Leadership Challenge #2: How to get Honest Feedback

How does a leader go about getting honest feedback?

Many leaders believe, “if I just ask for feedback, people will give it to me”. While I wish that were true, unfortunately all humans, being what we are, if you hold a position over me, bottom line is, I don’t know that if I were to be completely honest with you, “are you going to fire me or give me crappy work or a crappy schedule?” We tend to hold back being truly honest even when offered the opportunity to give real-time immediate, face-to-face, feedback.

The best way to get that feedback for managers and leaders is a 360 Degree Survey. This is anonymous, confidential information, that is collected via a survey that goes out to your direct reports, your peers, your boss and any other people you want feedback from--360 degrees around you--people who work with you and interact with you on a regular basis and can provide very honest, actionable feedback to you about how you’re doing, what you’ve been doing, where your strengths are, and where your, “flat sides” are--as one of my clients likes to call it.

Our LEAP members find that our 360 Survey is one of the most valuable benefits to them in terms of opening their eyes and helping them get started on their leadership journey. The feedback helps them reduce blind spots and helps them really understand how others are seeing them. Then the question becomes “what do I do with this feedback?” and that’s where the coaching, peer cohort, and skill building come into play—real leadership development requires all of these components.

Looking for a leadership cohort in your area? Find out more about LEAP!