Our secrets aren’t so secret

Here is a secret (not really) about 360 feedback and really all constructive feedback for that matter.
You probably think people don’t see and know your personality, that there are parts of your personality that you are able to hide from others. There is comfort in this belief but in my years of debriefing 360 feedback I can now see that this is a lie we tell ourselves. Why? Perhaps to maintain some sense of control and safety in our interpersonal world.

I would say that one of the greatest benefits of 360 feedback and any other quality feedback is that we can learn that others actually DO see those parts of ourselves we think we are able to hide from others. In my experience this happens much more often than “blind spots” being revealed. And there is an incredible liberation that lies in the knowledge that other actually see those parts that we think we can hide, because when we relinquish our belief that we are hiding those things it paradoxically frees us to embrace every part of ourselves and not try to be something we are not. And we know how impactful authenticity is in leadership.

From this liberation also comes the empowering opportunity to accept responsibility for every part of ourselves. This positions us in a place of choice about what we are going to do about ourselves and who we will choose to be in our life. It allows us to embrace all that is good about ourselves and commit to being better about those parts of ourselves that are not as flattering. In the area of personality, maybe we judge others too quickly or become impatient. Or maybe we are great at strategic thinking but not so great at tactical execution (or vice versa). Whatever the “weakness”, acknowledging it helps us “name it” and it immediately has less power over you.

There is research (Walker & Smither, 1999) suggesting that if a leader identifies things they want to work on to be a better leader and they share those things with the people who rated them, it tends to result in higher subsequent ratings in the future. Of course, this does not “magically happen”, it is more likely that the vulnerability of sharing what you are working on will make you more accountable to YOURSELF to change things that you see are important to being a better person (and leader). The act of vulnerability itself invites your raters to extend some trust toward the relationship. This can also make it easier for you to devote time and energy to positive change in your life. But be aware that if change is not observed over time, there might be a net negative for being vulnerable in this way. Others may start to think it is in words only that you shared such things. Such are the high stakes of leadership.

Of course this type of commitment to yourself has consequences. As a client of mine said last week, “It takes time to change people’s perceptions”. So true. Sharing in this way with others is a commitment to working on becoming a better person for however long it takes for perceptions to be changed. Of course, it probably does not need to be said that we do these things because it is the right thing to do, not primarily to change the perceptions of others.

If you are the kind of leader who wants this type of growth (or you work with leaders who do), reach out to me for a round of 360 feedback and the professional debriefing that can help you identify both the strengths you should be fully leveraging and what positive change looks like for you. If you also decide to access the kind of support that makes this type of change more attainable, the benefits are endless.

Ref:
Walker, A. G., & Smither, J. W. (1999). A five-year study of upward feedback: What managers do with their results matters. Personnel Psychology, 52, 393–423.

Curiosity: The key to growth through coaching

Whether you are developing as a “leader as coach” or are already a professional coach, curiosity is an important skill to be effective as a coach or a leader. My ICF PCC Marker Taxonomy discusses coach behaviors that are specifically rooted in curiosity (more below).

A PCC Marker Taxonomy

I am taking a departure from writing for my executive coaching clients to Blog as a coach educator. The International Coach Federation has developed 47 behavioral Markers that are being used to define and evaluate coaching conversations. While some leaders might be interested in the coaching behavioral markers, I am writing this primarily for my coaching colleagues.

This is the debut of the ICF PCC Marker Taxonomy that I have developed. It is a tool that can make understanding and integrating the 47 PCC Markers into one’s coaching practice less formidable.

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Systemic Onboarding

How do you keep your workforce strong even when you have turnover?

Systemic onboarding. I will tell you what I mean by that.

The importance of effectively onboarding new employees can’t be emphasized enough, regardless of what level of the organization they are entering. Training is essential, but a narrow focus on training is not enough. There is more to consider.

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360 Surveys Part 2: Changing Culture

This is part two in a series of blogs about 360 feedback.

For a video presentation of this case study see: https://youtu.be/xRy_oBOW-3w

For a broader discussion about creating a feedback culture see:

https://starcoachshow.com/321-creating-a-feedback-culture-dr-tom-krapu-pcc/

When people think about 360 feedback they usually think about an individual getting feedback for their personal development. This certainly is a benefit of getting feedback from “all directions” (360 degrees) in one’s work life. But the impact on 360 feedback programs on an organization is often overlooked.
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360 Feedback Surveys Part 1: How They Can Be Helpful?

Today’s blog will consider the ways that using 360 feedback surveys within your organization might be helpful.

You may have heard some of the negative press about 360 feedback surveys and their use. However, if given the opportunity I am sure that I can bring some clarity and sanity to this topic. Research has some much needed light to shed on the topic, and real world professional experience in organizations can add even more perspective.

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Can You Coach Via Email?

If coaching is a continuous process, then it is not uncommon at all for coaching clients to email their coach about non-administrative matters. You may be wondering, how does this work? Is it coaching?

Today’s post explains how some emails are considered coaching and will discuss some best practices that can be rules for the road. These rules can also apply to voice mail correspondence.

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Collecting qualitative data in coaching: The immediate and long term value proposition

If coaching is a continuous process, then the possibility of gathering data to demonstrate the value of coaching is also continuous.

People ask me, how do you measure value?

How will we know the coaching had impact?

The answer is to collect qualitative data throughout a coaching engagement. Qualitative data can point to the ROI that the coaching is yielding.

If qualitative data is an important potential ROI measure it raises the question, “How do I collect such data?”

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Whose Problem Is This?

Introduction.

When a problem is present in our lives, self-deception can lie at the heart of understanding the nature of the problem. The two basic forms of self-deception are “The problem is ME, and I can’t see it”, made famous in the book, “Leadership and Self Deception” and “The problem is NOT ME, but I think it is.”, and is touched upon in the book, “The Anatomy of Peace” which will be the focus of this article.

The Essence
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Coaching is a Continuous Process

I often suggest to my coaching clients that coaching is continuous, not a series of isolated events. What does this mean? Many people rely on past experience to think about how they view coaching. This often results in the thought that the only time coaching is available to them is at formal scheduled appointments and for a standard length of time. Some coaching clients even think that it would be an interruption to their coach to have any contact outside those scheduled appointments. Nothing could be further from the truth. (more…)