They Said What About Me?

Leadership Assessment, Leadership Development No Responses »

Mar 172013

In order to grow as a leader, you have to be willing to change and adapt. And in order to change, a level of awareness must take place. Whether we are talking about the growth of an organization or the growth of an individual, awareness precedes change. One of the tools we use to help leaders become aware of their leadership capability is a 360 assessment.

How many of you have given feedback to someone via a 360 assessment? A 360 is a great tool for leaders to learn how others see them. It’s not always easy to get such honest feedback from your boss, peers and direct reports. Their feedback is based on how they see you. It’s their perception of you. When you get the feedback report, you have a couple of options. One, you can discount what others say as sour grapes, or two, you can reflect on what their feedback is saying to you. Hopefully, you’ll select number two.

How many 360s have you had in your career? How often do you get to participate in a 360 for yourself? Provided you are open to feedback, the more times you can get feedback, the better you are able to calibrate your leadership. If you are not offered a 360 every 18-24 months, ask for one. You could even conduct your own Pulse Survey. These are mini surveys that allow you to get informal feedback from those around you.

It’s not easy to read or hear honest feedback about how others view you and your ability. But to grow, you have to open your mind and be willing to change or adapt based on the feedback. Great leaders must be willing to swallow their pride and admit that they need to do something to change the perception of others.

70 / 20 / 10

Leadership Development No Responses »

Jul 272011

Development doesn’t happen just in the classroom. In fact, according to research, only 10% of a person’s development comes from formal classroom training. So what happens during the other 90% of the time? Following the title of this blog, 20% of a person’s development happens through mentoring and coaching. The bulk of a person’s development, 70%, happens through on-the-job experiences. But what does that mean? Learning happens through experience. And experience happens on the job, over time, and not in a classroom.

Listed below are examples of assignments on the job that will give you the learning experiences you need to be a better leader:

Portfolio assignment – this is a short-term project, typically outside your area of expertise, that does not require that you change your job or location. This type of assignment gives you exposure and experience in a different part of the business. Let your boss know you are interested in a portfolio assignment.
Rotational assignment – a job assignment that allows you the flexibility to work in some or all parts of the company. Each assignment is typically 6-18 months in length. Ask you boss what types of rotational assignments are available in your company.
New job assignment - if portfolio assignments or rotational assignments are not an option, consider moving to another part of the company in a complementary area. This option can be tricky to maneuver. You don’t want to alienate your boss by leaving, so make sure you are communicating with your boss about your desire to grow within the company.
International assignment – if you work in a company with an international presence, raise you hand to let management know you are mobile and interested in an international assignment. Not only will you learn a different part of the business (potentially), you will stretch your leadership capabilities by working in a different culture.

These are just a few of the ways you can develop yourself in the 70% space. There are many more avenues for you to explore to develop your skills and to stretch your capabilities. And remember, it’s YOUR responsibility to develop your skills and seek out career opportunities. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Your boss can provide guidance and remove obstacles and the talent development group can provide resources, but you are responsible for your development.

Get In The Game

Leadership Development No Responses »

Jul 152011

Every year, companies all over the world spend millions of dollars to host “Leadership Development” programs for various levels of leaders. They bring the attendees together in hotels and meeting rooms for single-day and multi-day classes. The participants learn about the latest leadership techniques from leadership vendors or their own internal leaders. At the end of the program, the participants complete action plans and vow to follow-up with their partner. They even complete end-of-course evaluations where they gush about their program. But what happens once they leave the training room?

Yes, the lessons learned in these pro grams are interesting and valuable. But the real transformation takes place in the weeks and months following the program. Or does it? Leaders must put into practice what they learn in their leadership programs. That is the difficult part. Once program participants return to work, something gets in the way of actually doing anything different. Research into the use of training evaluation suggests the following reasons participants do NOT apply what they have learned in training:

The boss doesn’t support the change
No accountability
Not enough time
Easier to go back to the old way

The one on that list that sticks out for me is accountability. When program participants have someone holding them accountable, they are more likely to change their behavior and apply what they learned in the training class. An accountability “partner” helps, but an internal or external coach is equally important. Provided that the boss supports the behavior change, a coach, post program, can help hold the leader accountable for the actions they have listed on their action plan.

Marshall Goldsmith and Howard Morgan have a great article titled “Leadership Is a Contact Sport: The Follow-up Factor in Management Development.” In the article, the authors talk about the importance of a coach for program participants post-program. In their study of the leadership development of eight companies, one of the conclusions is: For most leaders, the great challenge is not understanding the practice of leadership: It is practicing their understanding of leadership. Leadership IS a contact sport. Now get in the game and perform.