| Overview | | | | positive reinforcement and redirection of their |
| Over the last months I have been asked multiple | | | | core strengths. Negative feedback, well articulated |
| times, in interviews for various media, what the | | | | and delivered carefully, can be very helpful. What |
| difficult economic times have done to change | | | | this tool seems to do, however, is make leaders |
| leadership. I am not sure that the times have | | | | afraid to make anyone unhappy. They lose |
| changed the demands of leadership as much as | | | | themselves and their direction in trying to please. |
| they have magnified our weaknesses and areas | | | | In fact, one of my most talented clients was told |
| for improvement. | | | | by the person handling her 360 that the most |
| We are often unaware how our cultures have | | | | important thing she could focus on was making |
| actually diminished the very things that we think | | | | people "like" her. He clearly indicated that this was |
| of when it comes to leadership. Strong, bright | | | | more important to do than to get the results. |
| individuals have been taught not to be too strong | | | | Receiving a 360 is a bit like walking into your |
| or too bright, lest they draw negative attention. | | | | office and finding an unsigned, nasty note. You |
| We talk endlessly about effective communication | | | | might learn and grow from the experience, but |
| and yet, our communication skills seem to be | | | | the odds are higher that you will feel wounded |
| deteriorating with the heavy influence of | | | | and betrayed. There simply is no substitute for a |
| performance reviews, 360s and other means of | | | | fearless HR person who has been well-trained in |
| evaluating emotional intelligence as well as job | | | | successful ways to give feedback to very strong |
| effectiveness. George Patton simply would not | | | | personalities. While the 360 is a popular tool and a |
| survive in most of our sophisticated corporate | | | | trend, it is an excuse for not doing what we |
| cultures. He would at the very least, have to go | | | | should do in the first place. |
| underground. | | | | New skills |
| Have we gone the wrong direction? Have | | | | So where is the skill deficit that we need to fill? |
| teamwork, collaboration, and "playing nice" | | | | How do you teach people to say exactly what |
| replaced leadership? I personally believe we | | | | they are thinking without hurting or damaging |
| needed to move in the direction of treating | | | | others? That's the skill set that needs to be |
| people with more respect. I do believe that we | | | | evolved, and it is a very powerful tool. |
| have failed to evolve our teaching of | | | | I work daily with senior executives who find |
| communication skills along with our understanding | | | | themselves at a loss when it comes to the |
| of "emotional intelligence". We have clearly told our | | | | communication issues they have with others. |
| leaders what they cannot do, but we have not | | | | They are afraid to be themselves because they |
| replaced the old Patton style of authority with a | | | | have been chastised for being too blunt, too |
| kind of direct and effective communication "skill | | | | abrasive, or too harsh. Otherwise they are simply |
| sets" that allow leaders to be clear. | | | | too indecisive. They cannot win. |
| I have watched strong leaders who have much | | | | What they find is that if they can get in touch |
| to share being hammered into ineffective, | | | | with the impact of what they "feel" in the |
| unhappy, tip -toeing shadows because they simply | | | | interaction, and if they can find the ability too |
| do not know how to be strong, clear, and at the | | | | communicate that effectively, they once again |
| same time, "correct". The bullies are still thriving | | | | are able to influence the outcome. |
| because they have gone underground with | | | | Sound overly simple? I have clients, very talented |
| subversive, passive aggressive behaviors. Our | | | | clients, who have been battered by subversive, |
| talented leaders no longer know how far they can | | | | passive aggressive bullies. When they learn that |
| go, how far the organization will support them and | | | | they can turn the tide by making things public and |
| how much they need to acquiesce in the interest | | | | saying exactly how the interaction is making them |
| of "team". | | | | feel, they are once again empowered to LEAD. |
| It is not "new" thinking to acknowledge that our | | | | Before they figure this out, the bullies can push |
| leaders need more courage and more skills for | | | | them around. And we lose them as effective |
| fighting against short term, expedient thinking. | | | | leaders. |
| However, rather than articulate and pontificate on | | | | What other skills do we need to build to help our |
| these needs, we must help the leader remove | | | | leaders be strong in a feedback happy |
