placement and three weeks at the end of the program. Of shorter duration but similar intensity are the four-day seminars where Henry Crown Fellows come together from across the country to engage in discussions and feedback sessions about leadership.
Experiential and peer learning- Participants learn about leadership from reflecting with their peers on their own experiences at their work setting or temporary placements. Coro Fellows interact with their cohort on a weekly basis during full-day seminars where participants share their experience in their placements and debrief collectively.

“This is the only experience set up to learn from your peers. The primary purpose is to understand what are the principles and values under which good team work happens and the role of leadership within that”- Dileepan Siva, Coro Fellow

Creation of a safe space: Interviewees agree that one of the most powerful experiences for personal growth and for becoming more self-aware leaders is the opportunity to speak openly about personal challenges and receive feedback from peers. They find that to engage in this rewarding exercise they need to reach a level of comfort. This is achieved only when they feel they are in a “safe space” where they can share their experiences with people they trust and where they will not be judged or measured. Most of the interviewees have found this rare and valuable space only with their cohort of fellows.

“When you talk about leadership it is kind of a personal thing therefore to seek out and be open to feedback it is important to have a good bond with people, feel protected and safe.”- Chris Walker, Acumen Fund Fellow

Interestingly, most of the interviewees shared that they have found this rare and valuable “safe space” only with their cohort of fellows.

Next week we will share with you insights as to how the cohort experience has impacted the leadership development journey of our interviewees.

In the meantime, what do you think of these two leadership development approaches?

In last week’s post, Blair and I started a discussion about the definition of a cohort. We first presented the idea of a cohort being more than just a structure for curriculum delivery. This week, I will share what we found, both from literature and practice, are the seven variables that define a “real” cohort in the context of leadership development. To illustrate some of the variables, I will refer to the Acumen Fund Fellows program. And of course, we would love to hear other examples from you!

Seven variables defining a “real” cohort

#1  Form/structure of a cohort

• Size: Not too big, not too small. Generally 12-25 participants.
• Shared experience
• Common purpose as the basis for collaboration: For example, in the case of the AF Fellowship, the common purpose is to understand the challenges of social enterprises in addressing the problems of the poor.
• Encouragement of critical reflection.
• Knowledge construction that is “problem based and participant centered.”

This first variable and its subparts are quite general and apply to a broad number of cohort programs. But don’t stop here. Keep reading! The next few variables are more specific to leadership development cohorts.

#2  Balance of individual and group development

The Cohort experience is about groups empowering individuals and individuals empowering groups. Most importantly to our discussion, the authors conclude that a direct parallel can be drawn between self-understanding and leadership.

#3   “Hold Well”

This variable refers to the ability of cohort members to form a cohesive, collaborative group accepting of the individual. Initial experiences focused on community building, co-learning, building collegial and interpersonal relationships, as well as modeling expectations on how the cohort will function, are key in ensuring that the cohort “holds well.”

Note to Practitioners: do not take this stage for granted! As a participant of a cohort I can tell you that the time we spent in getting to know each other was critical to building a support network based on trust and collaboration.

# 4   “Let go”

The cohort must “let go” of the individuals by challenging them to allow them to develop. In our case as AF Fellows, we were sent to work in different countries with different organizations. As a result, each fellow’s challenges and lessons learned were unique.

# 5   “Stick around”

At the same time, the cohort must “stick around” to provide continuity, stability and availability to the individual undergoing growth and development.  Finding this balance is tough.

#6     Processing of group interaction is incorporated in the program

Time is regularly set aside for processing group interaction and a variety of group processing strategies are incorporated (e.g., feedback tools, journals, meetings, etc.)

#7    Cohort has a mediator/skilled facilitator

The mediator should have the talent to assist the group in processing its progress.

Now it’s your turn. What do you think of these variables? Is there something missing in this definition?

The first step towards exploring the role of cohorts in leadership development is to define the concept of cohorts. A quick Google search directed Blair and me to Dictionary.com, which offered the following common definitions:

Co-hort [koh-hawrt]
–noun
1.    a group or company
2.    a companion or associate.

