grieving, learning, and growing

PRACTICIONERS' CORNER

100 Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, Volume 4, Number 1, 2013 © 2013 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/jpoc.21086

Grieving, Learning, and GrowingA Mentoring Model for Organizational and Personal Growth

Richard Schuttler, PhD, and Cheryl Lentz, DM

The process of organizational and personal improvement can often be a daunting challenge, particularly for organizational and executive leaders. To address this process, the authors offer a cognitive learning strategy for any leader to consider as part of his or her personal development process based on the nexus of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s stages of grief, Benjamin Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy, and Richard Schuttler’s executive mentoring model. In a time when formal and informal leaders are needed to set a great example, the industry of mentoring (and coaching) appears to have many people trying to help others, yet perhaps not all of them have the foundational underpinnings of knowledge needed to fully understand the emotional reac-tions or steps to learning.

Th e process of organizational and personal improvement can often be

daunting. Within any change initiative, an individual must fi rst address

the imperfections extant within his or her organization and self. Th is

knowledge can aff ect cognitive dissonance, manifesting as negative behav-

iors such as denial, apathy, and even emotional paralysis. To dispel this

stasis and to gain the requisite knowledge for positive and eff ective change

faster, leaders often require a mentoring relationship with another. Th is

external, objective perspective can guide in both accepting the diffi cult

information gleaned in self-analysis and their learning to use this infor-

mation to achieve greater levels of success sooner, and, in many instances,

beyond their greatest expectations.

Th e purpose of this article is to suggest a cognitive learning strategy

for any leaders to consider to eff ectively transition through the process

of change as part of their personal development or as they lead an orga-

nization based on the nexus of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s stages of grief

Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, Volume 4, Number 1 • DOI: 10.1002/jpoc 101

(“Elisabeth Kübler-Ross,” 2012), Benjamin Bloom’s

cognitive taxonomy (“Bloom’s taxonomy of cogni-

tive development,” 2012), and Schuttler’s executive

mentoring model. With the growth of mentoring

(some may refer to it as coaching) as an emerging

career fi eld, there is rightful concern regarding

unskilled mentors and the impact of their eff orts

on their clients and fellow colleagues. One model

is explored along with its foundation to support

its application for faster, more eff ective success for

engaged clients.

Applicable Theoretical Frameworks

The Grieving Process

Many people may be more familiar with the eff ects

of living through grief than with the fi ve stages

attributed to the grieving process by Elisabeth

Kübler-Ross. Kübler-Ross’s stages of grief (denial,

anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) have

been applied to emotional trauma, as in the example

of the loss of a loved one (Kübler-Ross & Kessler,

2007). Th e foundation of the model suggested that

one transitions through stages based on how much

he or she knows about what really happened.

An example to refl ect the fi ve stages would be

the sudden, unexpected death of a spouse. In such

a situation, it is not uncommon for the surviving

spouse to fi rst experience denial regarding the

event. Th e survivor may expect his or her spouse

to arrive home at the expected time, or refuse to

change or discard any of the spouse’s personal be-

longings. Th e bargaining stage often occurs when

a person prays to God, promising that if his or her

loved one returns, he or she will be a better person

or attend church more often. As the surviving

spouse comes to know more about the reasons for

the death, a time of depression occurs. Eventually

the person may transition along a healthy path

where acceptance of the death is internalized and

he or she is able to move forward with his or her

own life.

A modifi ed application (Figure 1) of the fi ve

stages can be seen in the process of personal and

organizational growth and change (Kübler-Ross &

Kessler, 2007). For some, particularly those in

senior-level organizational leadership positions,

the path to personal improvement may include

these same levels of emotionality and trauma and

may cause some to move through the stages of

grief in much the same way as seen with the loss

of a loved one.

World-class organizational leaders who have

a positive outlook regarding their organization’s

success may base their perception of success on

what they know, rather than what they do not

know. Being unaware of negative information may

provide a false sense of security, however. Conse-

quently, when additional knowledge does become

available, such as previously unknown customer

concerns or a change in the competitive landscape,

these leaders may become alarmed and to some

degree proceed through the stages of grief.

