Managers need to understand numbers

Some people choose a career path almost purely based on one idea - to avoid working with numbers on a daily basis. They prefer working with the people side of business rather than the numbers side.



That’s all well and good but once you become a manager, you simply can’t ignore the financial drivers of your company. But some managers do, and as a result they can’t read a balance sheet or properly calculate ROI of endeavors. More often than not, they are probably pretty clueless on what their company’s CFO is talking about in meetings.



However, the only thing every company regardless of size has in common is numbers. So, whether you like it or not, finance is the language of business.



In fact, we find that fiscal management is so important that it is a dimension measured in some of our 360 Feedback. Demonstrating financial expertise adds value and credibility to decisions, plans, and understanding of organizational complexities.



According to the book, Financial Intelligence: A Manager’s Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean, accountants typically rely on estimates, assumptions, and judgment calls. It is vital for managers to know how those sources of possible bias can affect the financials and that even sometimes those numbers can be disputed.



Your job duties might not specifically state a need to use finance, but a reluctance to understand the financial side of business will only hurt you in the long run.



For instance, if you depend too heavily on the analytical expertise of others, it will not allow you the opportunity to fully integrate financial and other business factors into your decision-making process. And if you're intimated by financial complexities it may grant you a reputation for making poor decisions. Sounds scarier than working with numbers every now and then, right?



As a non-financial manager, you still need to take the initiative and increase your knowledge of business and financial measures and use it to inform your decisions. As we stated earlier, finance is a language, so commit to learning this language.



We won’t leave you hanging – here are some tips to follow:



·Consider taking a course or workshop on financial analysis. The widely available course, "Finance for Non-Financial Managers," may be helpful.



·Ask a colleague whom you respect as an expert in financial measures to be your mentor.



·Build positive working relationships with your accounting and finance contacts.



·Get to know the organization’s key financial indicators, such as net income, cash flow, and earnings per share. Learn the meaning of each indicator, how it is calculated, and why it is important. Identify the ways in which your unit contributes to these indicators. Determine whether your unit is measuring the activities that contribute most to the organization’s success in terms of these indicators.



Remember, if you take the time to learn the financial side of business, you might be able to put in your two cents worth at the next meeting with your company’s CFO. Wouldn’t that be nice!

Michael Jordan as a business leader

Michael Jordan. It’s safe to say he’s one of the greatest basketball players of all time, if not the greatest. But that’s not what we are here to discuss – this post is about his career off the court.



After his successful run as a basketball player, Jordan wanted to transition from leader on the court to leader in the business operations side of basketball.



It has not been an easy move.



Jordan joined the Washington Wizards team as President of Basketball Operations and part owner in 2000. During his first full season in that position, his team only won 19 games. In hopes he could jump-start the team, Jordan made a few controversial personnel moves. Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were immediately mixed among fans and the media.



On top of that, instead of focusing on developing the talent of the team, Jordan decided he should help the team win by playing for the team. He still had his amazing talent on the court, but he also suffered a few injuries. He eventually retired once and for all at the age of 40.



Jordan assumed he would return to his front office position with the Wizards after his retirement on the court. However, his previous tenure in the front office was deemed not a success and the Wizards owner fired Jordan.



Jordan is an example of a top performer attempting to make the transition from performer to manager. This is a problem not just reserved in the basketball arena, many companies struggle with this kind of transition.



New managers have to shift from producing results themselves to getting the best results from others. Jordan’s role as a basketball executive called for others to perform, not take charge personally like he did when he was a player.



After Washington fired him, many assumed Jordan’s time with basketball operations was finished. It wasn’t. Jordan eventually got involved in the operations side of the Charlotte Bobcats team in 2006. Like his time at Washington, Jordan faced criticism for some of his personnel decisions off the bat.



Despite the critics, Jordan became majority owner of the Bobcats in 2010. Unlike his role in Washington, no one can fire Jordan but himself.



Jordan is still adored for his time on the basketball court, but it appears he still has a lot to learn about being an owner and a leader. But people can develop a knack for leading people, as long as they have the right training and support.



No matter how famous they are, leaders could always use a dose of feedback. Jordan could benefit by instilling a feedback culture in his office. Implementing 360 Feedback could help Jordan recognize weaknesses and shortcomings, along with leveraging strengths.



And as Jordan admitted in an old quote, failure is part of the game.



“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 25 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed,” said Michael Jordan.



What are your thoughts about Michael Jordan as a basketball business executive?

360 feedback and development

Lately, we have noticed debates on various blogs and forums centered on the question, “Should 360 Feedback be used for development purposes or for performance appraisals?”



While the topic is not new in nature, it still is an interesting debate and we would like to put our two cents in the mix.



The nature of 360 feedback is to collect perceptions about a person’s behavior and the impact of that behavior from the person’s boss, direct reports, and colleagues. It measures leadership effectiveness such as decision-making skills, collaborative planning, conflict management, performance standards, and many others. The feedback is used for action planning, and to set goals.



The 360 Feedback process is performed through anonymous feedback. Anonymity lends itself to more honest and open feedback from raters, and accurate feedback is key to a successful 360 process.



However, there is a growing trend to link appraisals to 360 data. As opposed to development programs, performance appraisals measure basic job requirements and are used for salary increases, promotions, bonuses, and even disciplinary action.



If this approach is required, we strongly suggest caution, full disclosure, and transparency for all involved before and after the project agreement. The process does lend itself to some negative unintended consequences, such as skewed data with the ‘halo’ or ‘horns’ effect, dips in participant morale, system gaming, etc.



A basic rule of thumb - if a company is not experienced with the 360 degree process, it should not use 360s for appraisal purposes.



