< PreviousFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com10Can you give us a snapshot of the IT Department and enterprise your team is a part of? Our IT team is made up of seven individuals that provide IT support and infrastructure for the Avi Resort & Casino. We are located in the tri-state region of NV, CA and AZ. Our casino property has around 800 slots, a dozen table games and a 452 room hotel. We also have several non-gaming/destination amenities including restaurants, an RV park, a movie theater and convention space. One unique amenity our casino has that most Laughlin casinos don’t is a beautiful beach on the property. I can’t say the IT Department can take any credit for that offering — it speaks for itself!I know you joined this property in February this year coming from another tribal casino. Can you share some of the key projects your team has been focused on since you’ve started?A top priority since I started has been improving the network infrastructure of our property. We need a strong backbone in order to move onto upgrades and other projects we have on the horizon. Guest Wi-Fi, state-of-the-art hotel room technology, enhanced VoIP solutions and PCI compliance, just to name a few, all rely on a strong and redundant network. Upgrades and new installs in areas such as fiber and core switches along with our migration to the new IBM iSeries Power 9 will give us the horse power we need to deploy improved technology. All of this is with the guest in mind as we continue the process of creating efficiencies and integration of all front-of-the-house systems to provide a better customer experience.Are there any projects your team is watching, considering or already involved with that you’d considered “cutting-edge” or new technology? We are testing skill-based game machines — an indicator of things to come. This is new technology for us and by the time this magazine is released we will have gone live with a test display. The interactive nature of skill-based gaming is a dream for some players and marketing teams. We will be using this opportunity to learn as these games are deployed and to prepare for other technology on the horizon.What is your take on recent hot topics such as social gaming and sports betting? Things like social gaming and sports betting open new avenues to reach new and existing customers, and the more options we have to reach customers, the better. There is a positive push towards new ways of gaming that allows us to better understand our customers and, in some cases, get near-immediate, real-time feedback. I love the opportunity to explore new technology and find ways we can be more proactive in understanding and anticipating our customers’ needs. What is your personal favorite or most-used piece of technology and why? My mobile phone! It’s a PC in your pocket and I am constantly amazed at what is possible with each personal device. It really blows my mind. It’s becoming my primary way to interact with the world, and that wasn’t the case only a few short years ago. According to Forrester Research I’m not alone; their latest forecast predicts that the number of global smartphone subscribers will reach 3.8 billion users by 2022.What piece of advice would you give your peers in the industry? It is so important to join trade organizations like TribalHub to build relationships with peers. There is an incredible wealth of professional knowledge there. We have many challenges facing our industry — why face it alone? We should react together and push boundaries as one voice. QUESTION + ANSWER | IT DIRECTOR MARLON ORTIZWe would like to thank Marlon for taking the time to meet with us for this interview. He welcomes your questions and comments and can be reached at: ortizm@avicasino.comIT DIRECTOR Q&ACore Technology SnapshotGaming: Scientific GamesHospitality: AgilysysOffice: Microsoft Office Exchange (piloting in the cloud)Hardware: IBM, HPNetwork: CiscoMARLON ORTIZ IT DIRECTOR ATAVI RESORT & CASINOtribalnetonline.com |11TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2018TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2018It has been said that the law has not kept pace with the rapid evolution of technology. This is true in jurisdictions across the United States. However, federally recognized tribes are rising to the challenge to enact tribal data laws to meet the needs of tribal governments, tribal enterprises and tribal members, who increasingly rely on data on a daily basis.In 2010, Congress enacted the Tribal Law and Order Act, which statutorily confirmed the pre-existing practice that criminal justice agencies of federally recognized tribes can, and should be, allowed access to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) databases. These databases, maintained at the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia, offer tribal police and tribal courts a vast array of technology-driven information to make Indian country safer. More information on FBI CJIS databases and services can be found online at www.fbi.gov/services/cjis. However, tribes need not rely solely on federal legislation to address tribal data issues.Like their state and local counterparts, governments of federally recognized tribes have found themselves engaging the information age in innovative ways that promote tribal sovereignty. In fact, a key aspect of the exercise of tribal sovereignty is addressing data issues. As stated by Desi Rodriguez-Lonebear of the University of Arizona’s U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty Network, “Data sovereignty deals with the right and ability of tribes to develop their own systems for gathering and using data and to influence the collection of data by external actors.” This quote (from Rodriguez-Lonebear, “Building a Data Revolution in Indian Country” (2016)) succinctly provides a definitional framework for the concept of data sovereignty. This concept helps set the stage for the practical exercise of tribal sovereignty in the field of data legal issues.Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is to consider some of the types of tribal data laws that federally recognized tribes have enacted. The following list provides a few practical examples of the robust exercise of tribal data sovereignty.TRIBAL DATABASE AUTHORIZATION Tribes can enact very specific laws that authorize certain types of tribal governmental databases. This gives tribal government administrators the legal backing they need as they provide services to the community. For example, the Absentee Shawnee Tribe has authorized the creation of a central repository and case management system for tribal government personnel who handle child abuse cases; Absentee Shawnee Juvenile Code, Section 317. The Colville Confederated Tribes have enacted a central data repository for information pertaining to violence on the reservation; Colville Confederated Tribes Code, Section 3-4-1. The Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission compiles data pertaining to racial discrimination perpetrated against Navajo Nation tribal members; 2 Navajo Nation Code, Section 922(C). The Snoqualmie Tribe’s Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation compiles data relevant to culture, history and archaeology of the tribe; Snoqualmie Tribal Code 11-1, Section 5.2(g).TRIBAL DATA RETENTION Tribes can enact laws that deal with the manner, including the length of time, that BYCHRISTOPHER B. CHANEYUNIT CHIEF, FBI OGC CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION LAW UNITChristopher B. Chaney is a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation and serves as Unit Chief for the FBI Office of the General Counsel’s Criminal Justice Information Law Unit. The contents of this article are not necessarily the views of the U.S. government, the Department of Justice, the FBI, or the FBI Office of the General Counsel.ABOUT THE AUTHORData SovereigntyFEATURE | TRIBAL GOVERNANCE| tribalnetonline.com12Is the law keeping pace with technology?IN TRIBAL GOVERNANCEtribalnetonline.com |13TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018tribal data must be retained. For example, child abuse data stored in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe’s child abuse registry must be destroyed after three or four years depending on certain circumstances; Absentee Shawnee Juvenile Code, Section 317(e)-(f). Data maintained by the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin must be retained for at least 7 years; Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, Section 7.9-4.TRIBAL DATA ACCURACY Tribes can enact laws that govern the accuracy of tribally maintained data. Persons who are the subject of a report in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe’s child abuse registry have a right to challenge the accuracy of that data; Absentee Shawnee Juvenile Code, Section 317(h)-(i). An individual may challenge the accuracy of data containing personally identifiable information maintained by the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin; Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, Section 7.10-1.TRIBAL DATA DISSEMINATION Tribes can enact restrictions on dissemination of tribally maintained data. Dissemination of data maintained in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe’s child abuse registry is limited to police, judges, child welfare personnel, other tribes, and states; Absentee Shawnee Juvenile Code, Sections 317(c) and 317(k). Dissemination of information from the Colville Confederated Tribes violence repository is limited to child protective services, medical personnel, and Colville Tribal Police; Colville Confederated Tribes Code, Section 3-4-3(c).PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF TRIBAL DATA LAWS Tribes can enact penalties for the unauthorized release of or unauthorized access to tribally maintained data. Unauthorized dissemination of data maintained in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe’s child abuse registry can be assessed a civil fine of up to $500.00; Absentee Shawnee Juvenile Code, Section 317(j). Unauthorized dissemination by a person with lawful access to protected data belonging to the Navajo Nation can incur a fine between $1,000 and $5,000; 2 Navajo Nation Code, Sections 91(A) and 92(A). Likewise, a person who obtains Navajo Nation protected data by false pretenses or theft (such as an online hacker) can incur a fine between $1,000 and $5,000; 2 Navajo Nation Code, Sections 91(C) and 92(C). Unauthorized access to computers is also a crime under Siletz tribal law; Siletz Tribal Code, Section 12.088. Other tribes make the misuse of tribal data by tribal government employees a personnel matter that might result in reprimand, termination or other adverse personnel actions.OTHER TRIBAL DATA LAWS The Siletz Tribe has very specific laws that require virus scanning of non-tribal equipment and removable storage media that are proposed to be connected to tribal government computers; Siletz Tribal Code, Section 2.049(c)(1). This tribal law is designed to protect the integrity of the tribal database itself.The exercise of data sovereignty by federally recognized tribes is necessary to protect tribal government operations, finances, public safety and the privacy of individual tribal members. The information age affords tribes new opportunities to exercise their authority not only within Indian country but also extraterritorially (but that is a topic for another