Consequently, the grounding theoretical frame-

work off ered by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross can be

applied to a number of other settings beyond

Figure 1

Modifi ed Applicati on of the Death and Dying Curve

HowGoodYouFeel

AboutWhatYou

Know

How Much You Really Know About What HappenedCopyright 2010 by Dr.Richard Schuttler

Death and Dying Curve

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

102 Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture, Volume 4, Number 1 • DOI: 10.1002/jpoc

traditionally held areas of personal emotional

trauma.

The Cognitive Learning ProcessBenjamin Bloom (1984) prescribed a model for

cognitive learning that off ers a foundation in

which understanding begins. In Bloom’s model

(Figure 2), he suggested that learning is a process

regarding how one gains initial knowledge, much

like a college freshman learning how to manage a

business from a classroom setting. As the student

gains knowledge, and subsequently attempts to

implement in the workplace, comprehension of

the taught concepts provides the background for

application. From applying that learned knowl-

edge, one can assess the degree to which that

knowledge made a diff erence.

Finally, from the analysis, the process of learn-

ing leads to a synthesis of the cause and eff ect of

applying the knowledge to what was gained. From

the synthesis of what was learned in class and

from practical application, an evaluation is made

as to whether or not one should repeat the process

as is, or perhaps with improvements. Continuous

process improvement is often grounded in these

phases of learning, moving from a basic to a more

advanced level of understanding.

The Executive Mentor

Do not go where the path may lead; go

instead where there is no path and leave

a trail.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

For the organizational leader, these immortal

words by Emerson support a leadership path to

change where one must have a clear vision to see

what others may not. A leader must be able to

off er clarity and express a willingness to move

forward despite obstacles—in other words, to

blaze a trail. Th ere are many paths to success, and

the choice of which path to follow is rarely an

easy one.

Sometimes the solution is to follow initially in

someone else’s footsteps—the footsteps of a

mentor. It has been said that it is easier to know

the path than to walk it. In such circumstances,

the guidance of a trusted supervisor or experi-

enced colleague often helps one to venture though

the unknown and face whatever obstacles may

appear in a more confi dent, eff ective, and timely

manner. Th is approach also allows for continual

advancement toward goals and objectives.

In addition, walking the path with a trusted

mentor who has personal experience in a similar

situation may off er comfort and needed emotional

support. Th e authors believe there is an important

distinction between a coach and a mentor who

may participate in the process. A coach may know

the rules, but a mentor has played the game. Th ere

is much value in the experiential wisdom of

someone who has carved his or her own path and

left a trail for others to follow.

As one moves along the path of personal

change, the combination of research, such as

Kübler Ross’s stages of grief with Bloom’s taxon-

omy, provides the theoretical foundation for

Schuttler’s executive mentoring model to provide

Figure 2

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Development

Evaluation

Synthesis

Analysis

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge


a simple yet sound and systematic approach for

leaders as they proceed through the challenge

of personal development to achieve successful

change. Th e model can be applied as an internal

application for employees and organizational bet-

terment or from a consultant to a client.

Executive Mentoring ModelSchuttler’s (2010) executive mentoring model

(Figure 3) is founded on the philosophy of indi-

vidualized and intentional relationships in which

clients are empowered to achieve their full poten-

tial though a variety of self-regulating techniques

and regular interaction with a mentor. By focusing

on a short list of prioritized dimensions, leaders

are able to identify approaches to develop a health-

ier self-balance, improving their ability to manage

their organizations through change processes,

as well as to manage their personal reactions to

leadership issues, particularly at the executive

level. It is ideal to work on one or two areas for

improvement at a time with greater focus and pur-

poseful action, so that measurable progress can be

made.

Three Triads: The Architecture of the Organizational and Executive Mentoring ModelTh ree triads form the executive mentoring model.

Each of these triads represents a practical area

in which Schuttler facilitates measurable change

with clients as they transition through a death and

dying curve (stages of grieving), as originated by

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Th e curve represents a

theoretical and practical model that details the

movement of people and organizations as they

transition through emotional responses to situa-

tions and into increased levels of knowledge and

acceptance.

