Benchmarks® Feedback Workshop

Center for Creative Leadership

What Benchmarks Measures

The factors assessed by Benchmarks are lessons learned from experience. Benchmarks does not measure basic skills, job knowledge, or intellectual ability. It does measure skills and perspectives that matter in a career.

Benchmarks Has Two General Uses and Functions...

For individuals– as a confidential tool

for individual development for managers who are at mid-level and above.

For groups– as a profiling

instrument for work groups to target development and shape environments to support development.

Benchmarks Is Not…

• a tool to be used for performance appraisal• a selection tool• a tool for making compensation decisions• a tool to make hiring or dismissal decisions• a tool to be shared directly with bosses• delivered to an individual without facilitation

by someone who is not in a reporting relationship

Benchmarks Is...

• a statistically reliable, valid, and comprehensive 360-degree feedback instrument.

• a tool which identifies strengths and developmental needs

• a tool which provides a “benchmark” comparison to a particular “norm.”

Benchmarks...

• helps a manager determine whether s/he is learning new skills and perspectives important for success.

• uncovers potential blocks to development – flaws or failures which could lead to derailment.

• links lessons and experiences together to guide further development.

Purposes For Using BenchmarksIndividual• Gain perspective on how co-workers view us and

how our behavior impacts them.• Assess strengths and development needs

regarding:– important leadership skills and perspectives

– potential problems that can stall a career

• Increase self-awareness, which is the cornerstone of development.

Purposes For Using Benchmarks

Individual• Reflect on past experiences and the lessons

that have been learned from those experiences.

• Develop a broader understanding of how we learn and develop, and expand our repertoire of learning tactics.

• Compare individual skills and organizational needs and business strategy.

Purposes For Using Benchmarks

Individual• Incorporate meaningful data into a self-directed

development plan in order to:– maximize effectiveness in present and future

assignments– capitalize on strengths, and improve or compensate for

weaknesses– implement short and long term career goals

• Make the most of our current challenges and opportunities.

Purposes For Using BenchmarksOrganizational• Provide high-impact feedback for greater

individual and organizational effectiveness.• Support and motivate individuals to take charge

of their own careers.• Select assignments and experiences for

development and succession planning purposes.• Support the development of high-potentials.• Use as a catalyst for cultural change.

Purposes For Using Benchmarks

Organizational• Improve or develop open communication and

feedback norms within the culture.• Determine group strengths and development

needs, considering past, present, and future contexts.

• Support needs assessment for training.

Preparation for Bosses• Purpose of using Benchmarks: Assessment for

development plus organizational uses.• Confidentiality and individual ownership of data.• Foundations of Benchmarks: Critical lessons are learned

from experiences, particularly challenging job assignments and other people/bosses.

• Developmental strategies: Learning from challenging assignments, role models and coaches, ongoing feedback, training and reading, effective learning tactics.

• Expectations established for your program, such as developmental plans will be shared and agreed upon.

Research Behind Benchmarks

Key Events Studies

• The following question was asked:When you think about your career as a manager, certain events probably stand out in your mind - things that led to a lasting change in you as a manager. Please identify at least three key events in your career – things that made a difference in the way you manage now.

• What happened?

• What did you learn (for better or worse)?

The Variety of ExperiencePercentage of Events Where Learning Occurs

17%

34%

27%

22%

Hardships

Challenging Assignments

Learning from Others

Other Events

The Variety of Experience

HardshipsChallenging

AssignmentsLearning

From OthersOther

Events

• Change in Scope

• Fix-it

• Scratch

• Line to Staff

• Projects/Task Forces

• Breaking a Rut

• Values Playing Out

• Role Models

• Mentors

• Peers

• Business Failures and Mistakes

• Demotions, Missed Promotions, Lousy Jobs

• Personal Trauma

• Employee Performance Problems

• Downsizing

• Differences Matter

• Coursework

• First Supervisory Experience

• Early Work

• Purely Personal

• Feedback

• Business Success

Success Derailment

Leadership Skills

Key Terms

SuccessfulLived up to full potential as the organization saw it.

DerailedAchieved very high level, but did not go as high as the organization had expected. May have been involuntarily plateaued, or demoted or fired, forced to accept early retirement, or had responsibilities reduced.

