The_Essential_Manager_s_Handbook

122 / TAKING UP YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE

Learning from feedback

Seeking the truth

Once you have learned to both give

and receive feedback skillfully and

constructively, you will be ready to lead

your team to greater self-awareness and

higher levels of performance.

You can ask for feedback (formally

or informally) from any of the people

you come into contact with on a daily

basis—members of your team, your

superiors, clients, or suppliers.

The following series of questions

is a good starting point for discussion

with your appraiser, especially when

you ask them to back up their answers

with real examples:

-^ What do you see as my strengths?
-^ What do you think I am blind to?
-^ What development areas do you think
I should be focusing on?
-^ What should I do less of/more of?
-^ What potential do you see in me?
-^ Or, if you are using competencies to^
set and monitor your targets, try the
following phrasing:
-^ Which competencies do I consistently
demonstrate? (Enclose a copy of
your competencies)
-^ Which competencies do you think I
could go on developing further?
-^ What changes do you foresee^
in the next 12 months and on which
competencies do you think I should
be focusing my development?

When you seek out and receive feedback, you develop your character

as a leader. The two-way process of disclosing things about yourself

and receiving comments on your performance builds trust. This in turn

reduces the gap between your public and private faces and increases

the authenticity of your leadership.

RUNNING 360° FEEDBACK

Ideally the 360° process should be managed by

an objective external coach to ensure high-quality

feedback, a balanced viewpoint, and anonymity

for those individuals brave enough to give feedback

on their boss. However, if your organizational culture

is open, and all agree to a no-blame approach, the

review could be carried out internally.

In focus

US_122-123_Learning-from_feedback.indd 122 30/05/16 3:02 pm