Th e model is based on the dichotomy of an

individual’s perceived and actual levels of knowl-

edge, as described from a holistic and systemic

perspective (reality). Accountability to one’s self

and immediate professional and personal circles is

a central theme in this model. As opportunities for

improvement are noted, and data regarding per-

formance are gathered, individuals may realize

that the situation they are in may not be as advan-

tageous as they had previously assumed. Th e client

can be either an organization or a person, as both

act and react in the same manner to the model.

In this model, the mentor plays a number of

roles in each triad, as noted on the inside of

the curve (i.e., adviser, educator, and facilitator).

Th e client may transition from learner to mentee

to leader, as noted on the outside of the curve (see

Figure 3).

Th e adviser, educator, and facilitator triad

allows for the initial dialogue between mentor and

client. Th e mentor must be able to advise, educate,

and facilitate learning for and with a client. Th e

client is in the role of learner to gain new insights

and relearn what may be required for growth to

occur. Th is triad allows the client-learners to chal-

lenge their assumptions, beliefs, and values on

Figure 3

Schuttler’s Executive Mentoring Model

Executive Mentoring Model

HowGoodYouFeel

AboutWhatYou

Know

AdviserLEARNER

LEADER

Analyst

Innovator

Troubleshooter

Coach Strategist

Role Model

MENTEE(Perception)

Educator

Facilitator

How Much You Really Know (Reality)Copyright 2010 by Dr.Richard Schuttler


multiple levels, with the assistance of a mentor, to

gain objective perspective and insight into the

issues they may confront. Th is triad focuses on the

learners’ acquisition of new knowledge about their

own actual performance, skills, and abilities as

measured in reality, rather than through percep-

tion, as seen through the eyes of a skilled mentor.

Th e coach, strategist, and role model triad

transitions the client from his or her role as learner

to that of a mentee. Th e mentor in this critical area

must be able to approach the client-mentee by

coaching and providing strategies for growth and

must be a role model for the client-mentee to

emulate. Th is triad empowers the client-mentee to

determine how best to unleash the talent within

or around himself or herself to achieve his or her

full potential. In this triad, a mentee realizes his or

her uniqueness as he or she transitions from

unknowing to understanding. Often, this triad is

the most challenging area within the model, due

to the complexity of determining, shifting, and

realigning action based on personal learning and

insightful discovery.

Th e analyst, innovator, and troubleshooter

triad uses the other two triads as a foundation for

a distinctive and lasting experience between the

mentor and client-leader. Th e mentor, at this point,

needs to fi ne-tune and lead the mentee by trouble-

shooting minor areas of improvement, providing

innovate approaches to solve the complex prob-

lems of tomorrow, and yet being an analyst to

evaluate overall progress. At this point in the

process, the client-leader has transitioned his or

her role from a mentee to that of a leader through

appropriate feedback mechanisms and sound

decision making. Th is triad allows for concen-

trated dialogue regarding how to lead and main-

tain lasting change, both internally and within the

client’s surrounding circle of personal and profes-

sional relationships.

Th e energy created within these three triads

creates the individualized and intentional men-

toring relationship that is distinctively focused

on the present and future needs of the client. As

such, each client’s experience with the model is

highly tailored to his or her personality, style, and

needs.

Identifying Areas for Improvement

Th ere are many vehicles an executive mentor can

off er to help a client decide where the client should

focus his or her time and eff ort for personal and

pro fessional growth. One such vehicle is the

outcome of a 360-degree feedback exercise, in

which feedback is obtained from the client’s super-

visor, as well as several peers and subordinates, to

produce a list of strengths and opportunities for

improvement. A tool Schuttler advocates is his

own Leadership Assessment Tool (Schuttler,

2013). Th e goal of this tool is for clients to gain an

understanding of where they are regarding the 10

most common characteristics (attributes) of every-

day leaders.

In the Leadership Self-Assessment (Table 1),

clients are asked to take an honest self-inventory

by reviewing each leadership characteristic to

determine to what extent they are perceived by

others. Th e rating scale is numbered 1 to 10 (with

1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest).

