In a fast-paced work environment, a manager is usually balancing a number of tasks, one important one being the supervision of staff. We all need regular check-ins and assessments of our performance, otherwise, we have no way of knowing how effectively we are working and communicating with co-workers. A business coach can be a valuable asset to any worksplace when it comes to leadership development.
Leadership Development Through 360-Degree Coaching
“The main area of focus around business coaching is leadership development. The most common approach to helping leaders develop is something called 360-degree coaching,” says Dr. Nancy MacKay, a business coach and HealthChoicesFirst.com partner. “That's where coaches will interview board members, their peers, get direct reports and feedback on the businessperson's strengths and their opportunities for improvement.”
In a 360-degree assessment, the person receives full-circle feedback. These sessions are beneficial as information is being obtained from numerous sources, which provides broad, objective insight into an employee's skills and weaknesses.
The Benefits of 360-Degree Feedback in Leadership Development
Some of the ways that 360-degree feedback can be valuable as a leadership development tool are:
*It allows clients to gain perspective on their skills in a confidential way.
*It allows both the client and the organization to identify areas for improvement.
*It provides the business coach with unbiased data from the client's peers.
*It allows businesses to recognize which employees have the highest levels of skill and to capitalize upon those skills.
“A business coach will summarize the feedback, and then they'll work with the business leader on
helping them build on strengths and helping them address their areas for improvement,” says Dr. MacKay.
360-degree feedback is an ideal way to provide an individual and a company with relevant information to help them make decisions, train employees, improve team building and relationships, and to increase overall employee satisfaction.
Watch our video on peer coaching as an effective form of leadership development.
See how business coaching is related to wellness coaching in our Wellness Coaching video section.