- Ask my manager and peers for their best practices for delivering effective feedback
(this action step leverages my networking strength)
Long Term Action Steps:
- Read both books about feedback and identify skills that I will try. Ask for feedback
on these skills as I put them into practice
- Provide feedback to one team member each week
Accountability: Who can you involve with helping you stay accountable or supporting you with this
goal? How can they help you? How can your manager help you?
My teammates – let them know I am working on this skill and that I am open to feedback
on how I am doing
My manager – ask for feedback as they observe me working on my goal and ask about
resources that have worked for them
My friend – grab a coffee and share an update about what I am learning (quarterly)
Appendix A: Example Action Steps
Short-Term Actions (30-90 Day Projects)
• Volunteer to lead a new project or team initiative
• Identify and champion a process improvement
• Lead a post-project assessment and summarize lessons learned for future
initiatives
• Assemble and lead a cross-functional team to solve a business problem
Long-Term Actions (6-12 months)
• Transition to a new role to expand skills, leadership responsibilities, or broaden
professional experience
• If changing roles is not reasonable or desirable, job crafting may be another
avenue to explore for longer term actions. Job crafting actions could include
making small or large changes to how you spend your time at work in order to
more closely align with your motivations, passions, and interests.
Developmental Relationships
• Seek out a mentoring relationship
• Identify a role model - observe behavior relative to a particular strength and
adopt 2-3 behaviors in your own day to day practices
• Actively build a broader network – seek out individuals with relevant desired
skills/expertise inside and outside of Northwestern
• Join and actively engage in a professional association to learn more about
specific areas or broaden your knowledge, skills, and experience base
360 Degree Feedback & Assessment
• Solicit 360-degree feedback from your manager, direct reports, superiors, and
peers to enhance self-awareness
• Solicit feedback from a trusted colleague/faculty member