Synonyms:
2.  Friend, comrade, fellow, chum, pal, buddy.

Expected…but is there more to the concept of cohorts in the context of leadership development programs?

Instead of reinventing the wheel, I volunteered to spend a few good hours searching through business and academic journals to see if others had already developed a definition suitable for our purpose (something I believe we don’t do often enough). To my surprise, I found not only several definitions but a great number of journals and books studying different aspect of cohorts!

From the works of these scholars, two major themes emerged which I found interesting and relevant to our experiment: First, the idea of a cohort being more than just a structure and second, the variables that characterize a “real” cohort. This week I will tell you more about the first theme.

Cohort: Structure and Holding Environment

In the context of adult learning and leadership development, cohorts are not only a structure (a group of people) but also the holding environment for learning and interaction.

What does this mean?  Think back to your college experience, for example.  In this scenario, your cohort (group, companions, comrades, fellows… as per the common definition) was your class. Together with the members of your class you assisted to similar courses and seminars as required to complete your degree and, if all went well, you graduated in the same year.

How many activities were integrated in the curriculum for you and your class to reflect on your development as individuals and as a group? Was it expected that the members of the class supported each other in matters other than academic performance? Implicitly, perhaps…as part of the explicit program structure, most probably not.

In essence, grouping people together to go through a specific curriculum does not guarantee that individuals will support each other in the process of learning and be concerned about each other’s development.  Therefore, for learning and leadership development to take place, “cohorts must be structured as environments in which individuals experience growth and development supported and challenged by the group”-Imel (2002)

So, why is this concept of a cohort as “holding environment” important?

For present or future participants of a leadership development cohort:
It is important to understand what your fellows will expect from you. Accepting to be part of a cohort is a commitment to advance a common purpose but also it is also a very, very personal journey. What I learned this year as an Acumen Fund Fellow, is that if you really want to grow as a leader in a cohort you have to get personal…be vulnerable, be open to talk as much about your strengths as your weaknesses, challenge others but also accept to be challenged, be humble and learn to fail. If you do this, you get to know yourself better, gain confidence, emerge as a better leader and hence are better positioned to give back to the group as well as the cause of the cohort. (For an illustration of the personal aspect of a cohort experience, read this blog post).

For practitioners of leadership development:
In designing a cohort program for leadership development, selecting the right people, the number of participants and deciding the curriculum (i.e., the structure of the cohort) is a very important part of the process. However, make sure you dedicate equal amount of resources to exploring the second part: how to develop the “holding environment” for individual and group development to take place. Later on, my colleague Blair will share with you her experience in this subject.

Next week: Seven variables that define a “real” cohort.

Does the vision of serving the low income segment of society extend beyond the investors and CEO of a social enterprise?

In my opinion, only an affirmative answer to this question will ensure that the vision of serving the poor is fulfilled (however long it may take…).  Watch what the team of doctors running AyurSEVA Hospitals has to say about their vision and motivation to work for this organization.

“Environment matters, but in the end, when it comes to tackling the question, What should I do with my life? it really is all in your head. The first psychological stumbling block that keeps people from finding themselves is that they feel guilty for simply taking the quest seriously.”

The previous paragraph is an excerpt from an article written by Po Bronson entitled “What Should I Do With My Life?” (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/66/mylife.html). It is the last line  that caught my attention as it relates to how I am feeling at this stage of the Fellowship.  My energy level to start searching for the “what’s next” in my career is very low because I am not clear where I want to go. Two months ago I thought I knew. Now I am having doubts.

One thing I am sure of after this year’s experience as an AF Fellow is that I want to continue to be part of the social sector. What is the role I want to play? This I need time to figure out (and I am not talking of a day or two). However, the pressure I am feeling from the environment is making it difficult for me to get off the fast track and reflect. There is not a single day that passes by when I don’t hear the question-“Now that the fellowship is coming to an end, do you know what you want to do next?” I hear that question loaded with high expectations that do not necessarily match mine.