When feedback is gathered and linked to development planning, goal setting, and organizational support, it can help improve individual performance. Contrasting self-evaluation results with feedback, enables individuals to integrate feedback into his or her self-image. Getting a clear picture can help identify weaknesses that can be improved, as well as strengths that can be leveraged.



Companies that turn to 360s must emphasize clear and frequent communication about the importance of development and implications for each member of the organization. The more people understand why 360 feedback is introduced to the organization and how the information is used, the more likely they are to support the effort.



In conclusion, utilizing 360 Feedback for development purposes creates an atmosphere of trust. People can truly believe the data will not be held against them but will be used to help them.

Predictions and Trends for 360s in 2011

As we start off the New Year, many companies are preparing to launch its strategic plans and goals. And as expected, there are several articles and blogs predicting the various industry trends for 2011. What better time to put the TBC President and VP in the hot seat, right? I asked them to shine-up their crystal ball and talk about the state of 360 Feedback in 2011.



So without further ado, here are a few predictions about upcoming trends for 360s from Derek Murphy and Tom Kuhne.



Translations

Emerging markets are growing at a rapid-pace, and the U.S. companies with presence in these markets are investing more in leadership development tools. With a greater focus on leadership development in emerging markets, more companies are requesting translation capabilities from its 360 feedback provider.



While translating 360 surveys is not a new concept, Tom said the requests for translations will continue to grow in 2011.



“Talent and development is typically built around the company headquarters’ model,” Tom said. “Translations offer companies the ability to use the standard platform that is implemented at the headquarters and launch it at the multicultural offices.”



Push Toward Validation

In 2011, companies will request 360 Feedback that are validated, which is somewhat of a trend reversal of the past couple years. Derek said for several years many companies that used TBC’s TruScore survey hosting platform were hosting homegrown instruments.



“We’ve had more and more interesting requests for validated content,” Derek said.



So why is that? Well, that leads us to the next trend.



Emphasis on Development Plans

Tom gave me a home improvement example to explain why companies are seeking validated instruments.



Okay, so say your bathroom is due for a remodel. While this will entail major structural changes, you decided you could handle the project yourself. After all, you are an avid viewer of all HGTV home improvement shows, and if some of those people can remodel their own homes, surely you can do it, right?



You have all the tools, a plan of action, and a design of how the new bathroom will look. Fast forward to spending tons of money and time (not to mention, blood, sweat and tears) - you finally finish the job. Although, after a while you notice the tiles aren’t straight, and why doesn’t the toilet work all the time?



Maybe if you had hired a home improvement expert you would have saved time and had a functional bathroom.



The same rings true with 360 surveys. HR professionals are realizing that 360 feedback is not just a fluff HR exercise – when performed properly, managers do tend to improve and act on results. A tool that isn’t validated can result in poor ROI and just an overall bad impression of 360 feedback.



Validated surveys are important because at its core, validation uses analytic techniques that are reliable and accurate in measuring the intended goal of the survey. Based on the survey’s results, individuals and organizations can make reliable strategic decisions about where to focus their development efforts.



Companies in 2011 will place more emphasis on partnering with 360 providers that offer validated surveys, and that can also bring to the table goal setting, development plans, and other training options.



Technology Improvements

Another trend will be significant technology enhancements for web-based 360 Feedback. The technology upgrades do not mean the platforms are complicated and hard to use. Companies want a comprehensive online solution to be user-friendly and simple, as Tom said, “do more with less technology.”



Look for 360 feedback providers to offer flash tutorials, an increase in automation options, and additional online resources.



Reinvest in Talent Development

Derek said an encouraging trend in 2011 is more companies are choosing to reinvest in talent development, and there will be an overall uptick in volume for 360s.



A recent Wall Street Journal article reported there is a growing fear across organizations regarding the shortage of qualified talent as business picks up in the recovering economy. To address this fear, organizations are reinvesting in talent development programs, and investing more in these critical areas to better position themselves as they shift to growth mode.



“Instead of hiring managers from the outside, many companies will focus on building someone up into a leader from within,” Derek said.



Now it’s your turn - what trends are you seeing in your industry?

Receiving feedback is a gift – it really is!

The holiday season is upon us, and the exchanging of gifts is one of the core aspects of the holiday. Gifts can be fun and all, but sometimes they are just plain bad and unnecessary. You could probably do without receiving a sweater with a picture of a poodle on it, or a giant hand back scratcher.

Still, there are certain gifts that can serve a long-term benefit. For leaders and managers, receiving feedback can be a gift that keeps on giving.

Yes, you read correctly – feedback is a gift. Before you start to groan and roll your eyes at this thought, hear me out. When done properly, feedback is a powerful professional development tool for leaders and managers.

After all, do you know there are actually two distinct perceptions of you? One is how you see yourself, and the second is how others see you. These views can influence your ability to lead, so it is crucial to find the blind spots between the two views.

For example, you may be great at holding people accountable but bad at setting clear expectations. Feedback gives you the information about your impact on others so that you don’t continue to operate with those pesky blind spots.

One way to gather feedback is through 360 Feedback. Unlike traditional reviews and feedback, 360 Feedbackevaluates job performance based on confidential responses from managers, peers, direct reports, and other stakeholders. Since the opinions are voices anonymously, it encourages a higher level of honesty.

Let’s go back to our “gift” example. Receiving feedback is something you can’t give yourself - self-perception can only go so far. However, if people receive feedback from different sources, they can develop the tools necessary to improve weakness and capitalize on strengths. A person who gives you feedback, whether it is positive or negative, is giving you a gift; so make sure you acknowledge that gift.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind after you receive feedback.

· Try not to take the feedback personally. Be open to what you see and hear.

· Take the time to evaluate the information and consider specific actions for improvement.

· Use feedback to clarify goals and track progress toward goals.

· When you make a decision, get in the habit of considering the impact it will have on the people affected by it.

As you can see, unlike an ugly sweater, feedback is one gift that retains its value.

