|
Leadership
Development
Leaders don’t lead alone but they are unique
as individuals. So, they must learn to truly manage through
effective relationships with peers, supervisors and direct
reports. Half of this equation is the assessment and understanding
of how the leadership team is doing. The other half is providing
the knowledge, skills and practice to increase individual
and team effectiveness.
360º
Assessment – Evaluation by Manager, Peers, Direct Reports
and Self
Sayer
and Associates has provided 360º Assessments for management
development in many companies using different approaches
as appropriate. These options range from custom-designing
the survey based on the objectives, values or performance
system of an organization to providing professionally developed
and standardized tools. As a Registered Psychologist Dr.
Sayer often has preferential access to many new systems
and software, as well as the professional training to evaluate
their validity and practicality. The outcome of a well designed
and professionally executed 360º Assessment include immediate
changes in behaviour that is easily corrected and increased
motivation of managers because they can focus on practical
activities for development. The long-term payoffs are in
retention of high performers who usually seek management
development support, increased productivity due to more
effective management and more effective use of training
and development budgets.
The
process for 360º Assessments is as follows:
- Scoping,
then design of sessions to determine the right framework,
software, and whether it should be web or paper-based
- Assessment
could be based on established 360 tools or on software
like TEAMS, Insight 20/20 Gold, VOICES, or previously
customized frameworks by Sayer & Associates
-
Consulting on communication strategy, identification of
participants (both managers and feedback participants),
distribution and follow-up
- Design
and generation of reports
- Design
and delivery of materials to support report interpretation
- Interpretative
discussions offered in either individual or group settings,
always with confidentiality
While
360º Assessments have become quite popular, it is important
to understand the do’s and don’ts that have been
learned from experience in this area. Here is a small sample.
DO
- Choose
a survey that makes sense with the organization’s
performance system and values
- Develop
a communication strategy that will set the right expectations
for the process both before and after the assessment is
conducted
- Be
clear at the outset whether or not the survey data and/or
results will be kept confidential and how this will be
managed
- Have
an person internal to the organization responsible for
the communication and management of the process
DON’T
- Integrate
the results of a 360º survey into a performance or bonus
system in the first one or two years of using such a survey
- Have
an internal department charged with the responsibility
of tabulating results and generating reports if the results
are supposed to be confidential
- Introduce
a 360º process without providing individual or group sessions
to debrief and understand the results in the first year
or two of operation, and following this for new hires
 Case
Report: 360º Assessment
Team
Development
Management teams must show leadership to the rest of
the organization in the way they interact, discuss important
issues and make critical decisions. The rest of the organization
looks to a handful of senior management teams to provide
the direction and guidance that will make the organization
a success now and in the future. If these teams aren’t
working well, there are negative effects on many factors
that lead to organizational success or failure.
No
two teams are alike as no two individuals are alike. For
this reason, Team Development sessions are designed by conducting
interviews with key managers or, sometimes, with the whole
team prior to a group session. Then the agenda for the session
– generally one to two days – is set with the
issues and objectives of that team in mind. There may be
group or individual assessment measures used (e.g. MBTI,
Leadership Styles, Teamwork Style) prior to or during the
session with the goal of facilitating greater understanding
of both the individuals on the team and the group process.
The team members benefit by acquiring the understanding
and tools to work more effectively and productively with
each other.
Case Report: Team Development
Leadership
Learning and Facilitation
Sometimes the simple approach is the best to teaching
about leadership. These workshops provide education about
the knowledge, understanding and behaviour demonstrated
by great leaders. They also provide guided discussion concerning
how to learn and live this in the workplace. It may be helpful
to provide individual assessment prior to the workshop on
leadership styles and one of several assessment measures
would be chosen based on the level and experience of the
participants. Guidance is provided to the organization on
how to integrate this learning into ongoing development
plans, mentorship and coaching so that this learning is
actively supported as an important goal in the organization.
These workshops have filled a much-needed gap in the learning
of many managers who have achieved their career progression
through technical expertise. Our experience is that they
really value both the knowledge provided and the opportunity
to discuss the issues with their peers.
|
