360-Feedback Review
What is a 360-Feedback Review? This could be defined as a powerful tool where both leaders and their organizations go through a process that involves gathering feedback from the leader's peers, subordinates, and supervisors, providing a well-rounded perspective on their performance and behavior.
Putting aside the intricacies of the process, I would like to offer my personal experience on why a 360-Feedback Review could be one of the best investments in yourself and your leadership growth. To give some background, I am not just a leadership coach who administers and coaches to 360s. I am a 6-time receiver of 360-Feedback Reviews over my leadership career. Some might think I love getting feedback, but honestly, feedback is my secret weapon! It's like having a magical GPS that shows me how my leadership is “rocking” and what's “flopping” with my colleagues and team members.
To truly benefit from a 360-Feedback Review, it's crucial to continually strive for self-improvement and bring a growth mindset. Otherwise, the feedback is just words on paper – or worse, fancy kindling for your next bonfire. Embracing a mindset of continuous improvement helps you keep an open mind and find those hidden nuggets of wisdom in the feedback; like discovering a forgotten twenty-dollar bill in your pocket.
Here are the things I have gleaned from receiving and administering 360-Feedback Reviews:
1. Holistic View of Performance: You gain a complete picture of your performance by collecting input from multiple sources. This diversity of feedback helps identify strengths and areas for improvement that may not be apparent through self-assessment, traditional performance reviews, or blinds spots.
2. Enhanced Self-Awareness: Receiving feedback from various perspectives allows you to gain a deeper understanding of how your actions and behaviors are perceived by others. This increased self-awareness is crucial for personal and professional growth, as it helps leaders recognize blind spots, strengths to leverage, and areas where they can further develop.
3. Enhanced Communication: In nearly every 360-Feedback Review we conduct, communication emerges as a prominent theme, highlighting both your effective and ineffective practices. By gaining insight into your communication style, and its impact on others, you are provided the opportunity to make the necessary adjustments for improvement.
4. Targeted Development Plans: With a clear understanding of your strengths and areas for improvement, you can create a targeted development plan based on the reoccurring themes. The gift of feedback shared from others is exactly where you can focus!
5. Increased Accountability: In my opinion, a well-rounded-360-Feedback Review will have a leadership coach or mentor associated with it. These individuals will not only help you with advice and counsel, but they will drive accountability for growth in a positive way. They help you accelerate your growth through a cadence of coaching connections and skipping over some learning curves.
6. It’s Contagious: When people around you know you have gone through the 360 process and see your growth, what happens? They want to follow your same formula. This is the ultimate form of leading by example and setting the tone for a growth-mindset culture!
So, there you have it - six compelling reasons why a 360-Feedback Review is a powerful tool for any leader. But don't just take my word for it. Imagine the transformation you can experience when you open yourself up to the invaluable insights provided by your peers, subordinates, and team leader. Consider how this multi-faceted feedback can highlight your strengths, reveal your blind spots, and guide you toward becoming the best version of yourself.
Consider a 360-Feedback Review not just as tool, but a journey of self-discovery and the unpacking of your greatest potential. It challenges you to confront truths and experiences that you may not want to see but really should acknowledge. Through this process, you build resilience, develop empathy, and strengthen your leadership capabilities overall. You become more in tune to the needs of your team and are better equipped to create a positive and productive work environment.
Additionally, the benefits extend beyond your personal growth. As you express the principles of continuous improvement and accountability, you inspire those around you to do the same. Your commitment to self-betterment sets a powerful example by cultivating a culture of transparency, mutual respect, and collective progress within your organization.
In the end, a 360-Feedback Review is an investment in your future. It empowers you to break free from stagnation, embrace new opportunities, and lead with confidence and clarity. So, if you find yourself stuck in a rut or in need of a catalyst to propel you to the next level, consider embracing the 360-Feedback Review. Think of it as the ultimate professional gift to yourself that unlocks new dimensions of growth and sets you on a path toward sustained leadership excellence. The risk is minimum, and the rewards are boundless. Are you ready for a 360-Feedback Review?
By Matt Francoeur