Archive for the ‘feedback’ Category

A post, “Don’t Get Caught Naked“, solicited a comment from a reader expressing disbelief at how blind some of them can be about their faults. (“I just don’t understand how some leaders can be so blind!”).

There are plenty of reasons for this, one of which is that they don’t ask for feedback in the first place. Here are some reasons why this is hard:

• It takes a lot of courage: it takes a great deal of courage to ask for feedback. Some of the most courageous leaders in other areas of their work are unwilling to ask “how am I doing?” because they fear the answers. However, if they don’t ask in this way, they will eventually get feedback in other, less pleasant, ways.
• Listening to, and reflecting on, the feedback they’ve received doesn’t come naturally: Without a doubt, it is hard to listen to negative feedback about ourselves. Even when the feedback is overwhelming on the side of reporting our strengths, we tend to focus on, and get parlyzed by, the negative comments. And we shut down, becoming defensive or worse. The chances of our asking again are nil.
• They don’t know what to do with feedback they receive: This is not an uncommon dilemma. Once it is received – so what? As a recipient of 360 degree feedback that was literally dropped on my desk (“here, read this”), I can attest to the importance of human support to interpret and design action around the results.

All of the above can be remedied by getting support and designing a plan with a friend, peer, manager or coach. Most leaders are well meaning, desire to improve themselves and really want feedback that they can take action on. It’s the ones who really don’t care about getting feedback that concern me the most!

A favorite childhood fairy tale is Hans Christian Andersen`s “The Emperor`s New Clothes.” I still chuckle when I think of the emperor being duped into wearing a new suit of invisible cloth in an attempt not to appear stupid.

The emperor`s followers went along with the guise during a royal procession to show off his new clothes until a child pointed out that he was, indeed, naked. The audience watching the procession caught on and the emperor was found out. The author of this tale was brilliant. A children`s story written in 1837 has become an enduring tale of clueless leadership and less-than-truthful followers.

Just like the emperor, there are leaders who will do everything possible to avoid appearing stupid. The problem is that they are often clueless about themselves. One of the ways leaders can avoid being caught clueless is to obtain pure, unadulterated feedback about how those in their circle of influence perceive them. A 360-degree assessment is the best way I know of to get this kind of feedback.

I encourage my clients to continually ask for specific feedback from their peers, their manager or their employees. This kind of feedback can be quite useful. However, like the audience passively viewing the naked emperor, followers will not necessarily provide honest feedback. A leader should not be misled into believing that the feedback he receives is entirely truthful. All kinds of human dynamics in the workplace will prevent others from being completely honest when asked for feedback.

This is where a 360-degree feedback tool is useful. This tool, whether electronic, hand written or an interview, is administered by an outside party on behalf of an individual (generally regarding facets of an individual`s leadership). Multiple sources are used: the person`s manager; direct reports; peers; and sometimes others such as customers, clients or vendors. The information is gathered in a way that maintains confidentiality. A report is then provided to the leader about her patterns, including areas of strengths and opportunities for growth.

The feedback from this tool is intended to be developmental, not disciplinary. The information gathered is meant only for the eyes of the individual for whom it was gathered.

The information obtained must be treated with great respect. A skilled professional who is familiar with providing this kind of feedback can offer interpretation, put it into perspective, and give support around the results obtained. This support could include assistance in setting goals and developing an action plan, as well as ongoing coaching to achieve the goals.

In my experience, 360s are invaluable tools to provide a reality check and a way to avoid being caught naked. Because your followers, like those watching the emperor`s procession, will rarely tell the truth to your face.

So often, “coaching” is used as a buzz term for almost any kind of interaction in the workplace (and everywhere else. Who would have thought there would be such a thing as a “knitting coach”?).

The term has been confused, misused, misunderstood and blasphemed. Yet, coaching is hot in the workplace. Executive coaches work with senior leaders and high potentials. More to the point, organizations are starting to consider the skill of coaching as an essential core competency for their leadership. Organizations that understand the importance of a developing, learning environment understand what “coaching” is.

But what I find is “coaching” most often confused with “feedback”, and sometimes “advice”. Here are some differences between coaching and feedback:

Coaching is:

• Focused on future behavior
• Developmental
• Inquiry oriented
• Used to help good performers move in the direction most appropriate for them

Feedback is:

• Focused on past behavior
• Evaluative
• “Telling” or “Advice” oriented
• Used to help poor performers move in a prescribed direction

In the end, coaching is about “letting go” and assuming the person being coached is whole, smart, and understands the best direction to head in. Feedback is more about control. Any questions?

See my favorite web sites on coaching: Professional Coaches Association of Michigan, International Consortium of Coaching in Organizations, International Coach Federation, Aspire Collaborative Services LLC.