Career 360° Feedback Guide
According to Peter Drucker, business author and management guru, discovering your strengths through feedback analysis is an important step in your career development. Others often have insights that we may have missed or are unaware of. Consider the following:
- How do others describe or define you? What talents do others associate with you?
- What strengths and possible weaknesses are you known for in your current organization?
- Whenever you make a key decision or take a key action, write down what you expect will happen. 9-12 months later, compare the results with your expectations.
Ask for feedback from multiple people related to you who are in a position to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Their insights may shed light on areas for improvement and factors inhibiting your professional development. People who could provide feedback include:
- Supervisors
- Coworkers
- Vendors
- Direct or indirect reports
When asking for feedback, remember the following:
- Try not to be defensive
- Listen carefully to understand
- Suspend judgment
- Reflect thoughtfully on what you hear
- Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification and specifics
- Try to keep the feedback in perspective (“Everything I do is bad!”)
Utilize this information, if relevant, to help reformulate your career goals.
Personal SWOT Analysis
A SWOT matrix is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats you face. This framework helps you focus on your strengths, minimize weaknesses, and take advantage of opportunities.
Strengths
- What do you do well?
- What unique resources can you draw on?
- What do others see as your strengths?
Weaknesses
- What could you improve?
- Where do you have fewer resources than others?
- What do others see as weaknesses?
Opportunities
- What opportunities are available to you?
- What trends could you take advantage of?
Threats
- What threats could harm you?
- What is your competition doing?
- What threats do your weaknesses expose you to?