Yearly Archives: 2021

improve leadership skills

Using a 360-Degree Evaluation to Improve Leadership Skills and Performance

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A 360-leadership competency assessment is a great tool to improve skill development for leaders and managers.


There are many tools on the market but in this article, I will explore the one from SurveySparrow who contacted me about making a video on their software.


Leadership Competencies can vary from one assessment to another, so it is best to use competencies that you know come from a trusted source. Some assessments come with pre-determined competencies that cannot be changed, while others give you the option to use your own.


I decided I would test the SurveySparrow tool on myself, and my first inclination was to use competencies that I had written for my paper version of a manager skill assessment. However, after reviewing the default leadership competencies of the SurveySparrow tool, I decided to use those to keep things simple.


The important thing to keep in mind is that a 360-degree evaluation survey is a development tool, not a performance assessment. You need to approach this from the perspective of using the tool to increase self-awareness and learn where improvement is needed.


There should be a high level of trust between all contributors so the person being surveyed feels that this is being done in their best interests.


The 360-degree survey can be used for any position but the most common is leadership and management.


Competencies

The SurveySparrow 360-degree survey for leadership is divided into 7 sections with several questions in each. The sections are:

  1. Leadership Skills
  2. Communication Skills
  3. Team Skills
  4. Organizational Skills
  5. Creativity Skills
  6. Interpersonal Skills
  7. Organizational Alignment

A 360-degree assessment is designed to get feedback from all those who work with the person being evaluated. The participants would be the person themself, their boss, their peers, and direct reports.


The SurveySparrow tool allows for complete customization. This includes the number of competencies and the scoring levels.


At the end of each section there is a place to add text explaining your reasoning for the scores you gave. I found this very helpful feedback.


There is also a section at the very end to type in your development plan of action. This can be done by the boss after discussion with the person being evaluated. Or it could also be a coach hired by the organization. You can try SurveySparrow for free and should you decide to subscribe to their software, here is a code to receive a 25% discount StephenSurveySparrow25


improve leadership skills
discover your interests

Discover Your Interests & Motivation for Satisfaction at Work An Interview with Guest Expert Dr. Sarah E. Brown, author of the Book of You®

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Becoming clearer about your interests and motivations and aligning that knowledge with your strengths is the key to greater satisfaction and performance at work.


Dr. Sarah E Brown discovered that this knowledge was previously only accessible to C Suite executives who worked with executive coaches.


Her purpose now is to make this knowledge and process available to anyone and she is on a mission to reach over 250,000 women with her method.


In this interview Sarah explains her approach that she calls self-coaching. Learn more about Sarah Brown and explore some of her free resources at the following websites.


TheBookOfYou.comSarahebrown.com


volunteering

Volunteering is a Great Way to Engage Employees and Build Teamwork

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I have been doing volunteer work for many years with a variety of organizations. I was thinking of the benefits I get from these activities and thought of how it could also help companies better engage employees and generate teamwork.


Many companies spend a lot of money on team building activities, which are fun events, but the effect may wear off quickly. Volunteering can cost less and be an ongoing experience.


Key benefits:

  • Rally employees around a good cause
  • Create a spirit of giving and helping
  • Explore shared values
  • Build comradery
  • Help strengthen the local community
  • Show corporate leadership in the local community
  • Build business network
  • Team building opportunity
  • ROI – business brand and respect

Steps

  • Appoint a project champion
  • Form a steering team made of employees from various departments
  • Decide on a community project or organization to contribute work with
  • Form a task team to map out a plan and act
  • Communicate project to all employees
  • Encourage employee involvement
  • Measure results
  • Employee satisfaction survey
  • Use social media (Facebook page etc.)
  • Make a video (optional)

Every business relies on their local community for skilled workers, suppliers for products and services, financing, access to markets and more. The healthier the local community is the better resources your business will have to grow and succeed. Having a volunteer program supporting and strengthening the local community will pay itself back to your company in more ways than one and is something that every business, large and small should consider.


own your job

Own Your Job to Increase Your Market Value

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Taking ownership of your job is a way to increase your value to your employer and in the marketplace.


Here is what you need to do to own your job.

  1. Choose a job that suits what you are good at and what you enjoy doing
  2. Make sure you are clear on your responsibilities and can deliver as expected or better
  3. Develop a be your own boss attitude
  4. Know-yourself and your strengths and challenges
  5. Keep improving through on-going learning and personal development initiatives

Choose A Job That Suits What You Are Good at and What You Enjoy Doing


Most people can do a lot of different things and have held a variety of positions. But there are some skills that you are probably best at and come more naturally. Know what those are and hopefully they are aligned with what you enjoy doing.


As well, choose the right company to work for where you can fit with the culture and that has values you share.


Make Sure You Are Clear on Your Responsibilities and Can Deliver as Expected


Tasks and responsibilities are what you are hired to perform, and they are not always clear. How can you meet performance expectations if what you need to do and how well is not spelled out?


If you are owning your job and things are not clear, then you need to sit down with you boss and align yourself with his/her expectations.


Make sure that your level of authority for decision making is discussed and reviewed every 6 months or annually.


Develop A Be Your Own Boss Attitude


You are like a business! I call that the YOU Inc way of thinking. Your talents and abilities make up your assets and you market those assets to your employer (customer) in exchange for money and benefits.


The more you increase your talents and abilities, the more you will be in demand and can negotiate better pay and benefits. So, invest in yourself!


Know-Yourself and Your Strengths and Challenges


Knowing yourself and your strengths and weaknesses helps you to choose the right career and to find ways to get better. This ties in with point number one.


Knowing yourself goes deeper and self-knowledge is often said to be the key to success and happiness in all aspects of life.


Here is a free online personality test to help you understand your personality.


Keep Improving Through On-Going Learning and Personal Development Initiatives


We can increase our talents and abilities that make up our assets. Once you realize you are a business and that you can increase your value by developing your talents and abilities, why wouldn’t you?


Develop a habit of continuous improvement and you will find yourself enjoying opportunities to solve problems and face new challenges. This will potentially give your more money but also increase your appetite for change and success.


Here is an article and video on the YOU Inc. exercise to help you get started on personal improvement.