Clients are asked to score themselves at the initial

client meeting and also project where they would

like to be in 12 months.

• Low scores (below 4) in any one of the

10 attributes may suggest opportunities

for improvement that might be worthy

of discussing with a mentor. Low scores

overall may suggest an opportunity

to grow in maturity and social skills.


Table 1Leadership Self-Assessment

Leadership Self-Assessment Today’s Score 1-Year Goal

1 SupportiveProvides help, information, empathy, and encouragement. Gives time freely to help others. Creates a loving and nurturing environment.

2 ListenerIntentional listener. Attends closely for the purpose of understanding. Present to conversations. Ability to focus on what another is communicating, regardless of medium.

3 CaringAssists others when they are troubled. Makes provisions and watches out for others. Shows compassion or concern about life’s problems and solutions.

4 HumbleNot overly proud or arrogant. Modest. Courteous. Respectful. Does not view oneself as above or better than others.

5 IntegrityAdheres to moral and ethical principles. Soundness of moral character. Good sense of direction in life and adheres in good and bad times. Executes moral convictions. Upholds the truth. Not persuaded solely by money, crime, or personal gain.

6 KnowledgeablePossessing or exhibiting awareness and comprehension in career, spirituality, mind, body, and other life matters. Insightful. Demonstrates wisdom and passion for ongoing learning. Well-informed. Discerning.

7 MotivatorCreates an atmosphere for others to be self-motivated. Provides incentives. Encourages others. Offers guidance free from value judgments. Helpful.

8 MentorRole model. Coach. Shows subject matter expertise. Wise and trusted counselor. Infl uential sponsor or supporter. Extremely positive. Cares about people. Instructs others in a benefi cial and informative manner. Patient. Understanding. Helpful.

9 TeacherInspires learning. Instructor or facilitator of knowledge. Caring. Leaves lifelong impressions. Freely shares personal experience with others for their benefi t.

10 PositiveGreat outlook. Optimistic. Encourages others. Confi dent in opinion or assertion. Constructive and fully assured. Not skeptical. Showing or expressing approval or agreement. Favorable. Supportive.

Total:

(Permission granted by the author for use.)


Feedback from a mentor is helpful,

although empowerment also comes from

the client refl ecting on the attributes and

planning for his or her self-improvement.

• Mid-range scores (4–7) in any area may

suggest an opportunity to become a

better team member, friend, or colleague.

Some attributes in the mid-range area

could be considered as a group where

one may infl uence another. For example,

if a person scores low in “Humble,” that

could relate to a lower score in “Caring,”

as people who lack humility are often

perceived as uncaring. Discussing scores

with a mentor opens the door for the

client to get additional feedback on

matters he or she may not be able to see

or perceive about himself or herself.

• High scores (8–10) may suggest or

confi rm that the client is a solid leader.

Yet there are always opportunities for

improvement. If a client self-scores high

in all areas, dialog with a mentor may still

prove valuable to move the client to an

even higher level within the coming 12

months. Th ere is also the possibility that

the client may have a tendency to over-

score. With mentor participation, con-

structive feedback is more readily

accepted when it comes from a trusted

and respected source.

Th e fi ndings of the scoring system will reveal

areas for mentoring to occur. One must realize

that one cannot change all areas in a short period

of time, in this instance less than a year. Better

results occur when the focus is on one or two

major areas for improvement at a time, as working

on several diverse areas often results in less prog-

ress in all of them.

Evaluation of the Model

Th e true challenge for an executive mentor regard-

ing the change process may be in self-discovery on

the part of the client to decide that pursuing a

mentoring relationship is in his or her best inter-

est. Returning to the process of cognitive learning,

there is often an intense causal moment that pro-

vides an epiphany to the client, for whom stasis

can no longer be maintained. Th e status quo has

forever changed, and the client must adjust. Th e

client can either adjust the situation to meet his or

her leadership style, or can adjust his or her lead-

ership style to meet the needs of the situation. In

either occurrence, a return to the way things were

is not an option. Often, the only known factor may

be that a return to former stasis is no longer pos-

sible. Th e challenge then becomes what and how

the client changes.

