Once upon a time there was a famous archer who prepared for years to show his skill at an archery competition at the royal palace. He arrived to great fanfare as the people of the kingdom came to watch the great competition. The archers came from across the land, but the first archer to lead the games was the king himself. The crowd was silent as his majesty drew the bow tight and let the first arrow fly. "Bullseye!" screamed the audience, as three of the kings men painted circles around the arrow that had struck the wall to the right of the target.

What is the moral of this story? The king may not be getting accurate feedback from his subjects!

The use of 360° (sometimes called multi-rater) feedback in organizations was pioneered as a leadership and management tool in the 1950s at the Esso Research & Engineering Company. Since then, particularly with the ease of gathering data via web-based surveys, 360° feedback has gained momentum as a way for executives to gather much-needed information about their effectiveness and how they are perceived by others. Studies show that nearly 90% of Fortune 500 firms use some type of 360° feedback.* Despite the popularity of 360° assessment, they don't always create the results organizations are looking for.  

Logic tells us that anonymous feedback may sabotage clear, direct communication and make high-performing leaders defensive, uncomfortable, and even paranoid. The worst-case scenarios for gathering 360° feedback is that it makes executives who have challenging jobs feel unappreciated and focused on what they are doing wrong rather than how they can develop. So how do we get the most out of this powerful tool for leadership development? Step one - understand how to take the feedback and make it work (do!), and make sure the process isn't broken (don't!).  For some valuable tips for leaders on getting feedback and making it valuable click here... 

Click here for some 360 "DOS"

Click here for some 360 "DONTS"

*Edwards, Mark R., & Ewen, Ann J. (1996). 360° Feedback: The powerful new model for Employee Assessment & performance improvement. New York: AMACOM American Management Association

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In support of our new partnership with Interaction Associates, Karlin Sloan & Company clients are eligible for a 40% discount on this spring and summer's open enrollment workshops from Interaction Associates! Take advantage of these great skill-building opportunities in leadership, strategic thinking, group problem-solving/facilitation, change leadership, and systems thinking! To register, click here and enter the code KSC and you will automatically receive your discount!

Programs available include:

Facilitative Leadership  Facilitative Leadership® is a transformational learning experience that provides leaders with skills and practices to share power and bring out the best in their workforces. The Project Management Institute has approved this workshop for up to 24 PDUs for Project Management Professionals.

In this three-day workshop, participants will learn to:

• Spark enthusiasm and productivity with an inspiring vision
• Focus on the work process, group relationships, and business results for multidimensional success
• Involve employees appropriately, creating employee ownership of strategies, tactics, and results
• Design powerful Pathways to Action to help change initiatives succeed
• Facilitate agreement among involved stakeholders for smoother implementation  
• Coach those you lead for better performance and deeper commitment
• Celebrate success and accomplishment to create a satisfying work environment

Essential Facilitation  Essential Facilitation® teaches participants how to effectively facilitate in high-stakes situations, leveraging the power of the group for better decision making. The Project Management Institute has approved this workshop for up to 24 PDUs for Project Management Professionals.

In this course you will: 

• Develop in-depth preparation skills, including mastering the one task you MUST complete before the start of any meeting
• Get best practices for facilitating virtual meetings
• Learn to solve problems before they start and handle them with confidence if they do arise
• Practice the four essential guidelines for resolving conflict
• Receive a whole toolkit of skills and strategies to help groups make better decisions, faster
• Learn to navigate difficult situations and cope with challenging behaviors
• Learn the five simple steps to take after the meeting to ensure you get results
• Receive one-on-one coaching on your videotaped practice session

For more information please see the Interaction Associates Website!