| REAL obstacles to behaving in the way that most | | | | environment? We need to help them understand |
| would prefer. | | | | that technique is not enough. They must learn |
| Any skill teaching in the arena of authenticity, | | | | that to manage communications effectively, they |
| courage, judgment, etc, must include an | | | | must manage the energy of the communications. |
| understanding of and adjustment for what gets in | | | | What does that mean? It means that we need to |
| the way of good people automatically behaving | | | | dive a level below what we normally teach in |
| according to their values. How do we help our | | | | communications. We must understand that the |
| leaders find their voice when it appears to be | | | | energy of the communication will tell you much |
| against their best interest to do so? | | | | more about its effectiveness than the leader's skill |
| Leadership and the 360 degree performance | | | | with language. A leader who understands how to |
| review | | | | feel and manage the energy will be ten times as |
| For the last ten years I have been putting gifted | | | | effective as one who is simply clever with his or |
| leaders back together after their 360 | | | | her words. |
| performance reviews. I'm appalled at what I | | | | Let me be specific. If a leader is communicating a |
| believe to be the inherent flaws in such a process | | | | direction or policies, or decisions to his/her |
| and I am sickened at the damage they do to | | | | organization, and if the organization has just |
| everyone and to our notion of leadership. | | | | experienced lay offs, it is a more complicated |
| Seemingly a brilliant concept (anonymous | | | | communication than if things are great. The leader |
| feedback from the main people who are | | | | will be conscious of the need to manage the fear |
| impacted by a leader's style), they are ultimately | | | | that the message may convey. This is a fairly |
| damaging to the leader and the organization. | | | | common focus for a leader managing a tough |
| Specific flaws: | | | | situation. |
| 1. The methodology offers the poor performers | | | | What if every communication has an attached |
| an unchallenged voice. It is often used as an | | | | energy that must be managed? If a leader was |
| opportunity to "get back" at a leader who has | | | | evolving his/her skill set, he or she would need to |
| given performance feedback to someone who | | | | become much more conscious of the underlying |
| has failed to meet expectations. The leader does | | | | energies, and would need to learn technique for |
| not get to defend himself or herself from this | | | | guiding them effectively. If someone needed "rails" |
| anonymous feedback, and yet it is weighed | | | | the skillful leader would know this intuitively and |
| heavily in the performance of the leader. | | | | would provide stronger parameters. If a person |
| 2. "Anonymous" brings out mean spirited | | | | was out of control and disrespectful, the leader |
| responses, again, from those with an ax to grind. | | | | would know that he had to push back (and he |
| There is something unhealthy in telling someone | | | | she would know just how hard to push back). |
| that they can say whatever they want and no | | | | In other words, a leader would become |
| one will ever be able to hold them accountable. | | | | extremely adept at reading the energy of a |
| Sanctioning a tool that promotes passive | | | | situation, knowing exactly how much finesse, or |
| aggressive behavior simply makes no sense. | | | | force was needed, and he or she would trust |
| 3. My clients typically know exactly who made the | | | | enough to act on what they knew. The leader |
| most negative comments because they | | | | would not allow situations to travel too far along a |
| inadvertently say it in a way they have said it | | | | negative trajectory because he or she would |
| before. The fact that they say it in a formal, | | | | know the implications. In other words, leaders |
| documented process does not improve | | | | need to learn skills that give them desired |
| relationships or teamwork. | | | | outcomes, and they must then learn to trust |
| 4. The weighting of the feedback is always | | | | themselves enough to apply those skills in the |
| toward the negative. That does not mean that | | | | face of potentially negative feedback. |
| there are more negative than positive comments. | | | | In summary, our leaders must learn new and |
| It means that the person is forever haunted by | | | | more sophisticated levels of communication by |
| the mean things that are said. Rarely are the | | | | tapping into the right brained, intuitive side of the |
| people who have just been zapped by a 360 able | | | | process of interacting. This will be particularly |
| to remain objective. | | | | difficult for highly analytic, left brained leaders and |
| 5. The mechanism does not promote learning or | | | | our teachers must be trained in how to help them |
| growth. Typically people learn best through | | | | do so. |