article).TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2018One Solution for Tribal Judicial and Social ServicesRiteTrack provides a simple answer to all these complex questions. It offers one system to manage them all.Looking for a system truly designed for Tribal Court? Wanting to break down data silos & integrate the data of your social service departments?Needing to upgrade an outdated, legacy Enrollment or TANF software system? Contact us to schedule a demo or for more informationwww.handelit.com 307-742-5555 info@handelit.comStandard Modules—Customizable Platform—Proven SuccessEnrollmentEnrollmentProtective ServicesProtective ServicesICWICWGeneral AssistanceGeneral AssistanceTANFTANFTribal CourtTribal CourtTreatment ServicesTreatment ServicesEmployment & TrainingEmployment & Training| tribalnetonline.com14Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” So what could this mean to an IT professional? If you look for context in this quote, you will find the implication that sudden flashes of insight don’t typically just hit people, just as “overnight successes” rarely are that. Success in any endeavor almost always traces back to preparation. INNOVATION IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE PREPARED MIND. Rarely is there a moment where a party has some insight resulting in an innovative change that is not tied to preparation. Edison noted that the innovation of the light bulb was not the product of a single epiphany, but rather the product of having “successfully found 10,000 ways that did not work.” Think about that. Creating the light bulb took 10,000 tries; these were not efforts that were massive rethinks of an existing process or concept, these were constant and methodical attempts to fine-tune an end result. The innovation was driven by the persistence of a prepared mind. So, as an IT professional, what leads to innovation? Without a doubt, we must prepare our minds. We must understand industry and we must constantly be educating ourselves regarding the solutions that are available to us. With nearly 30 years in this industry now, my observation is that this constant preparation is more important than ever. IT has always required us to be ready for what was on the horizon, but the rate of change today has exponentially increased from where it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. New technological solutions and tools such as the cloud and AI are available to even the smallest operations, and they are leveling the playing field. Once a website could make the little guy look like the big guy. Today, the gap between these shops is closing and technology is the tool doing that. Today, the difference is who understands the potential of new solutions and how they can be applied to the challenges we face. To innovate, we need to prepare our minds. In IT, we need to educate ourselves to understand what a solution offers. A thirst for knowledge is a must because the rate of change is constant and allows for nothing less. Again, we can look to Edison and note his application of the phrase, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration,” and from there we can create our own adage: “Innovation is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” BUT IS THERE MORE WE CAN DO?Absolutely. We need to prepare our minds to accept change but more importantly, we need to adopt an attitude of change readiness BYCHRISTOPHER LUTERCIO, FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMIChristopher Luter, CIO, leads technology operations for the government and administration components of the Forest County Potawatomi Community. Christopher has a diverse background in both business and technology operations. His career leading technology operations has spanned numerous business verticals from government and biotech to construction and manufacturing. Christopher has led teams which have received industry recognition for innovation, value creation through strategic application of technology and execution of leading edge thought of industry specific solutions.ABOUT THE AUTHORINNOVATIONIs Your Mind Prepared?“CHANCE FAVORS ONLY THE PREPARED MIND.”—LOUIS PASTEUR FEATURE | CIO INSIGHTStribalnetonline.com |15TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2018and seek it out to create opportunity. This underpins the entire concept of continuous improvement. These behaviors don’t necessarily come naturally to us as humans; we like structure, we like order, we like being able to feel we understand things and control outcomes. Over the years of my career, many books and articles have been written about this and how to approach change readiness. Repeatedly, the work of Robert Kriegel, Ph.D., who wrote both If it ain’t broke…BREAK IT! and Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers, has provided me insight that I have leveraged. These approaches impact the individual, but they can also create a mindset in a team so that members are ready to lead (not follow) and make a difference for the organization and the community they serve. There are certain key factors and questions you should ask yourself to help you start to shift your thinking or your team’s thinking, and to prepare your mind(s) to begin to tackle innovation through technology solutions. In my experience, they are the following: Think like a beginner – don’t let the way things have always been done, or the solutions you know influence you. Stop, step back, and look at issues and needs with new eyes. You can look at a tool like your service desktool and accept it with all its imperfections, but what is it you need and what are you looking for? THIS WILL LEAD YOU TO CHALLENGE THE ESTABLISHED ASSUMPTIONS. Once you begin to challenge the assumptions you will by