Effective peer review for leaders

The 3 basic keys to an effective peer review are as follows:

A good peer reviewer will be forthright, provide specific examples of what you do well and where you may improve, and be eager to engage in a lengthy discussion. Don’t act defensive; instead, pay attention and take careful notes.
If you’re given particular areas where your peer believes you can improve, try to come up with a strategy to solve the issue.
You might also ask the person who provided the input to elaborate on their thoughts, demonstrating that you value their opinion.

A “peer” isn’t always a person of the same status. Anyone who you believe is genuine about growing their own leadership and the leadership of those with whom they work is referred to as a “peer” in this context.
Of course, getting feedback from both superiors and subordinates is beneficial since they will see your leadership through different lenses. Meanwhile, because they experience the same issues and obligations as you, a peer of the same position may have a different perspective. Seek advice from someone you can trust to be honest (even if it’s painful) and to provide specific comments.

The final stage is to do it all over again! Obtaining the advice of only one person will be of limited use, so as you start your leadership peer review, ask for feedback from two to four people. This will allow you to discuss one peer’s comments with the others, provide you with a more “global” assessment of your talents and attributes, and – most crucially — reinforce feedback from several peers. You can be convinced that your performance in that area is effective or needs some work if two or more peers say the same thing (whether favorable or unfavorable).

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