The importance of anonymity in Watergate and 360 feedback

When I decided to write about the subject of anonymity, the first example that came to mind was the Watergate scandal. I can probably thank my journalism background for that – I think it’s a requirement to watch All the President’s Men before you can officially become a reporter. Okay, I’m kidding. Well…kind of.

Anyway, the newspaper coverage by the Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward fueled the focus on the Watergate event and the investigation. However, the duo would have not been able to uncover nearly the amount of information they did without Woodward’s anonymous source – Deep Throat.

Woodward promised Deep Throat that he would not reveal the man’s position with the government, nor would he ever quote him in his articles. With the promise of anonymity, Deep Throat told the reporters inside information that made headlines across the world.

It was important to keep Deep Throat anonymous for that situation. When it comes to 360 Feedback, anonymity is also a vital component.

The purpose of 360 degree feedback is to provide an accurate and well-rounded view of how others perceive the participant’s efforts. The feedback comes from raters that can include the person’s managers, peers, direct reports, etc. Without obtaining feedback from all sides, people may continue to work with blind spots in the workplace.

For some raters there may be an intimation factor associated with giving feedback. This could stem from a fear of conflict or the chance that what they say could impact their own job. In those cases, the rater may give bland middle of the road ratings, which will not benefit the participant or the rater.

Rater anonymity is key to the success of a 360 Feedbackprogram because it will lead to more honest and open feedback from raters. The knowledge that their identity is confidential allows the raters to focus on each question individually and think about specific work-related examples to justify ratings. When selecting a vendor, look for an instrument that guarantees the answers will remain confidential.

So anonymity is important – whether it’s for a key source that helps uncover a political scandal, or for raters with 360 degree feedback surveys.

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership: A Fascinating Connection

By Caroline Fox

Here at TBC we like to keep abreast of industry news, so we read from a lot of different sources: blogs, websites, white papers, scholarly articles, research, etc. We know that not everyone likes to read scholarly research, so decided to make it easy for you by summarizing some important industry articles and putting them into less intimidating language.

One researcher we really enjoy following is Dr. Frank Shipper Ph.D., Professor of Management in the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD. He has conducted many studies on using 360 Feedback to develop leadership and workplace skills, and has been awarded many accolades for his research.

One particularly interesting article is titled, “A cross-cultural exploratory study of the link between emotional intelligence and managerial effectiveness” (2003). In this article, Shipper explores the association between emotional intelligence, which is the ability to manage emotions and create motivation, and the effectiveness of employees in a managerial setting across three different cultures: The US, the UK, and Malaysia.

A quick background:

Emotional intelligence has garnered a large following over the past century, starting with Darwin’s work on emotional survival in the 1900s. As early as the year 1920, researcher E.L. Thorndike described “social intelligence” to describe the skill of managing and understanding other people. The first person attributed with using the term, “emotional intelligence” was Wayne Payne in his doctoral thesis, although there is proof that the term occurred in papers as early as 1966. EI became mainstream after the publication of Daniel Goleman’s best selling book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Since its publication, many theories on EI have developed and, inevitably, controversy has ensued. Wikipedia does a great job of summarizing information on EI and providing further links to different theories, ideas, and opinions on the worth validity EI.

According to Shipper, emotional intelligence (EI) is a “self-other argument” that can be gathered and tentatively measured by using 360 surveys. It is very complicated to measure EI, and there are many differing opinions on the best instrument for its collection and measurement. Shipper, however, decided that the most effective way to measure self-awareness, which is directly correlated with EI, was to use 360 surveys.

Through completing 360 Feedback surveys of 3,785 managers from the U.S., the U.K., and Malaysia, Shipper proved his hypothesis that there is a relationship between self-awareness and managerial effectiveness, but determined that the link is more complicated than previously thought. He noted that the culture in which the survey was written and the content of the survey can affect the visible strength of this relationship. Shipper also noted that interpretation of 360 instruments should be done carefully in countries where the instrument was not developed, and that cross testing of 360 instruments must take place for accurate results.

Shipper’s article supports the idea that good managers are able to understand their emotions and interact with others in a way that encourages and inspires them. Developing EI skills are an essential step on the path to leadership development, and can make or break leadership in the workplace.

Shark Week: Relating Great White Sharks and Feedback? Of Course.

For some people, Discovery’s Shark Week is the highlight of their summer TV viewing.  Sharks, with their immensely powerful jaws and thrashing teeth, are feared and revered by ocean-goers and mainlanders alike.  Shark Week, celebrating its 12th anniversary this year, capitalizes on America’s fascination with the king of the seas. Advertising spots are high, and for a good reason: Shark Week has garnered a cult-like following, drawing in 29 million viewers in 2008 (Time Magazine).



I am not the biggest fan of Shark Week.  This could be because I live in a town on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay, where water sports are all the rage and the water provides a way of life for thousands of people.  Infrequent reports of bull shark spottings are punctuated yearly by Discovery’s summer phenomenon—which often scares me out of the water.  I usually avoid shark programming, but this year—due to a freak cable outage that allows us only Discovery, Spanish channels, and ABC—I have lounged around in the evenings watching Great Whites breech the ocean to devour unsuspecting seals.



This got me thinking about the element of surprise a Great White, such a seemingly huge and obvious (not to mention extremely scary) creature, uses while catching these seals.  How can the seals not sense the monster careening towards them from the bottom of the ocean?  Shouldn’t this threat be obvious?



This idea mirrors the way some employees function in the workplace.  They often go about their daily business, oblivious of their weaknesses and inadequacies in the organization.  Others may sense these weaknesses—we’ll call them the “shark in the room” instead of the elephant in the room.  But if they don’t tell their peer/direct report/supervisor, who is unaware of the danger of their behavior, how will that person change to avoid chastising or firing by upper management?  How can that person avoid being taken completely by surprised at performance reviews or when they are “let go”?