nature begin to change the game by identifying new rules you are playing by, and that in turns opens your mind up to new approaches. Look at your day in, day out tasks and identify what you are doing over and over. Start recognizing how you can take a proactive approach (rather than reactive) to this task or problem instead of constantly fixing something or working around it. My teams over the years have constantly heard me use sports analogies. If you are always on defense, whether it’s playing from behind with customers or with your boss, the reality is you can never get ahead. My teams are always challenged to put me on the defense for that reason. Putting me on the defense means that the team has started to look ahead, to anticipate my moves and anticipate issues affecting our organizational growth. They are thinking about how to provide better tools, and by thinking ahead they are ready to counter with solutions, not excuses. They have prepared their minds; they have completed the 99% perspiration and now are ready for the 1% inspiration. They are a team ready to make a difference with technology and they have become a strategic resource to the organization. | tribalnetonline.com16| tribalnetonline.com16BYASHLEY TUOMICEO OF AMERICAN INDIAN HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICESAshley Tuomi is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. She has a B.S. in Sociology, a Master’s degree in Health Policy and Administration, and a Doctorate in Health Sciences. Ashley has worked in tribal and urban settings since 2007 and is the CEO of American Indian Health and Family Services. ABOUT THE AUTHORData is critical to our society, and the digital age has revolutionized how we collect, store and process that data. Healthcare technology continues to evolve, which presents numerous challenges for both patient and provider alike. It begins with client records, flows into exam rooms and even continues when patients head home and open their computers and smartphones.The days of doctors and nurses writing on clipboards are all but gone in favor of computers and tablets, which have become the norm. At times, this leaves patients feeling disconnected from their care providers, who are diligently typing away to keep records up to date. Providers are also facing increased pressure from their administrators to utilize Electronic Health Records (EHRs), which requires keeping up to date on system and coding changes. Nowhere is correct data collection more important than when it comes to billing. Lapses in correct data collection and entry can mean the loss of money, which no administrator wants to see. In addition, the implementation of ICD-10, the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), has garnered numerous complaints from providers due to more specific coding needs. The old system of using 3-4 digits has moved to 7-9 digits plus alpha digits, which adds to the time and attention needed to process each record.Let’s take a moment and examine diabetes coding. When using ICD-9 coding, providers were instructed not to utilize the code 250.0 for all diabetic patients since that signified there were no complications. However, we knew some of our patients had complications, and our providers wanted to ensure they coded the patient properly. ICD-10 compounds that by requiring providers to be more specific, adding etiology and manifestations as well. While the details on record are of tremendous help, it also requires more time and effort from our providers for each patient.While billing and finances are definitely an issue when using EHR, so is quality. When it comes to measuring quality assurance and quality improvement, EHR data is the most reliable and consistent. Within Indian Health Services, there are several data reports that we are responsible for, including our annual Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) reports. In my organization, we look at our GPRA results and examine all of the indicators that we are not meeting. One of our findings is that some of these services are being completed, but they are not being coded correctly or are being entered in the wrong place. This demonstrates the need for consistent communication and education with our providers. High provider turnover and locum providers seem to compound documentation issues.The biggest complaint I hear from most providers is that all of the modern changes to healthcare and the reliance on EHR has altered the way they provide care and has removed the human aspect. Providers spend more time charting and documenting than spending time with their patients. This creates burnout for some, while others simply deal with it. Very few providers see the power in EHR systems. In order to prevent this burnout and turnover, we need to communicate the value EHRs have for patient and provider alike. If a provider believes that EHR is an asset, they will treat it as such and devote their efforts to working with it rather than against it. Administrative staff members need to feel the same level of confidence. EHR value may differ from provider to provider, but it has to exist. Some will see value in detailed communication, while others may see the ability to track population demographics instead of just individual patients. The communication aspect of EHR ARE YOU PUSHING YOURS TO ITS MAXIMUM POTENTIAL?Electronic Medical RecordsFEATURE | HEALTH ITTRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2018cannot be understated. Not only does it improve dialogue and information between providers, but also between providers and patients. Although the increased use of healthcare technology means patients have greater access to their doctors, it also means provider workload is increased.We