How do you measure leadership qualities? How do you really know where you're strong, and if there are gaps? How can you become even more effective quickly?
360 degree feedback can do all that for you, and more! It's a great tool for measuring leadership qualities and for fast and effective improvement.
If handled right by the facilitator, and if the subject (the leader) actually uses the results, 360 degree feedback can lead to greater self awareness, powerful skill-building and inspired and inspiring leaders.
I believe 360 Degree Feedback is one of the best tools for measuring leadership qualities and competencies, but it works only if you avoid the top thirteen errors.
If you've never heard of 360 Feedback...
What is 360 degree feedback?
It involves getting anonymous feedback about specific leadership traits and competencies from people who observe the leader in action on a regular basis.
Raters include: direct reports, peers, managers and sometimes, customers.
The results measure leadership qualities and are used to help a leader (everyday employee leaders, team leaders and executive leaders) leverage strength's and close development gaps.
Employees are hungry for feedback.
With the results of a 360 Feedback report you get honest feedback from your team. This is priceless information that you can use as a catalyst for inspiration and high performance.
Team members need a positive and constructive way to say what they think. Leaders (we all do really) need honest and specific insight into what's working and what's not working regularly to make timely adjustments.
When I suggest 360 feedback to help leaders improve productivity, I hear one of three comments:
"I love it!" "I hate it!" or "What is it?"
If you love or hate it - chances are you feel the way you do because the facilitators, without meaning to, did some of the top thirteen 360 Degree Feedback errors.
If you're planning a 360 Degree Feedback project to measure leadership qualities, you're on the right track. I want to make sure that your project is successful and that you get the results you're after.
Here's the top errors that can sink your ability to effectively measure and build leadership qualities with 360 Degree Feedback:
ERROR: Subjects and raters do not receive enough communication up front.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: All involved MUST understand WHY you're doing 360 feedback and HOW the information will be used.
ERROR: Surveys results are used in place of or with performance appraisals. 360 feedback results are considered when determining raises and promotions.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: Results should be used for development purposes only. Tying results to pay, kills the ability to get honest feedback and creates all sorts of mis-trust. Don't let this big error sink you!!
ERROR: Subjects and raters do not receive instructions on how to give positive and helpful feedback.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: Instructions should be provided verbally and in writing and are as simple as:
'Do not rate higher or lower than deserved.'
'When writing comments, describe both positive and constructive aspects.'
'The best comments are very specific and include examples.'
'Avoid emotional comments, whether positive or constructive.'
ERROR: Not using a secure,online system to ensure anonymity of raters.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: If raters do not feel assured that the feedback they offer is confidential, they'll not share their true perspective. If this happens, leaders miss an opportunity to address any 'festering' issues.
ERROR: The survey you're using is canned and not tailored to you and your company's needs.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: If the items being measured are not specifically important to your team and company now, the feedback's not pertinent and probably will not be acted upon. Use a survey you can tailor.
ERROR: The selected raters do not really see the leader in action on a regularly basis.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: This will create feedback that is is 'light', potentially inaccurate and overall, not very helpful.
ERROR: You have less than three raters for each category, for example only two peers or only two direct reports.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: This makes your ability to assure confidentiality an issue. Have three or more raters in each relationship area, as often as possible.
ERROR: You have too many items for people to rate on the survey.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: More than 40 items and your raters get fatigued. This causes the quality of the feedback to decline dramatically.
ERROR: The survey does not provide specific and actionable development recommendations for lowest scoring areas.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: People need help making change - if they knew how they'd be doing it already. Make sure you get and give specific and actionable development recommendations.
ERROR: Leaders/Subjects only focus on their weaknesses and they leave the process and review session discouraged and feeling threatened.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: All development plans should include equal focus on leveraging strengths and closing development gaps. This process, when done right, is encouraging and helpful. Leaders feel sure, more confident about what they offer and they now have insight into how they can specifically improve.
ERROR: Leaders are allowed to pick more than 2 development areas to focus on.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: People can only change one thing at a time, successfully. Have each leader pick one or two high impact development areas you can 'attack' for improvement.
ERROR: Leaders do not get back to their rater team with a summary of their results and their action plan.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: Raters hate it when they take time to give feedback and don't hear back. This breeds resentment and causes the leader's team to judge the leader more harshly in the future.
ERROR: There's no follow up with the leaders/subjects who were surveyed.
WHY IT MATTERS/HOW TO FIX THIS: If there's no development discussions and no benchmarking process to see improvement, the 360 Feedback project becomes just another 'flavor of the month' exercise. Follow up is crucial. Many 360 tools provide the ability to re-asses in 8-12 months, comparing the new scores to previous scores. This helps the leader stay focused and accountable to improvement.
Check out this online discussion between myself (Suzie, the creator of this site) with 360 Feedback expert and author Jerry Gardner. Don't miss his offer of a giveaway of his excellent book: Just Ask, a story about a leader who's getting 360 degree feedback and his struggles. Go to this 360 Degree Feedback Discussion now.
Marshall Goldsmith has coached hundreds of leaders. He's considered America's top executive coach and offers practical information on how to measure leadership qualities, competencies and behavioral change in this New York Times bestseller.
Goldsmith has been called the world's greatest teacher of leadership on the planet'. Now that you've gotten an good overview, find out more about the 20 workplace habits Goldsmith recommends that you break,
order this insightful book now.(Opens a new window.)
Here's another great link with more insight about measuring leadership qualities. It's a one-hour talk leadership guru Marshall Goldsmith gave to Google's leadership. Enjoy!