The answer is by providing feedback at regular intervals, and providing concrete examples of positive and negative behavior.  Feedback should be constant, so that there is never a huge shock about the results of a 360 Feedback; If there is a great difference between the way the employee perceives themselves verses the way they are seen by others in the organization, clearly some sort of coaching solution and plan for consistent feedback is needed.  With the help of a coach, peer/supervisor feedback, and a lot of personal effort, employees can save themselves from a sudden “attack” of negative evaluations.



Now if only there was a 360 survey to save the seals from becoming shark munchies.  So goes the circle of life.

Validation: The Key to Effective 360 Surveys

So you’ve decided to conduct a 360 survey within your business.  But how do you choose which service to utilize?  There are many different companies claiming to offer 360 feedback surveys and leadership coaching, but not all of them provide an important facet of 360 Feedback: validation.



But what exactly is survey validation, and why is it so important? 



The American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education’s book titled Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing defines validity as “The degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores entailed by the proposed used of tests.  Validity is therefore the most fundamental consideration in developing and evaluating tests” (1999).



But lets take this to the layman’s level.



Validation is defined by Dictionary.Com as “To establish the soundness of; corroborate.”  Their technology-specific definition says that validation is, “The stage in the software life-cycle at the end of the development process where software is evaluated to ensure that it complies with the requirements.”



At its core, survey validation is using analytical techniques to make sure the instrument is reliable and accurate in measuring the intended goal of the survey. 



A validated survey instrument means that, based on that survey’s results, individuals and organizations can make reliable strategic decisions about where to focus their development efforts.  The organizations can have confidence that the survey is accurately measuring the things that it is supposed to measure, and that the results can indicate the direction the individual or organization should take.



How can you tell if the tool you are using is validated?  It’s simple: ask.  Look for a vendor that touts its validation (shameless plug to our own surveys).  If you can’t find anything about validation on the tool’s website, call and ask a customer service representative. Just make sure the data that you will be collecting actually means something, and isn’t off-the-mark. 



If you use a validated tool, you’ll know that you are using a system that will be worth the money, time, and effort it takes to complete a 360 survey. Coaches will then be able to use this relevant information to create change in your company culture and produce better leaders, better management, and higher productivity.



So after exploring the importance of validation, do you see how vital it is for an effective evaluation and coaching program?  We do.  That’s why we’ve invested hours into making sure our surveys pass the test.  We believe in the essential role of validation in surveys—and  we hope you do, too.

Post VI in theTask Cycle® Series: Cabin Pressure and Reinforcing the Performance of Others

Image via Wikipedia

Well folks, here it is: The final post in our Task Cycle® series. We’ve had a great time writing articles about the Task Cycle in terms of ice cream, DIY home projects, monster-sized river fish, and elementary school students, and we hope you’ve enjoyed reading them.  For those of you who may be tuning in for the first time, be sure to check out our other Task Cycle® articles.

Today, we’re going to be addressing the final phase of the Task Cycle®: reinforcing the performance of others.  Once you have completed all other steps of the cycle and your purpose has been achieved, you  must reinforce the performance of other contributors.

What do we mean by this?  Haven’t you worked hard enough the past few months, working with coaches and continuously monitoring and adjusting your own progress? You just got the hang of this “personal development” thing yourself—who are you to advise or praise others?

The best way that I could come up with to explain this is by starting on a plane.  Every time an airplane takes off, the flight attendants give their “what to do in case of an emergency” speech.  They tell you where your flotation device is, how to escape using the floatation slide, and what to do if an oxygen mask dropped down from above you due to loss of cabin pressure (ALWAYS put the mask on yourself first, then assist those next to you).  These types of emergency situations could be solved by the assessment of the crew combined with the aid of on-board tools and emergency equipment.

Your personal development was your emergency.  You (or someone else around you) decided that there was a need for some sort of assessment and coaching.  You could either A.) Comply with the coaching process and improve, or B.) Refuse to comply and possibly be fired for your lack of skills and productivity.

If you’ve made it this far through the process, we’re going to go ahead and assume you received assessment and coaching.  You’ve learned how to approach a specific issue, and you’ve gotten to the point where you have the skills needed to expand your personal development.  Let’s take a minute to flashback to the airplane scene: after the flight attendant instructed you of a potential problem (loss of cabin pressure) and how to fix it, (putting on your facemask—but don’t worry if the bag doesn’t inflate all the way) she also advises you to help those around you.  You know what to do, and even though this may be your first airborne emergency, in those twenty-or-so seconds you have developed the skills needed to direct and help others. 

Do you see where we are going with this?

Even if you aren’t completely through the intricacies of the process of professional development, (or readjusting your face mask, to continue the airplane analogy) you can still help and instruct others.  Take the frail elderly woman sitting next to you in seat 11D.  You throw on your own plastic face mask, breathing in the cold air, and even though it isn’t completely comfortable, you assist her in securing her own before finishing adjusting your mask for comfort. 

It’s the same process with executive or leadership development.  At this point in the Task Cycle, you have learned the necessary skills and are taking the steps critical to continued personal development.  Maybe you’re not totally comfortable with your changes, or maybe you are still working to perfect some aspects of your skills. You can still help others achieve their highest potential by giving advice and supporting their efforts.  Give them some encouragement!  A note, a simple “I see you are working hard to improve,” or even a high-five can work wonders.  Don’t forget to give them the positive reinforcement you were given by a mentor, coach, superior, or friend. 

And just in case we scared you with the airplane analogy: it’s extremely uncommon for an airplane to lose cabin pressure.  It is very common for employees to need leadership development.  I’d plan for the latter.