have spent the past decade installing, implementing, and training providers on how to use EHRs. It is time to move past this phase and allow providers the time to explore and give value to these systems. Workloads will increase, but this is the opportunity to bring the clinical staff on board. If the goal is for doctors to treat more patients effectively, then clinical staff can help with EHR entry, allowing providers more time to treat patients. The result of this will not only be a more effective system but one that also saves money, since you want your highest paid staff providing billable care rather than doing data entry and record maintenance.The role of EHR vendors is to reduce user burnout and increase provider usage by making their systems more user-friendly. This involves creating updates and improving the means by which providers and clinical staff interact with their programs. The easier it is to input and navigate these programs, the more effective EHRs will become. Vendors can play a key role in the improvement of EHR utilization by working with providers to create new and improved tools that make utilization easier and allow providers to effortlessly extract data.Vendors can make countless updates and improvements, but the real key to making EHR systems work rests in the hands of administrators and care providers and hinges on their ability to use these programs to their benefit. It has to be a partnership between parties, and when it is, it will be revolutionary in changing the way we provide daily care for our patients. Ultimately, this will result in more money for the institution providing care, and less stress for the providers. If everyone does their part in making EHR work to its maximum potential, we can create permanent, industry-wide change. Administrators, providers and staff all need to have the same mindset, and that is to use this tool to make their healthcare as effective as it possibly can be for both their patients and their bottom line. FEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COMTRIBALNET MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018 TRIBALNET | FALL 2017Mitchell Thornbrugh is the acting Chief Information Officer and the acting Director of the Office of Information (OIT) for the Indian Health Service (IHS). The IHS, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is the principal federal health care advocate and provider for American Indians and Alaska Natives. He is an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation tribe. Mr. Thornbrugh is responsible for advising senior IHS leadership on all aspects of information resource management and technology and ensures IHS compliance with information technology laws, regulations, and policies. Under his leadership, OIT designs, develops, implements and maintains policies, budgets, standards, architecture and systems for IHS information technology. This includes the IHS information technology security program that protects IHS resources. OIT also participates in cross-government initiatives and collaborates with federal, tribal, state and other partners to serve American Indians and Alaska Natives. Mr. Thornbrugh previously served as the Chief Operations Officer for the Cherokee Nation Hastings Hospital since 2009. While there, he streamlined administrative services, improved inventory management and led the implementation of a commercial electronic health record. He also managed the transition and organizational change to a centralized revenue cycle team. Mr. Thornbrugh also served as the Chief Information Officer for Cherokee Nation Hastings Hospital from 2005 to 2009, and has been a long-time member of the IHS Information Systems Advisory Committee (ISAC). He received the IT Eagle Award for his contribution to Georgia-Pacific during his tenure in their Information Technology group. In 2018, he was awarded the Executive Directors Financial Pillar Award from Cherokee Nation Health Services. Mr. Thornbrugh has an Associate in Science from Connors State College and a Bachelor of Science in Business and Healthcare Management from Western Governors University. Indian Health Service announces new CIOFOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: WWW.IHS.GOV INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE (IHS) | AGENCY UPDATEAGENCY UPDATE | INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE (IHS)Announcing Mitchell Thornbrugh AS THE ACTING CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, ACTING DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE.AGENCY UPDATE: IHS17FEATURE | MANAGEMENT| tribalnetonline.com18There was a study done a few years ago that showed how training alone could improve employee productivity by 22.4%. If you combined training with follow-up coaching, the increase in productivity jumped to 88%. That is a 300% increase in employee productivity when you add coaching to the training process. It makes a lot of sense. How many of us have attended a gaming conference and sat through numerous educational seminars that we deemed game-changers for our organization? We took lots of notes and came back fired up to change the world with all these new tools. We placed our notes on our file cabinet so we would have easy access to them when we could find time to sort through all the pearls of information. Then we got sucked back into the vortex of our everyday trappings and didn’t see those notes until a year later, so we did nothing with them. Imagine if you had attended those seminars, took notes, then weekly, your manager asked you what you learned and helped you set goals to implement new strategies — that is coaching. Establishing a coaching culture creates one of the most powerful communication systems you