Section 1: Leadership Skills & Perspectives Meeting Job Challenges

1. Resourcefulness

2. Doing whatever it takes

3. Being a quick study

4. Decisiveness

Section 1: Leadership Skills & Perspectives Leading People

5. Leading employees

6. Confronting problem employees

7. Participative management

8. Change management

Section 1: Leadership Skills & Perspectives Respecting Self and Others

9. Building and mending relationships

10. Compassion and sensitivity

11. Straightforwardness and composure

12. Balance; personal life and work

13. Self-awareness

14. Putting people at ease

15. Differences matter

16. Career management

Section 2: Problems That Can Stall a Career

1. Difficulty with interpersonal relationships

2. Difficulty building and leading a team

3. Difficulty changing or adapting

4. Failure to meet business objectives

5. Too narrow functional orientation

IRT-DIF Study

• What is DIF?– Differential Item Functioning refers to the psychometric

difference in how an item functions for two groups that are matched on the construct being measured.

• What is IRT?– Item Response Theory is an estimate of the probability

of a given response to an item that is based on a person’s standing on the construct measure by the item. We examined item discrimination and difficulty.

What Rating Sources Were Tested?

• Boss vs. Self/Peer/Direct Report (n=1019)

• African-American vs. Caucasian (boss and self) (n=588)

• U.S. vs. U.K. vs. French (boss) (U.K. n=415; French n=226)

Development is Dynamic

• Strengths may become weaknesses.

• Flaws may suddenly matter.

• Current strengths may be less important in the future.

• New skills may be required.

Key Research Findings

• The lessons learned from experience can have a lasting impact on how a person manages and leads.

• Sixteen Skills and Perspectives have been found to be critical for success.

• These “success factors” are most likely to be learned on the job.

Key Research Findings...

• Developmental experiences or “key events” cluster in these areas:– Challenging assignments– Other people– Hardships– Other events

• It is the challenge within an experience which drives learning forward and makes it developmental.

Key Research Findings...• Learning is not random -- different lessons are

learned from different types of experiences.• It is preferable to have a variety of experiences in

order to achieve broad and balanced development.• Derailment usually occurs when managers don’t

adapt to changing demands and situations; often, strengths become weaknesses or flaws suddenly matter.

• Development is dynamic and ongoing.

The Feedback Report

FEEDBACK REPORT

Prepared for:Pat Sample

November 1, 2001

In addition to your self-ratings,this report includes ratings from:

1 Boss1 Superior3 Peers3 Direct Reports2 Others

Middle Manager Norm GroupPrivate Sector

Benchmarks®

Center for Creative Leadership ®

Importance For Success And Average Scores

Importance For Success Average Scores

Scale All Obsv Boss Self All Obsv Self

1. Resourcefulness 7 3.46 4.40

2. Doing Whatever It Takes 4 4.67

3. Being A Quick Study 2

4.25

4. Decisiveness 6

4.00

5. Leading Employees 10 3.45 4.46

6. Confronting Problem Employees 2 4.50

7. Participative Management 8 3.48 4.80

8. Change Management 9

4.67

9. Building And Mending Relationships 9

4.45

10. Compassion And Sensitivity 4 4.86

11. Straightforwardness And Composure 5

3.25 4.25

12. Balance Between Personal Life And Work 4.50

13. Self-Awareness 3

4.25

14. Putting People At Ease 2 5.00

15. Differences Matter 4.67

16. Career Management 4 4.67

3.54

3.88

3.69

3.59

3.41

2.98

3.79

4.09

3.42

3.60

3.92

3.35

4

PAT SAMPLE

16. Career Management

Norm Group Comparisons: Self (S) and All Observers (O)

1. Resourcefulness

2. Doing Whatever It Takes

3. Being A Quick Study

4. Decisiveness

5. Leading Employees

6. Confronting Problem Employees

7. Participative Management

8. Change Management

9. Building And Mending Relationships

10. Compassion And Sensitivity

11. Straightforwardness And Composure

12. Balance Between Personal Life And Work

13. Self-Awareness

14. Putting People At Ease

15. Differences Matter

Scale Low Mid-Range High

Higher Ratings Preferred

SelfAll Observers

Norm Group Comparisons: Boss/Superiors (B), Peers (P), And Direct Reports (R)

