Becoming a top executive at your company sure took hard work, effort and constant improvement. But once you took the position, how much feedback did you receive to become a better boss over time?
That is perhaps the big question that many senior managers of companies or organizations may be asking themselves. Taking on a leading role in decision making and the future of the company will require certain skills to help them meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Improving your effectiveness as a senior executive and in parallel improving the performance of the entire organization are clear objectives that must be met for the good of all and are not difficult to achieve.
With an example of what managers should implement in their companies, the aim is to find the necessary measures to be able to achieve greater control of the feedback process and increase their ability to develop their organization, skills and career.
Who is your coaching, and who actually observes your behavior on a regular basis and tells you the things you don't want to hear, are two questions that every senior executive must ask if he or she wants to innovate and lay the groundwork to better manage his or her functional area.
A senior executive at a mid-sized pharmaceutical company complained of having difficulty achieving consensus among his senior management team on several key strategic decisions. He was frustrated by the situation and his mind was wondering whether there might be a problem with his leadership style or whether, on the other hand, he should consider replacing one or more of his senior executives.
He was approached about receiving coaching from his subordinates and although he was initially offended and reluctant to accept it, he eventually agreed. Convincing his staff to be totally honest was another difficult task, but it was finally achieved.
The results of this action were excellent for the senior executive and the company as a whole. They began to function as a unit. In implementing the recommendations received through coaching, the boss also focused diligently on strengthening his own interpersonal relationship-building skills, including self-disclosure, probing and listening. He had long believed that a strong leader must be somewhat reserved and a firm promoter.
This chief executive realized that asking for advice and coaching was a sign of strength, not weakness. By using these techniques, he found that he could rely more on his subordinates for advice and as an early warning system for his own performance. In addition, he and his senior managers began to understand and trust each other more, and many communicated their career aspirations and concerns to him.
The executive was able to acquire a general understanding of the key business functions and areas, as well as the interrelationships and implications it has in his organization and with his subordinates for the good of the company as a whole.
Excerpt from the article "Top Executives Need Feedback" published in INCAE Business Review