Lady Gaga's Leadership Lessons

If you haven’t heard of Lady Gaga by now, you have officially been living under a rock.  She has successfully taken on the traditional world of Top-40 pop and come out on top—in a big way.  So why are so many people drawn to this woman whose wardrobe is—to say the least—extremely unique?  And how on Earth could this relate to developing leadership skills?

 She’s a creative thinker and a role model for innovative thinking:
No one can say that Lady Gaga doesn’t think outside the box.  From a dress made out of Muppets to a full-body red-lace getup, she creates an atmosphere that encourages thinking in a different way.  After seeing her walk down the red carpet, suddenly walking around holding a Christmas star seems totally logical.  How do you develop creative thinking in your workplace?  By encouraging an environment that values creative and original thinking, you promote innovation in the workplace, which leads to bigger and better ideas in every aspect of your product or service.

She takes risks:

• She takes risks in areas not crucial to her work. Creating the “Haus of Gaga” enabled Lady Gaga to go out on a limb to promote fashion, design, stage props, and costumes for her shows.  She could have taken the traditional route, contracting out for concerts and performances, but because of her love of fashion and creativity, Gaga invested her time, money, and energy in creating her empire.  So what do you love?  Is there something that you have always wanted to try, but were too afraid to fail?  Now is the time.

•  She uses her team to find ways to improve business: In creating the “Haus of Gaga,” she created a strong team of designers, artists, and set managers to aid her in achieving her overall vision.  She utilizes individual talents on her way to creating her performances.  How do you utilize the resources and talents available to you in your workplace?  Is your secretary a great blogger?  Give her the keyboard and the keys to your social media world.  Does your sales manager take great photographs? Have him in charge of snapping company photos for promotional materials or the end-of-the-year slide show.  Utilizing the talents available to you will create a more efficient work place, as well as create a sense of pride in completion of small “special tasks.”  An added bonus: allowing employees to utilize the creative side of their brains can stimulate creative thinking, which is key in the innovation process.

She’s a skilled communicator:
Lady Gaga has her unique role as a visual and performing artist perfected.  Every appearance or production is connected by her calculated actions and words, be it at a red carpet affair or on a talk show.  I can remember the first time that I watched an interview with GaGa on Ellen, and I remember thinking how it seemed like every word that came out of her mouth was so effective.  Just that one interview gave me a solid awareness of her work as a musician. Her magic comes down to the fact that GaGa plans her verbal and visual communication with fans and industry professionals, and always stays on message.  So how do we apply this to our everyday work life?

• Lets start with a presentation.  Make sure you understand what is going on in your industry at the time.  It sounds like a no-brainer, but sometimes life gets in the way of research.  Ensure you establish goals for your presentation.  How do you want to come across?  What information do you need your audience to know at the end?
• Repeat things.  Most songs have a chorus that reiterates the main points of the song.  We can do the same things in presentations to make sure our point gets across.  The important thing is to make sure you are not too repetitive—rephrase major points without beating your audience over the head with them.
• To ensure clarity in your presentation, ask your audience to reiterate the main points.  This will show you what messages got across, as well as refresh the presentation’s main points in the minds of your listeners.

She’s just plain interesting:
Ok, so we’re not recommending that you wear full-body spandex to work.  That will most likely get you fired, and then there would be no reason for you to read our blog. What we are recommending is that you make yourself interesting.  By interesting, we mostly mean human.  Your co-workers and subordinates will appreciate your leadership much more when they can relate to you on a personal level.  So clip up a picture of your three chow-chows.  Start a conversation with your newest hire about your mutual love of white water rafting.  Wear a tie with dancing lobsters to show your love of seafood (there is a great one here http://www.vineyardvines.com/product__90153_____14629_13054). Better yet, wear a bowtie—it makes a fashion statement while still being work appropriate (unlike most of Gaga’s ensembles). Gone are the days when the hard-edged boss ruled the office with an iron fist while sipping brandy during lunch with clients.  HR professionals and leadership professionals alike now know that offices with strong communication channels and a supportive team of coworkers striving for personal and workplace development is better not only for the individual employees, but for the business as a whole.  By connecting to your coworkers on a “non-work” level, you will create personal bonds that encourage all of you to work harder towards a common goal.

Post IV in the Task Cycle® Series: Maintaining and Adjusting the Process is like Ice Cream

We’re going to compare this phase of the Task Cycle® to something most people know and love:

Ice Cream.

Soft, creamy, chunky ice cream in any flavor your imagination desires.  Think chocolate chip cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, moose tracks, triple caramel chunk, rocky road, toffee—and my newest strange discovery, chocolate bacon (I know, bizarre, right?).  So visualize your favorite ice cream and hold it in your mind, because we’re going to spend the next few paragraphs enjoying it.

Granted, there are some of us who don’t like the effects that ice cream has on us, i.e. those of us who are lactose intolerant.  So for our friends who can’t eat ice cream, imagine this analogy with a nice cone full of sherbet or sorbet.  I prefer rainbow sherbet, but you may prefer a nice peach-mango sorbet.  It’s up to you.

We are going to explore the idea of Phase V of the Task Cycle®, which is “Monitoring and Adjusting the Process.”  We’ve talked a lot about setting up your development process, and stressed the importance of establishing a strong purpose and setting up a strong foundation.  In “ice cream terms,” establishing your purpose was determining your hunger and deciding on your flavor.  We’re at an old-fashioned ice cream shop—none of that soft serve stuff.  There are many flavors and topping choices, so determining your  best combination takes time and careful thought (and possibly some input from a friend!).  Your “foundation” is your ice cream cone (my favorite kind is a waffle cone).  When you received your cone, both you and the ice cream scooper probably checked to make sure that it was in one piece, and that no chunks were taken out of it.  You needed to make sure there was a strong foundation on which to place your ice cream.  With no apparent problems, you head out the door and into the outdoors, completely satisfied and ready to munch away. 

