Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Beyond Talent

Beyond Talent is our line of resources for professionals in the workplace who are individual contributors without people supervision responsibilities. Read this category for blogs on professional and career development to excel in your current role or help you prepare for your next level career.

  • 6 Steps for Maximizing Feedback Through Feedforward

    6 Steps for Maximizing Feedback Through Feedforward

    Described by Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, feedforward is a process to solicit help in improving your performance once you’ve gotten feedback on what you need to improve upon. In our coaching process, and in many others, this is done through a 360° feedback assessment. (If you want other tips on how to solicit feedback yourself, Goldsmith’s book has a methods you can employ, or you can read ideas we recommend here.

     

    How to do it:

    Once you get feedback, you then follow the feedforward process as Goldsmith describes by:

    1. What do you stink at? Pick the behavior you want to change or improve based on the feedback you’ve received. In our coaching process, this should be reflected in the goals the individual sets as a previous step in the process.
    2. Tell people what you stink at. Describe the behavior you want to change one-on-one with anyone. It could be co-workers, your boss, your spouse, anyone. They do not have to be an expert.
    3. Ask for help. Ask the person for two suggestions on how you could improve in this area in the future. There should be no discussion of the past- only the focus on the future.
    4. Shut up. Listen to the suggestions, take notes if you desire, and thank the person for their suggestions. Don’t comment or judge their suggestions, just thank them.
    5. Repeat steps 2-4 with other people. As many as you like, the more the better.
    6. Stop stinking. Once you have a list of suggestions, commit to implementing what will work for you and regularly communicate your efforts to those involved.

     

    Feedforward at first can appear to be a process that leaves one vulnerable, and many people think that others won’t provide honest input when asked. But if done correctly, it can build your capabilities as a leader not only to help improve your performance but engaging in the process will convey humility, which is a trait many people actually seek in a leader they are want to follow.

    Have your ever sought someone’s input on how to improve? If so, what were the outcomes of you implementing their suggestions?

  • Looking for a Magic Wand in 2014?

    Looking for a Magic Wand in 2014?

    Are you a leader with a talent management problem like turnover, absenteeism, employee engagement, etc.? What if I gave you a magic wand in 2014 and it could wipe your problem out?

    One way to do this is to see yourself as a key driver of organizational strategy and results and then use this mindset to drive talent management process improvements that connect back to bottom line results. This mindset is your magic wand.

    Wait a minute you say! It can’t be that easy. Just thinking strategically can’t eliminate (insert your problem here). Recently, I described a process to a group of HR professionals that I think can help you connect corporate strategy and values to solve problems through talent management interventions.

    This process led one company to a $4000.00 direct cost savings each year just by connecting their corporate values to their selection process. Not to mention, they have made three new hires with this new process. Each of these hires are performing at the optimal level per their performance standards, saving the company an estimated $210.00 a day in absenteeism costs and approximately $54,000 a year per hire in turnover costs. These changes may not have been easy as waving a magic wand, but they weren’t rocket science either.

    You can download the handout from this presentation here to help you walk through the steps of waving your magic wand.

    What is one of your talent management processes that in its current state, needs a good dose of the magic wand?

  • 2013 Year In Review

    2013 Year In Review

    This year, I made my professional and personal goals public in order to demonstrate one effective characteristic of goal setting- going public with them.

    So, did going public help? Here’s how this year shook out:

    Goal 1. Maximize productivity in the morning.

    Result: Accomplished, but room for improvement. I didn’t get up as early as I had planned, and I really owe more credit to this happening to my running accountability partner and my early-bird three year old than I do myself. But, mornings have gone a lot smoother this year.

    Goal 2. Grow company revenue by 30% or more in 2013.

    Result: Accomplished. Revenue growth was 58% (gross profit), Net Income growth was 38%. We have been so humbled this year by the trust our clients have put in us, and the exciting and fun work we are getting to do!

    Goal 3: Cook dinner and sit down as a family to eat at least four times a week. 

    Result: A complete flop. One, I didn’t track it, so I couldn’t tell you how many times we did or didn’t do it specifically, and two, I know we didn’t come close to doing this. We sat in front of the TV with crap food more than I would like to admit.

    Goal 4: Be committed (as I have been the last two years) to one day a week at home with my little boy.

    Result: Almost, but not perfect. Stuck to this for the month of September where so many things hit at once work wise. He went to school three of the four Thursdays in September.

    Goal 5: Express gratitude to those closest to me.  

    Result: Accomplished in the sense that I tracked it this year and was more conscious of how I express appreciation to others, particularly those that interact with daily. On average, I sent one handwritten note to a person each week.

    Goal 6: No debt except our house by the end of the year.

    Result: Accomplished! Accomplishing goal #2 made this happen.

    Goal 7: Read 30 books.

    Result: Accomplished (just barely). Read 30. See Year End Book Review.

    Other year-end review notes:

    Our top blog post of 2013: With almost 25,000 hits: 2 Questions for Striving Servant Leaders