1. Resourcefulness

2. Doing Whatever It Takes

3. Being A Quick Study

4. Decisiveness

5. Leading Employees

6. Confronting Problem Employees

7. Participative Management

8. Change Management

9. Building And Mending Relationships

10. Compassion And Sensitivity

11. Straightforwardness And Composure

12. Balance Between Personal Life And Work

13. Self-Awareness

14. Putting People At Ease

15. Differences Matter

16. Career Management

Scale Low Mid-Range High

Higher Ratings Preferred

BossSuperiorsPeersDirect Reports

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

SECTION 1: LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND PERSPECTIVES

1. Resourcefulness

Can both think strategically and make good decisions under pressure; can set up complex work systemsand engage in flexible problem-solving behavior; can work effectively with higher management in dealingwith the complexities of the management job.

Most Important For Success

All Obsvr Boss Self

7

Self Boss Peer DRpt Other

1. Does his/her homework before making a 5.00 [4.00] 3.50 proposal to top management.

2. Works effectively with higher management 4.00 2.67 1.50

(e.g., presents to them, persuades them, and stands up to them if necessary).

3. Links his/her responsibilities with the mission 5.00 [4.00] 2.00 of the whole organization.

Higher Ratings Preferred

3.33*

3.67

3.503.00

3.00

3.00

4.40

3.46

4.20

3.40

3.80

Self

All Observers

Boss

Peers

Direct Reports

Your Score Low Mid-Range High

4.00

4.00 [4.00]

[5.00]

Others 2.50

Superior *3.80

Superior

[4.00]

[4.00]

[5.00]

PAT SAMPLE

Largest Differences Between Self And Observer ScoresListed below are the 15 items on which your Self scores and All Observer scores were most discrepant.

Self All Obsvr

A ++ by the last item indicates that additional item(s)

had equivalent self-observer discrepancies as that item.

PAT SAMPLE

73. Tries to understand what other people think before making judgments about them. 2.675.00

74. When working with a group over whom he/she has no control, get things done by finding 2.805.00common ground.

71. Relates to all kinds of individuals tactfully, from shop floor to top executives. 2.905.00

77. Can settle problems with external groups without alienating them. 2.905.00

78. When working with peers from other functions or units, gains their cooperation and 3.005.00support.

115. Responds effectively to constructive criticism from others. 3.005.00

15. Controls his/her own career; does not sit and wait for the organization to plan a course to 3.115.00follow.

58. Leads change by example. 3.115.00

98. Has a warm personality that puts people at ease. 3.205.00

99. Involves others in the beginning stages of an initiative. 3.225.00

113. Uses networking to manage own career. 3.225.00

114. Has solid working relationships with higher management. 3.305.00

41. Finds and attracts highly talented and productive people. 3.305.00

75. Quickly gains trust and respect from his/her customers. 3.305.00

93. Admits personal mistakes, learns from them and moves on to correct the situation. 3.305.00

SECTION 2:

PROBLEMS THAT CAN STALL A CAREER

Benchmarks identifies five problem areas associated with career difficulties. In this section, lower ratings are

preferred. Recall that you rated yourself and asked others to rate you on the extent to which you displayedspecific characteristics, which can lead to derailment. The rankings are:

1 = Strongly disagree 2 = Tend to disagree 3 = Hard to decide 4 = Tend to agree 5 = Strongly agree

· Underlined Scores

Scores of 2.5 or greater have been underlined. We recommend that you pay attention to these potential problemareas.

Self All Obsvr Boss Peer DRpt Other

1. Problems With Interpersonal Relationships 1.00 2.35 1.40 3.14 1.73 2.70

2. Difficulty Building And Leading A Team 1.00 2.18 1.50 2.69 1.63 2.73

3. Difficulty Changing Or Adapting 1.00 2.11 2.10 2.32 1.66 2.41

4. Failure To Meet Business Objectives 1.00 1.73 1.14 1.71 1.62 2.14

5. Too Narrow Functional Orientation 1.00 2.60 2.80 3.13 2.00 3.20

Lower Ratings Preferred

1.20

Superior

2.10

2.38

1.86

3.00

2.30

PAT SAMPLE

SECTION 2: PROBLEMS THAT CAN STALL A CAREER

1. Problems With Interpersonal Relationships

Difficulties in developing good working relationships with others.