In one survey, 82% of represented organiza-

tions stated that their main reason for implement-

ing executive coaching programs was to improve

individual performance, moving the barometer

from good or eff ective to great (Whitney, 2006). To

better provide executive mentoring, it is believed

that a sound and systematic approach, grounded

in both a theoretical framework and that of prac-

ticed application, will provide for a better return

on fi nancial investment and for better emotional

growth as well. Mentoring is a long-term strategy,

although this strategy can provide some short-

term dividends as incremental gains are achieved

along the way.

In essence, Schuttler’s (2010) executive men-

toring model provides for a mentor to have a

sound and systematic approach to work with

a client on the process, consisting of three


fun damental steps of self-refl ection, self-assess-

ment, and self-correction. As the mentor guides

the client to refl ect upon what is and what may

not yet be known, the refl ections, if honest,

produce information for the self-assessment. Th e

result of the open self-assessment then allows

the client to set a strategic path to self-correct

the situation. Ultimately, the best leaders are

those who have the ability, either inherent or

assisted, to quickly self-refl ect, self-assess, and

self-correct.

Th e goal of the client is to create his or her

own personal learning system of change. Th is

system needs to be a simple, yet eff ective,

process (strategy) that the client can return to

whenever the process of change approaches

critical mass and overwhelms him or her. In the

words of Senge (1990), “. . . system’s thinking is

leverage, seeing where actions and changes in

structure can lead to signifi cant, enduring

improvements. Often leverage follows the princi-

ple of economy of means, where the best results

come not from large scale eff orts, but from

small, well-focused actions” (p. 114). Sometimes

the more prudent course of action may be to

slow down and focus on self-refl ection before

leaping ahead.

Conclusion

Th e goal of this article is to off er an eff ective,

yet simple and systematic, change management

process using the executive mentoring model for

clients and organizations as they walk the path of

personal growth and change. As the authors

have suggested, theoretical frameworks support

the approach to mentoring using a systematic

approach to moving personalized growth through

emotional reactions to the change process. If

people mentoring others realize the conscious or

unconscious steps their clients take, more eff ec-

tive outcomes may be possible. ◆

References

Bloom, B. S. (1984, January). Taxonomy of educational

objectives Book 1: Cognitive domain (2nd ed.). Boston,

MA: Addison Wesley Publishing.

“Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive development.” (2012).

Retrieved from http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh

/Resources/IDKB/bloomstax.htm

“Elisabeth Kübler-Ross—Five stages of grief.” (2012).

Retrieved from www.businessballs.com/elisabeth

_kubler_ross_fi ve_stages_of_grief.htm

Kübler-Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2007). On grief and

grieving: Finding the meaning of grief through the fi ve

stages of loss. New York, NY: Scribner.

Schuttler, R. (2010). Laws of communication: Th e inter-

section where leadership meets employee performance.

Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Schuttler, R. (2013). Everyday leader heroes: 10 leader-

ship characteristics in everyday people. Denver, CO:

Caboodle Publishing.

Senge, P. M. (1990). Th e fi fth discipline: Th e art &

practice of the learning organization. New York, NY:

Doubleday Currency.

Whitney, K. (2006, February 22). Strong growth

forecast for executive coaching industry. Retrieved from

http://clomedia.com/articles/view/strong_growth

_forecast_for_executive_coaching_industry/2

Richard Schuttler, PhD, is a contributing faculty member at Walden University and an international public


speaker, executive mentor, bestselling author, and co-founder of Professional Progress Academy, an online education and training membership site. He may be reached at [email protected]

Cheryl Lentz, DM, is a university professor at Walden University and a prolifi c award-winning author known

for her writings on The Golden Palace Theory of Management, effective study skills, and refractive thinking. She is a 15-time internationally published author who assists doctoral scholars in publishing their writings within the trademarked anthology series: The Refractive Thinker®. She may be reached at [email protected]

grieving, learning, and growing

Documents