From Seattle Post Intelligencer – USA
May 26, 2009
by Maureen Moriarty
I just left a client coaching session where we reviewed my client’s 360 performance review (this client had just received results as part of the company’s leadership program). As an executive coach, I regularly administer 360s (most of them require a certified facilitator in the instrument to administer them) and help my clients understand the most important part about them which is: what next?
Today, I was reminded of a) what a powerful tool a 360 can be to leadership development –particularly when reading how you are perceived by your peers and those around you “rips off the blinders”, and b) how complex and important it is to then interpret the feedback and develop the “what’s next” plan.
For those of you unfamiliar with a “360″ – it is a tool (almost all are now online and relatively easy to take/administer) to gather “performance review” related feedback from a variety of sources (hence the name 360 – in other words, from all around you). These sources often include the boss, other senior leaders, peers, direct reports, boards and key clients/customers (if desired). There are many 360s on the market– two or three are “best in class” which means there is data to back up their reliability, validity and usefulness. Best practice using 360s means not connecting results to bonus or hiring/firing decisions in other words; they are strictly used for improvement or developmental purposes.
The instrument that I am certified on provides rater anonymity (except for the “boss” category) and helps leaders (or developing leaders) identify both their strengths and development areas and can uncover potential blocks that could lead to career “derailment”–its also focused on behavior that is “changeable”. As a coach, behavior is the crux of what I focus on with my clients. What is vital in leadership development is learning how your behavior impacts those around you. Is your behavior helping (your strengths you want to keep playing towards) or hindering you (those that will require skill building) in meeting your goals?
One of the potential outcomes of a 360 is discovering that you aren’t on the same page with your boss. Over my years of administering 360s, I have found this to be a fairly common outcome. I then coach the client to have an important “clarifying” conversation with the boss. The objective of this conversation is to understand how your behavior is either meeting or not meeting the boss’s expectations. The next step is to agree to a development plan for improvement. As a coach, what I am clear about is that being in the dark about these things isn’t helpful; in fact it often results in career derailment.
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Read original story. http://blog.seattlepi.com/workplacecoach/archives/169521.asp
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