Self All Obsvr Boss Peer DRpt Other

Your Score 1.00 2.35 1.40 3.14 1.73 2.70

Lower Ratings Preferred

Self Boss Peer DRpt Other

116. Is arrogant (e.g., devalues the 1.33 1.50 contribution of others).

117. Tends to resist input from other 1.67 4.00 departments.

118. Is dictatorial in his/her approach. 1.67 2.50

119. Makes direct reports or peers feel 1.33 2.00 stupid or unintelligent.

120. Has left a trail of bruised people. 2.00 2.50*

121. Is emotionally volatile and 2.00 2.00 unpredictable.

122. Is reluctant to share decision making 2.00 4.00 with others.

123. Adopts a bullying style under stress. 1.67 3.00*

124. Even when asking for input, has 1.67 2.50* already made up his/her mind.

125. Orders people around rather than 2.00* 3.00 working to get them on board.

Lower Ratings Preferred

1.00 1.00 2.00*

1.00 2.00 3.33*

1.00 2.00 3.67*

1.00 1.00 3.00*

1.00 1.00 3.67*

1.00 1.00 3.33

1.00 2.00 2.67

1.00 1.00 3.67*

1.00 2.00 2.67

1.001.00

3.00

Key:____ = Scores of 2.5 or greater.

* = Gap of at least 3 points between observers from one category.

Superior

2.10

Superior

1.00

2.00

2.00

2.00

2.00

2.00

3.00

2.00

3.00

2.00

PAT SAMPLE

Developmental Planning

DefineDevelopmental

Goal

Choose 3-4Strategies:

Incorporate Effective Learning Tactics

Benchmarks Developmental Planning

Process

Strategy 2

Training &Reading

Strategy 5Role Models

&Coaches

Strategy 4

New Job Assignments

Strategy 1

OngoingFeedback

Strategy 3

Seek Feedback & Support for Plan

Implement Plan

Existing Jobs: Current or New

Challenges

Analyze Your Results

Anatomy of a Learning Experience

Potential Learning Event: Challenge, Transition, or Stress

Learning: Performance Recovery, Change, and Enhancement

Going Against the Grain: Temporary Drop in PerformanceLeveling Off: The Comfort

Zone, What I Already Know How To Do

Setting the Context

“Criticism is hard to take, especially from a friend, a family member, or a total stranger.”

Franklin P. Jones

Understanding Feedback

• Feedback is not the complete truth.• Feedback is a snapshot.• Feedback is data.• You are the expert about you – context matters.• Two mistakes: agree or disagree too quickly.

“I have some good news and some bad news! You are honest, kind, and smart, but you are perceived to be sneaky, cruel, and dumb.”

While perceptions may not be the ultimate truth, they are what people use to make decisions.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Top Ten Reasons for Rejecting Feedback

10. My job makes me act that way; I’m really not like that. 9. This was just a bad time to do this. 8. All my strengths are right, but my weaknesses aren’t. 7. Some one really has it in for me. 6. I used to be that way, but I‘ve changed recently. 5. Nobody understands what I am going through. 4. This must be someone else’s report. 3. My raters didn’t understand the questions. 2. They’re just jealous of my success. 1. It is all accurate, but I just don’t care!

Group Reports

Group Reports Are...

• a snapshot of a group from which it was derived.

• not generalized beyond that group.

• confidential. Precautions must be taken to protect the anonymity of individuals within a group as well as the group itself.

When Using a Group Report...

• the group is legally entitled to view the results of their own data.

• the group report data should not be shared with other groups to whom the group might be compared without permission of the group unless the group identities have been made anonymous.

• each group member should be told where results will be shared outside the group.

Group Reports...

• must not be used to discriminate against demographic groups or individuals.

• must be interpreted very carefully.

• facilitation requires training on the individual use of Benchmarks, from which data are aggregated.

Questions?Center for Creative Leadership