It is extremely hot outside.  Your ice cream begins to slowly melt, and you quickly move to lick around the cone where the melting is fiercest.  As you enjoy your ice cream, you must constantly monitor the cone for drips and adjust your hold to attack rogue melts.  Suddenly, your friend/mentor (who recommended the treat and helped decide your flavor) points out a problem with your cone—there is a hole in the bottom, and precious ice cream is dripping out of the cone and onto the street (and your new pants). 

Luckily, you have only made it one block from the ice cream shop.  You quickly head back, hoping for a solution that can save your ice cream.  After consulting with the girl behind the counter, she offers an effective tweak to the cone’s structure:  she offers you an M&M to place in the bottom of the cone to act as a stopper, preventing ice cream leakage.  You adjust your cone by taking off the ice cream, inserting the M&M, and replacing the ice cream on top.  After wiping off the several drops of melted ice cream from your pant leg, you are as good as new (even better, because now you have an M&M to look forward to at the end of your cone).  Happily, you head off down the street to your next destination with your friend/mentor with time to spare.

This extended metaphor is to explain in simple terms the reason for and importance behind monitoring and adjusting your development process.  If we had just ignored the drip in our cone, we would have ended up covered in melted ice cream and we would have lost about half of our sweet treat to our pants.  By the time we got to our intended destination, we would look a mess and have to spend time valuable time cleaning the sugary treat off of our pants.  And everyone knows that no matter how much friends may deny it to make you feel better, wet spots on your pants do make you look like you wet yourself.

By taking our friend/mentor’s observation seriously, we circumvented a major crisis and avoided personal embarrassment in the process.  A small adjustment ensured that we were able to continue to our next destination while enjoying our ice cream cone, now fully functioning. 

Apply this to your personal development process.  Continually monitor and adjust your hold on your development progress in order to catch any slip-ups or weak areas.  Let your mentor or another outside source make observations to help you.  Listen to them, and in the case of a foundational error, turn to an expert: an HR professional, a superior, a mentor, a co-worker, or a personal development coach.  They will have the experience to tweak your issue in a way you may not have considered.  Their help will allow you to stay on track without losing face or valuable time.  Remember, this is their job—they’ve probably handled something like this before.

And remember: after all of your hard work when you do achieve your personal development goals, reward yourself with a nice, cold, refreshing cone of ice cream.  Get two scoops if you want.  We won’t tell anyone.

Leadership through the Eyes of a Tennis Ball: Tips from Wimbledon

Leadership development is like a tennis match: you can’t do it by yourself unless you’re interested in hitting a wall


With a new Wimbledon winner recently crowned, we encounter an opportunity to look at leadership through the eyes of a tennis ball.  Wimbledon, a tradition since 1875, has hosted some of the biggest names in tennis history.  Tennis is a mental sport that requires discipline, dedication, and focus—much like time spent in the office.  So what connections can we draw from Wimbledon to leadership development?  Plenty:

Pick a winning partner
In doubles tennis, it is important to have a partner who can help achieve your goal of winning the match.  In leadership development, it is important to pick a partner who can help you achieve your goals of personal development.  By “partner” we mean a couple of things.

1.)    A great evaluative tool.  Playing at Wimbledon with a shoddy racket would create a serious disadvantage to the person using it.  Using a racket matching your needs gives a more accurate picture of your playing abilities. Personal development is the same: using an instrument that will not fully evaluate your skill set will present you with a serious disadvantage.  To truly see where you need to improve, evaluation is key.  This is why we like 360 degree feedback so much.  Three-sixty degree feedback provides the opportunity to acquire information from those around you to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity.  We tend to fool ourselves on self-evaluation surveys, so allowing others to take part means a more honest look.

Choosing a tool provider is important, too.  Make sure that the company you chose has a record of success and can provide both survey validation as well as comparisons to industry norms.  Without anything with which to compare yourself, how will you know where you fall?

2.)    A companion who can keep you on track. This person is your “check” if they see you engaging in “backsliding” behaviors.  They can push you to run the extra mile, encourage you put forth that extra bit of effort, or help you up when you slip and fall.  They will be your companion while running that last lap, chanting your name as you cross the finish line—and making it easier to achieve your goal.

Partner with a good coach
Any consistently successful sports team has a great coach behind them.  The coach will ensure the functionality of the team, and will give crucial observations and feedback that will ensure the continual growth of the team and its players.  Finding a good coach is important for personal development as well.  A good coach can interpret individual strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities for advancement and honing of certain skills, and prioritize certain areas of development over others.

Practice! 
The saying goes, “Great leaders are not born, they are created.”  Creation of a great leader—as well as a great sports player—requires lots of practice.  Some skills will come easier to certain people; some skills will be more difficult to acquire. Practice will ensure that no matter how fast you learn, you will achieve your goal.

Play to win
Don’t approach personal development half-heartedly.  You will get out of it only what you invest into it.  Before starting a personal development plan, make sure you are aware of the work you will need to put in to achieve your goals, and then attack them with vigor.

After-the-match recap
Re-evaluation as to how far you’ve come is key.  At TBC like to follow up our 360 feedback with what we call 720 feedback®.  720 Feedback® provides a comparison of a participant's results over a period of time, often 12-18 months. This comparison informs participants of their developmental progress and gives them an opportunity to update and change their individual development plan.  Because to truly get the most out of a personal development plan, one must keep a continual watch on their skills and competencies to ensure they are actually improving.


The next time you stumble across a Wimbledon match on TV, take a moment to look closer at the players, the coaches, and their tools.  They have become their best by using the best—are you?