According to Bronson the biggest obstacle in finding the answer to my question is that I “feel guilty for taking the quest seriously”. And he is right, I do feel guilty. But not for taking the quest seriously, but rather for taking the time I believe I require for this quest.

Talking to my sister who is finishing her MBA at one of the top ranked business schools in Europe, I could hear the same frustration. She is bombarded everyday with e-mails about job openings she “should be applying for”. The career center spends tons of resources in helping the students find the job that will double their previous salary, but is it the job that will make the students thrive as leaders? So many resources are spent in presenting options for the “what’s next”, but how much do these schools spend in helping future business leaders figure out the “what’s first” that Bronson alludes to? (My sister and I are constantly exchanging books and articles to fill the gap.)

What I see in common in these two examples is the artificial deadline that society imposes on us (and that we accept) for taking the quest to find ourselves. Is it that bad to graduate from your MBA or finish a competitive Fellowship program and not have a job lined up? What would be the result of society giving more value to the time for quest in people’s path? More leaders “confident of their place in the world” (Branson), contributing towards building a better society? I believe so.

‘India is merely a geographical expression. It is no more a single country than the equator’- Winston Churchill

Had I read this quote five months ago, I would have not understood what it meant. But after living, traveling and working in India for exactly that long, I can say that Winston Churchill was exactly right. In India, like in any other large country as the US or Mexico, I expected to find some regional differences in people’s tastes for food or music, their accent, dress code, etc. In my mind, these differences give countries their character and do not have major consequences for business other than the opportunity to bring in some variety to the portfolio of products or services. In India, however, regional differences go FAR beyond the ones I just described. For this reason many authors to talk not about one country but “the many Indias”.

For an enterprise trying to do business across the Indian territory, it is critical to be aware of all the nuances of “the many Indias”. Allow me to illustrate what I mean by this using AyurVAID: Hospitals, the organization I am working in, as an example.

AyurVAID: Hospitals is a local business with the mission of providing high quality, affordable Ayurveda (India’s traditional system of medicine) treatment for chronic illnesses across all socio-economic segments and across India (and some day abroad). In line with this vision, AyurVAID: Hospitals opened six small to medium sized hospitals in three neighboring states: two hospitals in Kerala, three in Karnataka and one in Maharastra. The hospitals are located in urban areas and three of them in the big cities of Mumbai and Bangalore.
At first glance AyurVAID: Hospitals’ strategy of expansion seems very straightforward, but in practice things are let’s say a bit more….complicated. Here is how:

Language- At each location, all sign boards and advertising material have to be translated into at least 2 different languages (English + local language) and 4 in the case of Mumbai (high immigrant population). Our doctors need to speak 2 to 3 languages to communicate with patients, English to communicate with the management and international partners, and Malayalam, the language of Kerala, to speak with the staff.

Human resources- The roots of the Ayurveda system of medicine can be traced back to the state of Kerala. Although today Ayurvedic Medical Colleges train doctors across the country, training institutions for therapists are still highly concentrated in Kerala. Hence, hiring locally becomes a difficult task and most of the therapists have to be relocated from Kerala to other states. Then again, most people in Kerala have a strong affinity for their state and prefer not to leave it.
Systems of medicine- Whereas in other parts of the world, Allopathic or “Western Medicine” is the norm, in India, patients have many other well established options to consider like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Allopathy and Unani. In competing with these different options, public awareness about Ayurveda is a big challenge. If we take allopathic medicine as an example, most people today know what to expect when they go to a doctor, to a hospital or understand if someone says they need a “dialysis”. On the other hand, Ayurveda means a variety of things to different people, particularly as the distance from Kerala increases. To test this last point, I decided to interview people in the streets and hotels of Kerala (to get some out of state opinions) and asked them one simple question….Observe.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34I9lLAhU94&hl=en&fs=1]

All of these factors make the business at AyurVAID: Hospitals challenging and exciting! One success factor as we continue to grow and do business in “the many Indias” will be to strike the right balance between standardization and customization of our services.

