Feedback Coaching for Executives and Leaders
3D Group’s three-phase coaching method is designed to help leaders get the most out of a 360-degree feedback process. Coaching is an essential ingredient in any multi-source feedback process. Without coaching, leaders may see their 360 feedback as interesting, but with feedback coaching, 360 degree feedback becomes a powerful leadership development tool that pushes leaders to look seriously at their skills and make meaningful changes that benefit them individually as well as their company.
By using the 360 employee feedback report as an initial and ongoing reference point, 3D Group feedback coaches help leaders:
- Become aware of their leadership competencies
- Prioritize development needs based on present day issues and forward looking opportunities
- Stay accountable for making changes to improve
At each of these phases, an effective feedback coach is the difference between success and mediocrity.
Phase I: Awareness (Understanding + Insight)
The first step in any 360-degree feedback process is for executives to become aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. 3D Group feedback coaching helps leaders focus on exploring and understanding their feedback by emphasizing the subjective nature of the ratings. If peers rate low and direct reports rate high, who is right? They both are! The key in Phase I is for leaders to explore why their ratings differ and to gain insight into how their behavior leads others to their perceptions.
Phase II: Planning (Intent to Change + Planful Action)
Once leaders gain insight into their leadership skills and the perceptions of their coworkers, the 3D Group feedback coach helps executives explore current and future career needs in order to begin prioritizing for development. It is quite common for 360 reports to list 10 or more “development needs,” so consideration of the leader’s current situation is essential for creating a development plan that will get the best results. This phase also requires that leaders focus on what is most important and set realistic development goals. The most essential ingredient in this phase is the leader’s motivation to change. Feedback coaches can only help structure effort; they can’t actually do the work! Without a clear motivation, planning is meaningless. Hence, part of prioritizing development is choosing areas in which leaders are motivated to change. 3G Group bases our developmental action plan on Lewin’s force field analysis approach to change and involves articulating very specific behavioral goals as well as a detailed consideration of obstacles and facilitators that may affect the effort to change.
Phase III: Results (Accountability)
No one can change what he or she does not measure. One of the most valuable services feedback coaching provides is a regular, on-going reference for measuring progress. Sometimes leaders will put effort into development simply because they know will hear about their lack of action if they don’t act prior to their upcoming meeting with their 360 degree feedback coach. For every leader, 3D Group coaches individualize an accountability plan that helps them stay on track and provides a clear ongoing assessment of progress on their development goals.
Resources
Throughout the feedback coaching process, 3D Group coaches leverage a wide range of resources that include reading materials, coursework and on-the-job activities designed to help leaders learn new skills. Additionally, leaders have their coaches' personal contact information and can call them directly as needed to discuss ongoing or immediate concerns.
