Leadership Assessment
and 360° Feedback

Perception is NOT reality

‘Knowing yourself as others see you’ is a vital asset for any senior leader. And while they say that perceptions are ‘reality’, a probing and challenging interview exercise with those around you can bring them to a new sense of reality about you too.

Over the years, we’ve developed our own special techniques for feedback interviewing. Computer-based multiple-choice questionnaires may be the only practical process for mass application, but don’t you think your key executives deserve something a bit more personal and precise?

We in I.J. Martin & Co have polished our probing interview process since 1998 in online and in-person interviews. We know what to ask, how to push beyond perception and when to close to produce some often-surprising insights to help leaders and top teams grow. From this new awareness, many benefits flow.

Executive Assessment

• A feedback interview exercise with a number of direct reports, peers and bosses pushes them to think more deeply about you, understand you more fully and respond more appropriately to your own leadership approach and business initiatives.

• Intelligent, experienced assessment of feedback information by senior people-leaders reveals everything you need to know to survive and thrive in today’s cutthroat business world.

Talent Pipeline Review

• Building the organisation’s future with a quality talent pipeline is essential for survival and sustainable growth. Is it not less disruptive and more cost-effective to groom the ‘devil you know’ than to risk an unknown outside hire?

• Our appraisal process lets you discover the hidden potential in your ‘emerging leader’ cohort and helps you design tailormade coaching and mentoring succession plans for individual High Potential development.

Top Team Appraisal

• A united Top Team, with all players in the right positions, means the difference between winning the business championship or relegation to the second division. An objective appraisal of your executive board, using our time-proven processes and deep people-insights, allows you and us together to build a winning blend of senior competencies and experiences for success today and for the future.

360° Feedback – the I.J. Martin & Co Way

• In our feedback interviews, we personally interview the boss, peers and direct reports. For all public-facing executives such as Chairs, CEOs, CFOs and Investor Relations Directors we can also interview key stakeholders and the global financial community; a true 450° feedback process.

• We summarise the feedback in a written or verbal report, prepared in the coach’s own words for confidentiality. Clear messages and constructive ideas for development are hallmarks of our service. This Feedback Process and Report adds value by itself as a tool for team building… and it’s the essential starting point for I.J. Martin & Co Executive Coaching and for Top Team and Board Performance.

• Giving feedback is one of the hardest parts of leadership. Essential messages about development needs are awkward to give and often get lost as between-the-lines hints or, when delivered insensitively, only cause resentment.

• Our coaches are highly skilled at ensuring that feedback, given in direct language and exception-reporting style, is heard clearly, without demoralising or giving offense. Our time-proven process ensures total anonymity for feedback givers, while summarising essential themes for the receivers.

What’s so different about our Leadership Feedback services?

• Dynamic interviewing: by experienced business executives who know the right questions to ask. No tiresome and confusing multiple-choice questionnaires.
• Dialogue not monologue: your people talk with our people and not to a computer screen.
• More than skin-deep: we ask deeply penetrating questions about executives and their leadership.
• Perception is reality: but we get beyond the superficial perceptions that determine careers.
• Changes the team dynamic: interviewees think deeper, understand better and commit to action themselves.
• Feedback in the coach’s own direct language: no coded messages or dodging the difficult issues.
• Prioritised Action Plans: as a platform for development coaching.
• High ROI: interim and final feedback updates measure the value we add to the bottom line.