This month I want to share with you not about the investment that I am working in but about myself and my personal experience in the first few months of the Fellowship.

Before flying to India I was part of many conversations in which the common theme was that in order to really make a positive social impact in the lives of the poor we need to slow down… Extend time lines, think in terms of processes not tasks, take into account the infrastructural limitations of the countries when designing a business plan, etc. All of these conversations, plus the many hours in the classrooms at LSE discussing the failures of development efforts in the last few decades, helped me prepare to transition to a work environment that would require a large quantity of patience. Patience with the external circumstances that would shape the way I worked. What I did not foresee was that I would need even a larger quantity of patience with myself and the impact that my personal transition would have on the work I was ready to do.

Find out why by watching my video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coWbyWB4IDY&hl=en&fs=1]

The entrepreneurs at AyurVAID: Hospitals are testing a business model that promises to overcome the scale up challenge of delivering medical care to the masses based on Ayurveda, a system of traditional medicine. According to RV Raman, Head of Marketing at AyurVAID: Hospitals, there are about 18,962 Ayurveda companies registered in India today. Most of these companies focus on offering ayurvedic products (from medicines to toothpaste!) and spa related services, however no one has been able to come up with a successful, scalable model to deliver health services. (Ironic considering that Ayurveda is a system of medicine that has been around for more than 3,000 years!) In this video Rajiv Vasudevan, CEO of AyurVAID: Hospitals, explains some of the challenges inherent to the Ayurveda “industry” and some of the strategies the team has developed to overcome these obstacles.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT87qBfClV8&hl=en&fs=1]

Full Story can be found at http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1220060

When I first read this article published yesterday on the DNA Bangalore newspaper I felt moved by Daniel’s story of resilience. Then my thoughts drifted to another character in the story, Dr. Belaku Chandu[1] from AyurVAID: Hospitals. The reason why I found myself thinking of Dr. Belaku is because the article reminded me of her reaction one of those days that Daniel heard the sound of the fire crackers.

I was sitting in the hospital’s kitchen having dinner with the staff and doctors when the noise of the firecrackers filtered the hospital building. Dr. Belaku immediately stopped eating her food, she rose from the table and went in to the hallway. She stopped for a few minutes as if waiting for something to happen and then disappeared into the first floor. Then I heard laughter.

When Dr. Belaku came back to the kitchen and I asked her what was that all about she told me Daniel’s story and how the noise of the firecrackers had affected her in the past few days. With a smile in her face she said, “The first day Daniel was very scared by the noise. She thought it was the noise of shotguns and her nerves started to jerk again. The second day she was just startled and dropped her food tray. Today, she recognized the noise and she just laughed!” She was paying attention to Daniel’s progress day and night.

Dr. Belaku’s story exemplifies the type of personal and organizational commitment that makes a social enterprise thrive. Everyday I spend at AyurVAID: Hospitals I am in awe of how devoted the caregivers and doctors are to the patients and to the organizational mission. Every single one of them believes in the healing powers of Ayurveda for treating chronic illnesses and is committed to AyurVAID: Hospitals’ mission of taking classical Kerala Ayurveda to as many people as possible in India and around the world by offering affordable, high quality services.

This article also highlighted for me the positive ripple effect of investing in a social enterprise. Acumen Fund’s investment in AyurVAID: Hospitals operation’s in India is helping reach people in Africa! Although Daniel may not belong to the low income class at the BOP that Acumen is trying to reach, there is no doubt that she was a person in need of physical and spiritual help, and that her courage in sharing her story of improvement through Ayurveda provided in the AyurVAID: way, will help this team of committed doctors and entrepreneurs communicate to all its promise to solving society’s health needs.

In this short video I share some of my first impressions of Kochi, my new hometown, and AyurVAID:, the organization I am working with. Thank you to everyone at AyurVAID: for making these first thirty days in India a great experience.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcYVsB2XQ7c&hl=en&fs=1]