Everyone's talking about Feedback

This week's theme is FEEDBACK. We're not going to take credit for starting a movement, but it seems that after we published our article on "Phase IV of the Task Cycle: Feedback is Crucial!", we've been noticing a lot of articles come up about the importance of giving great feedback. Everyone with an HR-focused mind must be on the same wavelength this week!


We've picked some of our favorite articles and linked to them. Take a look!


Employee Feedback should be "BASIC"
A great acronym to remind you of the different aspects of employee feedback


3 Things to Improve How You Give Feedback to Your Employees
Advice from creative blogger Tanveer Naseer broken down into three easy points


Employee Performance Feedback - Compensation Today
Payscale.com's advice on how to prepare for and deliver employee feedback


What Sport and Art can Teach Us about Feedback
Psychology Today's look at what time on the field, the court, and in the studio can teach us about receiving feedback from superiors or co-workers.

Article Summary and Reflection: “Ouch, that’s some earsplitting feedback”

Everyone has their own feelings on feedback. Some people look at feedback as a gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking experience, while others embrace it as an opportunity to improve. Whether you love it or hate it, most people do agree that it is necessary. Suzanne Rumsey, former HR professional-turned-consultant, offers some interesting thoughts and tips on feedback in her post on the Fistful of Talent blog. Here’s a summary of her major points, intermixed with some of the feedback from readers:

• Most of your workforce sees feedback as negative—if it were positive, it would be called “praise.” People don’t always like giving it; people don’t always like receiving it. The only way people get through giving/getting feedback is by saying that it “for their own good.” But in reality, “impact trumps intent – always. If the recipient negatively experiences the feedback, they aren’t going to care a wit about the giver’s intentions.” So make sure your impact is a positive one.

• Stick to observations and describe what you saw, heard, or read. For example, you could point out that you saw how Joe made a face at Jane when she proposed an office-wide recycling competition. Being specific and describing what you saw gives realistic feedback in a concrete example that can be changed.

• Avoid negatively charged words when describing your co-workers’/bosses’/etc. actions. Words like “ignorant,” “arrogant,” or “lazy” set off emotional responses and can create a defensive response. This means that 1.) The receiver will shut down and will not absorb your feedback, or 2.) The receiver will not know how to correct the behavior (given as an adjective) and will be unwilling to put themselves in a similar situation again. So stick with words that aren’t loaded. Or, just leave out adjectives all together: stick with just the facts, a.k.a. your observations (see above).

• Avoid euphemisms: This has to be my favorite tip. Don’t use abstract language when describing their performance (Rumsey uses the example “Sold beyond the close”—what does this mean to someone who has no sales experience?). Instead, use concrete language that provides specific behaviors that can be corrected or changed.

• One reader suggested the “3W” method:
  What: What we’re talking about—a concrete example
  Why: Why this is important
  Wait: Be quiet and listen to what they have to say. Wait as long as you need to, even if it is uncomfortable to you. They are already uncomfortable; it’s the least you can do.
  

Overall, Rumsey and those who commented recommend one underlying theme: concrete examples. The best way to give feedback is to provide specific examples of behavior, minus the flowery language, that can be changed. So the next time you give feedback, hang up your Shakespeare hat; instead, get straight to the point.

Marshall Goldsmith: How to Increase Your Leadership Effectiveness

Leaders who participated in a development program, received 360-degree feedback, selected important areas for improvement, discussed these with co-workers, and followed-up with them on a consistent basis (to check on progress) were ...

The Booth Company Releases Online Tutorial for 360 Feedback Report Interpretation - May 13, 2010

Boulder, Co - The Booth Company, an international provider of leadership development surveys, announces the release of its new online tutorial for report interpretation. This flash tutorial provides approximately 21 minutes of guided debriefing for the company’s 360 degree Task Cycle® survey feedback reports.

Derek Murphy, President of The Booth Company, explained that, “We want to give customers a contemporary, affordable option to provide interpretation without having to have an instructor-led walk-through. This is not meant to replace coaching. The Booth Company will offer participants the opportunity to request a coach after viewing the tutorial if they want additional guidance.” He reported that initial customer response has been strongly enthusiastic. "Many customers want to provide 360 degree feedback surveys as part of their management and leadership development programs. This gives those on a budget an affordable option in this time of economic uncertainty."

This new service is the latest in the cadre of options the company offers for reporting feedback from 360 feedback surveys that solicit data from the participant, direct reports, peers, supervisor, and others about the participant’s performance at work. Traditional options for reporting this feedback include one-on-one coaching, train-the-trainer model with internal or external coaches, or guided debriefs using the WebEx platform. The new flash tutorial is self-paced and automated, allowing the user the opportunity to control the pace at which they move through the report.

The tutorial is broken down into a number of different modules, including: the general background of 360 degree surveys, common terms and definitions, the actual data presentation component, a walk-through of how to read the participant’s own results, and an introduction to the action planning process. At the end of the tutorial, participants are encouraged to create a development plan which specifies what actions they will take to improve in their weaker skill areas.

To see a demonstration of this product, click here: Online 360 Feedback Report Interpretation Tutorial Demo

The Booth Company Releases Updated 360 Survey for Conflict Management

The Booth Company, an international provider of leadership development 360 surveys, announces the release of a major revision of "Conflict Management Survey” which was first released as an online 360 instrument in 2005.

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) January 19, 2010 -- The Booth Company, an international provider of leadership development 360 surveys, announces the release of a major revision of "Conflict Management Survey" which was first released as an online 360 instrument in 2005. The new 360 version provides a finer distinction between the common conflict styles of competition, compromise, collaboration, avoidance, and consensus seeking. An overall assessment of effectiveness has been added to the new survey, along with a revised rating scale. The latest release incorporates current research, statistical analysis, and customer feedback to refresh its relevancy.

