The Value of 360 Feedback - It's Time to Care What Others Think

by Pam Hedges

It has been said that "we judge ourselves by our intentions; others judge us by our behaviors". In business there is often a "disconnect" between what we think and what others think. Perhaps it's time to test out what others think so we can be better leaders.

I coached a General Manager recently (let's call him Bob) who was regarded as a stellar producer in a large company. Prior to meeting Bob I was told that he consistently achieved results. In fact, all of his colleagues would agree that Bob was indeed a high performer. But, most of them didn't care. Bob was very difficult to work with. He was frequently criticized behind his back for what seemed to be a "me first" attitude. Human Resources was riddled with complaints.

The strange thing about this was that Bob was unaware of the gravity of his problem and its impact on business. As the problem escalated, the head of Human Resources intervened and convinced Bob he needed help. At his wits end, Bob agreed to meet with me, hoping it would make a difference.

As part of the coaching process, Bob's first step was to go through a 360 degree feedback process which laid the foundation for change. The 360 degree feedback process that I use starts with an on-line instrument that is given to a boss, at least 3 peers and at least 3 direct reports. All but the boss's answers are anonymous. The scores are tallied together to show how each rater group views the employee.

When Bob saw his scores he was not particularly surprised with the feedback. He even agreed that he was not a team player and defended himself by saying "he didn't have time to schmooze with his peers". But, after much discussion, Bob realized that the negative feedback he had received from his boss and the head of Human Resources must be true. He became fully aware that change was "non-negotiable" if he wanted to stay with the company.

Bob and I spent several sessions together discussing how to act as a team player and more specifically how to be more cooperative with others. Initially it was difficult for him to grasp the definition of cooperation - "accommodating the needs and interests of others by being willing to defer performance on your own objectives in order to assist colleagues with theirs".

One of Bob's assignments was to describe a situation where he could defer performance on his own objectives to help someone else. We named the person he could help and set up an experiment where he could practice being cooperative. As Bob demonstrated the behavior and was accountable to me, he changed for the better. The head of Human Resources received fewer complaints, others noticed his change in attitude and he received a positive review from his boss. I also heard from the new SVP of Human Resources how Bob had approached her on his own accord to see how he could help her assimilate into her new job.

Coaching (especially when using a 360 degree feedback instrument) is geared to helping employees utilize the input of others to become more effective in the workplace. It's time to care what others think so we can become more effective leaders.

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