Professional development is a simple formula. You set goals, you measure current reality, comparing the two results in gaps that define actions and plans, you execute, tap into your motivation source, measure the results and experience consequences from the growth. FlightPath™ Coaching is designed to expedite and manage this process. This post focuses on a key source of motivation – your reputation at work.
Right out of the shoots we provide comprehensive findings of the assessment that connects directly to the occupation or career goal of the employee or client. Our assessment is holistic including factors relevant for career success and fulfillment: competency, skills, experiences, education, network, values and time. In our first debrief meeting which occurs within 2 days of completing the FlightPath™ assessment, we share findings that are the basis for what to focus on in development. The findings are compelling, action-oriented and facts are motivational. Most development plans require significant effort (e.g.., learning and practicing new skills and behaviors, new response to stress, meeting new people, taking on more responsibility, etc.). This requires a source of extra motivation and that’s where our 360° feedback comes in.
We work with clients to find the best 5-6 individuals to interview, usually the manager, HR, direct reports and peers. We spend 30 minutes interviewing each and assure them that their feedback will not be attributed to them but rather shared in aggregate with the subject employee. We ask 7 questions and knowing the analytics we’ve already gathered this is not a quest to get to know them, as we already extensively know them, but more as a way to validate our findings and see how the employee’s behaviors manifest at work, the culture and challenges at work.
360° Interview Questions:
1.Thinking about the last 6 months what is NAME doing that is effective and he should continue?
2. What would you like to see NAME start doing?
3. What would you like to see NAME stop doing?
4. Describe conditions that challenge or stress NAME and what would you like to see them do differently in those moments?
5. Complete this sentence: “Considering NAME’s actions and words, I think the thing s/he values the most from work is ______.”
6. How does NAME’s work and/or communication style integrate into the culture at BAC?
7. For those senior: Thinking about future succession plans or roles that NAME could take on, is there anything that holds back the leadership team from considering her ready now for a role like this?
With this feedback we have an additional layer of insight that amplifies professional development goals and plans. I can say after completing these interviews, that I have never found a disconnect between the analytics and 360° feedback. We formulate the feedback to align with the conversation in our initial debrief. The first part focuses on competency, skills and behaviors:
The second part focuses on values, culture and promotion readiness:
Our coaching focuses on the most compelling areas and we help develop what we call Early Success Indicators that define the areas of focus and the indicators of progress. We suggest this be a companion with the employee over the next few months with a weekly review and note of the trend – are they improving, slipping backwards or holding steady. In our experience small adjustments in just the right areas of performance have a very positive reaction from everyone in the organization and the effectiveness of the employee.
To tie things together across the holistic professional development plan, FlightPath™ has a summary that can show at a glance your plans organized along a time horizon: now, strategic medium-term and visionary long-term.
A click anywhere on the summary takes them to the detailed description of the plan:
As Career Authority works with organizations and their employees, we validate our findings through 360° feedback. This provides additional fuel for the successful execution of employee’s development plan.
If you’d like help with someone in your organization ranging from individual contributors to SVPs let us know. Some great examples of when to bring us in are:
- People leader in a key role that has something ‘rattling’ in their approach that holds them back
- Someone that you are getting ready for a bigger role or just promoted
- Individual contributor promoted to manager
- Part of onboarding
- Someone that’s talented but you’re not sure where they fit the best
- Motivated individual contributor that you are worried about retaining
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