Stop, Reflect: First 3 months of XFN operation
In previous posts I shared about what has happened since XFN went live, but this post is about what happened when we became operational. On April 1, 2019, participants started their first assignments, marking the beginning of our formal operations (meaning, the program has employees/costs).
So much has happened since that time. Hoping a Q+A style blog will help me focus my thoughts. I mean, its not weird to have a conversation with yourself, right?
Is it working?
The most common question I get is, whether the program works. This has always been a tough one for me to answer because what does success really look like? Instead I tell them what is working with XFN so far.
Some key highlights:
1. Participants’ transferable skills allow them to jump into assignments with both feet (click here to learn how we selected our participants).
2. Emphasis placed on participants abilities in analytical, collaboration and adaptability have served-us well. These are the competencies host managers have found crucial for participants to get up to speed/integrate.
3. Participants’ developmental mindset have allowed them to constructively persist through challenges and the frame (edge, home, groove) is accelerating learning (click here to learn about developmental mindset).
4. Participants’ previous functional experiences were useful in learning/understanding the new policy functions they are working in.
5. Ongoing participant/host check-ins with the Program and Talent Manager have allowed participants and hosts to maximize the experience (learning while contributing).
What surprised me?
This is another tough one to answer, a few thoughts stick out:
- How quickly the cohort became a ‘home’ for participants. The openness and generosity of this group is something I hoped for, but could not have predicted. Our weekly calls are epic!
- How much participants want to help shape the program. For instance, after our first monthly learning session the XFNers created a prototype within a prototype for peer learning sessions (this has turned out to be immensely valuable and I will dive deeper into this in a future post).
- How much pressure participants put on themselves to make ‘valuable’ contributions. Many of them have expectations of themselves that are far beyond those of their host manager/team.
- How valuable host managers found the check-in meetings and that they want to contribute and participate in the program (i.e. hosts joined us for our recent June monthly learning session).
- How unfamiliar being in a learning opportunity was for participants and the guilt they felt for having such an experience. We seem to have a culture in the GoC that learning is a gift as opposed to a necessity as a public servant.
- The drastic impact that leadership can have on the workplace (stifle or enable) and how that affects ones ability to access the resources they need.
What data are you gathering?
In addition to the tons of data/information I get from my one-on-one/group conversations with hosts and participants, we have a bi-weekly pulse survey that participants complete. The purpose of this five-question e-survey is to measure the usefulness of developmental mindset as a frame for accelerated learning, as well as how the program is performing re: supporting participants learning/growth.
In all that we do, we are measuring against our assumptions. This has allowed us to see what works and doesn't and why. Some people have said it’s like creating a scientific formula for accelerated learning and well-rounded public servants.
How do I feel?
I feel grateful everyday. Grateful that 10 amazing public servants have put their careers in the hands of the program and are giving their all to our experiment. Grateful that our 10 host managers believe in what we are testing and want to help us build a model that works.
I also often feel scared. Scared I don’t know what I am doing, that I am not supporting the participants/hosts enough/in the right way, or that maybe we are pushing the system too much and that it will push back.
To manage this fear, I practice resiliency. I sometimes describe this as my XFN ‘edge’ because let’s be real, running this program would put anyone outside of their comfort zone and into uncharted territory. However, I take comfort in knowing that no matter what comes our way that we can overcome/learn/grow from it.
What are you excited about?
What excites me the most is seeing the program evolve: putting our lessons learned into action and then further iterating from there. I am fueled by the idea that XFN can forever be improving and ‘upping our game’.
What is next?
Right now, participants are in the process of considering assignments for round 2. We will be testing our new approach for assignment matching (to learn more click here).
We are also making plans to recruit our second prototype cohort for early this fall.
Otherwise, we keep moving forward and I will continue to share what we are learning/testing/changing.
