A Powerful Approach to Performance Improvement

Last week I had the exhilarating experience of spending two days at the Center For Creative Leadership’s (CCL) Greensboro, N.C. campus becoming certified as a facilitator for their 360-degree assessment tool.

When I was with Johnson & Higgins, we frequently used 360 evaluations, and I personally found them to be an important development tool. I remember being rated by my boss, my peers and direct reports. As it is anonymous, it is powerful feedback and, in my case, it revealed what the colleagues who worked with me everyday believed I did well and areas in which I could improve.

The facilitator's role in administering the evaluation is critically important especially their role in guiding the evaluated individual to be open and receptive. It is important that the reviewee understand the importance of seeking continuous improvement and that a 360 evaluation can be a huge help in advancing one's performance. I remember questioning my facilitator about one piece of feedback I received, saying that I was not sure it was accurate. She appropriately pointed out that I would be well advised to treat perception as reality—if that's what people thought, did I want to work to change their perception? Of course, I did, and I sure tried.

From that point on, I tried to use that advice in client service, treat perception as reality. If a client said we could do something better or be timelier, then we didn't want to debate. Instead, we wanted to do our best to meet our client's needs and wants. The same holds with our colleagues. They are our internal clients!

The CCL 360-degree assessment was developed nearly 25 years ago. Their executive performance research is ongoing and based on many thousands of executives, including those who have succeeded and the reasons for their success, and those who have not and the reasons for their failure.

In my opinion, the Center truly understands leadership. I was particularly thrilled by a discussion in a hallway during a break with Phillip Braddy, PhD, one of their researchers, who said that listening is absolutely a difference maker in great leadership. I totally agree, and I wish more leaders understood this!

There are several different CCL assessments. The most common is called Benchmarks, which consists of approximately 150 questions, completed online, and takes 25 – 30 minutes to complete. The answers (ratings) reveal a great deal about one's competencies in leading her/his organization, people and herself/himself, and which are most important in leading to successful job performance. Also identified are potential career de-railers, which could stall or derail our advancement if not improved. See below:

Leading the Organization Strategic perspective Being a quick study Decisiveness Change management	Leading Yourself Taking initiative Composure Balance between personal and work life Self-awareness Career management
Leading Others Leading employees Confronting problem employees Participative management Building collaborative relationships Compassion and sensitivity Putting people at ease Respect for differences	Potential for Derailment Problems with interpersonal relationships Difficulty building and leading a team Difficulty changing or adapting Failure to meet business objectives Functional orientation too narrow

Typically a high-level executive, or even a high potential employee, is rated by 10 to 12 colleagues. The ratings are collected and summarized by the facilitator and then subsequently synthesized into a report.

From the report, the person receiving the evaluation should gain an understanding of how she is perceived by colleagues specifically relating to key job competencies. Ideally the recipient is highly motivated to both develop strategies to become even better using key strengths, as well as improve in areas where there is development opportunity.

CCL has reference material that can help those reviewed develop such strategies, and I have ideas myself from my Georgetown Leadership Coaching Program, other training programs I've attended, a library of at least 100 books about performance improvement and leadership, and lots of discussions with executives, fellow coaches, and professors. I encourage you to seek and use these resources should you want to develop your own strategy for improvement.

There are only two copies of the 360-assessment report, both belonging to the reviewee. One copy is used by the reviewee and the other temporarily by the facilitator for the discussion and then turned over to the recipient. The assessment is not shared with anyone, not even a boss or human resources, nor is it used for formal performance evaluations or employment decisions.

I believe that everyone wants to do well, to succeed, and I believe that a 360-degree assessment can be a powerful aide in one's career—if the methodology is handled properly.

I applaud the Center For Creative Leadership; they are highly intelligent, insightful professionals who understand leadership qualities.

I remember well how much I gained from my own 360 assessment, and I encourage you, my readers who I hope believe in continuous improvement, to consider this development tool for you and your company.