Featured Article...

Written by Christine Cavanaugh-Simmons,
Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Emergent Solutions, Inc.

Conventional Wisdom says...
To produce optimal results from a feedback experience we believe there has to be synergy between a world class 360 and skilled coaching.  Most clients see the value of combining 360 feedback and having someone guide the participant through understanding their results. Unfortunately, most are still using a 360 as a developmental intervention to receive feedback on a one time or yearly event approach. The following article seeks to expand our understanding of how using the right 360 can have a much greater effect as the “gateway” to profound and lasting change in a leader.

Using an effective 360 as a Gateway to Long Term Coaching...
We have learned over the years from running an executive coaching practice that the use of a 360 before and at the end of a long term coaching engagement is a sound practice that provides numerous efficiencies within the engagement's steps and stages.

Featured Product...

Updated Leadership in Health Services Survey

LHS has been updated and shortened to increase validity, reliability and ease of use by over-committed health care leaders.  

Product/Service Offer...

High Potential Leadership Tune-up

High potentials can get insight into their strengths, as well as their blind spots by joining us for one of our monthly management or leadership skill tune-ups.

Book Review...

Written by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton. New York: Free Press (2001). 245 pages.
Reviewed by Diane Byington, Ph.D.

One of my favorite things about coaching people on their 360 feedback results is talking to them about their strengths. Invariably, when managers have studied their reports before talking with me, they are very clear about what they see as their weaknesses. They almost never notice or take stock of their strengths, which are just as obvious to me as their weaknesses are to them. So we spend some time identifying their strengths and talking about how these can be leveraged to manage weaker areas that might be impacting their performance and slowing their careers. People are usually grateful for these insights, which they might not have gotten on their own.

I was interested in reading this book because I hoped it would be one I could recommend to people when they receive their feedback reports or who are learning to lead and manage others. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my hopes, even though it has some useful information. Let me address the book's strengths first.

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