will ever institute in your organization. This clearly defined communication system drives learning and holds people accountable for their productivity. In a perfect world, every employee in your organization would have someone designated to coach them. HERE’S AN EXAMPLE OF A COACHING CULTURE:• GENERAL MANAGER IS COACHED BY A PROFESSIONAL COACH • DIRECTORS ARE COACHED BY THE GM• MANAGERS ARE COACHED BY THEIR DIRECTORS• SUPERVISORS ARE COACHED BY THEIR MANAGERS• EMPLOYEES ARE COACHED BY THEIR SUPERVISORSThere is a huge misperception about the coaching process (and it is truly a process). Ninety-eight percent of the people that think they are coaching their employees are doing it completely wrong. It is far more complex and challenging than most people think. So what is coaching? It is an ongoing partnership that accelerates learning, performance, and progress in a person’s professional life. It is also an opportunity to deepen learning by facilitating clarity and self-discovery, and then turn it into action. A coach will not provide you with all of the right answers. Instead, they will ask all of the right questions in order for you to discover the answers yourself. People who discover their own answers are more likely to follow through with action. In order to be a great coach, you must learn to be a great question-asker, which is not as easy as it sounds.BYBRAD WORTHLEYINTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED CUSTOMER SERVICE, LEADERSHIP EXPERT AND AUTHORBrad Worthley is an accomplished business consultant with over 44 years of management experience. He is also an internationally acclaimed leadership and customer service expert who has authored four books and produced numerous training videos and audio programs with well-knows such as Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, John Maxwell and others. Visit www.BradWorthley.com. To contact Brad, email him direct at Brad@BradWorthley.com or phone at 425-957-9696.ABOUT THE AUTHOR300%HOW TO INCREASEEmployee Productivitytribalnetonline.com |19TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2018Coaching is a lot like the old saying: “If you give someone a fish, you can feed them for a day. If you teach them how to fish, you can feed them for a lifetime.” (Or they will sit in a boat and drink beer all day long.) A good example of the coaching process would be a leader (coach) walking through a park with an employee, side by side (not the employee following behind). They come to a fork in the path and they have a decision to make as to whether to go right or left. The leader (coach) turns to the employee and asks them which path they believe they should take. The employee gives careful consideration to the differences between the two paths and finally offers their decision. If the employee is correct, the leader (coach) praises them for their accurate self-discovery and they move forward. If the employee is incorrect, the leader (coach) will sometimes ask a reflective statement and repeat back what the employee said so they can hear their own wisdom. Upon hearing their own wisdom, the employee may have a change of heart and choose the other path. Once again, the leader (coach) praises the employee for their decision-making process and they move forward. That is one of the differences between managers and leaders. Managers tell people what to do (monologue) and leaders ask great questions and allow employees to discover their own answers (dialogue).Coaching is a collaborative process that amplifies and accelerates self-discovery; promotes clarity, creativity and choice; and helps people achieve and often exceed their goals more quickly and efficiently than they would without the partnership of coaching. The agenda normally comes from the person being coached and not the coach. Coaching is the methodology for shifting from a culture of “power over” people (extrinsic motivation) to one in which “power within” people is unleashed (intrinsic motivation). Coaching is concerned with facilitation and not necessarily giving advice.If you want to increase productivity in your organization, you must increase accountability. Accountability is one of the key components of coaching. For accountability to exist in the coaching relationship there needs to be a mutual understanding between both parties of what to expect. One of the most effective ways to handle accountability is also the simplest, by asking three accountability questions:WHAT WILL YOU DO?WHEN WILL YOU DO IT?HOW WILL I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE IT?The coaching process is powerful and has a huge return on investment. Yes, there is a cost to getting everyone trained to learn the coaching process, but I’ve learned that coaching programs can deliver a return on your investment six times the cost of coaching. The increased communication systemically throughout the organization alone is worth the cost. When you have everyone from top to bottom communicating at a higher level, miscommunication and failure go down and productivity and profitability go up.Unlock the full potential of your workforceKronos® solutions help you engage and retain a high-performing workforce, while controlling labor costs and minimizing compliance risk. Our automated tools and on-demand data access make it easy to:• Schedule best-fit employees based on skills, preferences, and demand• Gain real-time visibility into employee time, attendance, and leave• Empower employees through mobile self-service for improved productivity Optimize your most valuable asset — your people — with Kronos. © 2018 Kronos Incorporated. Kronos and the Kronos logo are registered trademarks of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. All rights reserved.Next >