By collecting this information from stakeholders
participants are expected to have a better opportunity to consciously choose among conflict management strategies and to use them more effectively. This survey is expected to be useful for anybody in a position where interpersonal relations are vital to their effectiveness, especially those who manage the work of others or who are in the role of change agent in their organization.
The Conflict Management Survey (CMS) is a 360 degree feedback assessment that provides managers and other leaders with feedback on their style and effectiveness in managing conflict. Dr. Daniel Booth, author of the revision, stated that the survey "provides insight into the person's primary and secondary styles of managing conflict. People have an idea of how they manage conflict, but their perceptions of themselves may not be accurate. Perceptions of others are vital for adjusting self-perception because it is very likely that in a work setting, people's behavior may be seen differently by their peers, employees, customers, and by their own manager."

The overall effectiveness dimension can be thought of as a "soft bottom line" to the whole question of styles. While each style can be effective under the right conditions, if the effectiveness is rated low, it will be relatively easy to back through the behaviors and reconsider one's use of styles with each stakeholder group or individual.

"By collecting this information from stakeholders," Dr. Booth continued, "participants are expected to have a better opportunity to consciously choose among conflict management strategies and to use them more effectively. This survey is expected to be useful for anybody in a position where interpersonal relations are vital to their effectiveness, especially those who manage the work of others or who are in the role of change agent in their organization."

About The Booth Company
The Booth Company publishes and administers 360 degree feedback surveys, most of which are based on the Task Cycle®, a validated theory of leadership and management roles. Its comprehensive set of surveys measure the fundamental skills of mission-critical organizational roles, including executives, first-line and middle managers. The survey results are compared to continuously updated industry and country norms. Since 1972 The Booth Company has distributed its surveys and feedback workshops internationally through corporate universities and an exclusive network of certified senior executive coaches.

For clients utilizing their own survey content, The Booth Company offers flexible survey hosting services, as well as statistical and psychometric consulting. It also provides advanced reporting opportunities, with a variety of aggregate reports ideal for group benchmarking and strategic planning purposes.

The Booth Company Releases New Feedback Report Template

The Booth Company, an international provider of 360 feedback surveys, announces the release of its new feedback report template.

Boulder, Co. - The Booth Company, an international provider of 360 feedback surveys, announces the release of its new feedback report template. Survey results will now be delivered in a more concise format that is geared more toward pdf than print, although they can still be delivered in print format. A single template will be used for all Task Cycle® surveys, but it is easily customizable for different client needs. Templates can be provided with or without development resources, according to client request, and are designed to be compatible with TruTrack, the company’s active development plan.

"This new format is based on feedback from our customers and is designed to be more graphical and visual than our previous versions," said Kurt Blazek, Design Director for The Booth Company. "It is more flexible, more dynamic, and more concise than previous reports. We hope we’ve created a report that is a good base for our clients to use and easier to customize."

The Booth Company Marks Ten Years of 720 Feedback®

The Booth Company, an international provider of leadership and management assessments since 1972, marks the tenth anniversary of trademarking the term “720 Feedback.” “720 Feedback” formalizes the pre-post concept of obtaining multi-rater feedback that the company developed in the 1970s.

Boulder, CO. (PRWEB) January 5, 2010 -- The Booth Company, an international provider of leadership and management assessments since 1972, marks the tenth anniversary of trademarking the term "720 Feedback." "720 Feedback" formalizes the pre-post concept of obtaining multi-rater feedback that the company developed in the 1970s. 720 Feedback® provides a second assessment that allows comparison of a participant's results over a period of time, often 12-18 months. This comparison informs participants of their developmental progress and gives them an opportunity to update and change their individual development plans.

Daniel Booth, CEO of The Booth Company, reflected on why the company trademarked 720 Feedback® in 1999. "By the end of the 1990's, nearly 70% of major corporations and government agencies were conducting 360 feedback programs. Hundreds of consulting firms had joined The Booth Company as providers and some were scrambling to claim the invention of 360 feedback at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Professional standards that we helped establish in the early 1970's were being ignored. Anyone with a pc and a printer could write surveys and everyone, it seemed, was doing so. As one of the original publishers of research and theory based 360's, it was time to distinguish ourselves in this new marketplace. 720 Feedback® was our stake in the ground—a rightful claim to a uniquely standard-setting catalogue of multi-rater assessments."

"Prof. Frank Shipper has published nearly 30 research studies in juried journals on what makes 360 feedback programs effective. Re-testing within well-designed programs has emerged as a an absolute "best practice". In his latest paper "Investigating the Sustainability of a Sustained 360 Process", judged Best Paper at the 2009 Academy of Management Meeting in Chicago, he documents the value of 720 Feedback within 12-18 months and thereafter at 24 months."

Statistically validated surveys are the backbone of The Booth Company's 720 Feedback® programs. Comparing results over time is only effective if the instrumentation is psychometrically sound and accurate. The company's 360 surveys have the following attributes: expert authorship, with factor analyzed competencies, ensuring measurement acuity, role-specific dimensions and questions; concurrent validity through third party research; research indicating which competencies drive success in each role; a reliable and valid theory of leadership development called the Task Cycle; and support material and resources, such as feedback workshops, online development tools, and coaching to help maximize return on investment.

About The Booth Company
The Booth Company publishes and administers 360 degree feedback surveys based on the Task Cycle®, a validated theory of leadership and management roles. Its comprehensive set of surveys measure the fundamental skills of mission-critical organizational roles, including executives, first-line and middle managers. The survey results are compared to continuously updated industry and country norms. Since 1972 The Booth Company has distributed its surveys and feedback workshops internationally through corporate universities and an exclusive network of certified senior executive coaches.

For clients utilizing their own survey content, The Booth Company offers flexible survey hosting services, as well as statistical and psychometric consulting. It also provides advanced reporting opportunities, with a variety of aggregate reports ideal for group benchmarking and strategic planning purposes.