If Monkeys could be Business Mentors
I threw out the corporate 360 Reviews years ago in favor of something I made up that I call ‘Monkeys Looking Sideways’.
Years ago at a seminar I heard a story about monkeys in a tree. When the monkey at the top looked down all he saw was smiling monkeys looking up. However, the monkeys below had an entirely different view.
It was at this seminar that I thought about doing 360 Reviews live and in front of the rest of the team. I always try to build teams that embrace healthy conflict and that want to build more trust. Well open communication like this takes trust up to an awesome level. I built this exercise so everyone on a team would know what everyone else thought and they’d hear it in person so they could grow together.
The Monkeys Looking Sideways exercise works like this.
Essentially it is a verbal, in person, group 360 feedback. Ideally get everyone out of the office for a half to a full day. It’s a great exercise to do on company or team retreats too.
1) Give everyone 1 pad of Post It Notes and a pen.
2) Do the review of the groups leader or CEO first.
3) Have each person write down the TOP 5 things that the person being reviewed:
a) Should continue
b) Should improve on
4) Then with the person being review staying in their seats, have one person at a time stand up and read out each post it note. Start with all the positives first and then they read the stuff to work on second.
5) The person being reviewed can only say thank you or ask a clarifying question. There is no debate.
6) Have all of the Post It Notes put up on a flip chart and give them to the person being reviewed so they can type them up and refer to them in their one-on-one coaching meetings with their supervisor over the year to keep working on improving.
7) Repeat the process for each person in the room.
This exercise done properly takes about 45 min per person but will be way more effective than the garbage that comes out of any online or 3rd party 360 Review Process.
In addition to using it in your company try it with an EO, YPO Forum or TEC/Vistage group on a retreat too. It’d be awesome…
by Simon Sinek – You need to read this if you want to build a fantastic company. And I can’t see anyone being happy in their work life until they are clearly working on their “Why” too. I’m living mine, ‘Helping entrepreneurs make their dreams happen’.
by Verne Harnish – This in my mind is the single most important book that EVERY entrepreneurial company and their teams have to read. Re-read it when you’re done. And ensure your team re-read it yearly until you’re doing everything in it properly. If you are doing everything this book has to offer then I’d say it’s OK to move on and read another business book.
by Jim Collins – In many ways I think this book is one that companies need to read when they’ve hit $25 Million in revenues and not earlier. The concepts are the best I’ve ever read. However in many ways I think entrepreneurial companies need more tactical content.
by Ken Blanchard – In my mind simply the best book on leading people. I first read it in 1986 and being a business coach and mentor, I have all my clients read it too. Combining this book with Situational Leadership (the content developed with Dr Paul Hersey will transform any company). It’s still current today.
by Tom Peters & Martha Barletta – This book rocked me into realizing that women make so many of the buying decisions and we’ve been focusing our selling to men. A must read for anyone in the services space.
by Jim Loehr – This book is what broke me from my workaholic doom loop. It will help you realize that work/life balance REALLY is key to growing a great company.
by Jack Welch -This little book has all of the simple lessons Jack Welch learned and used to build GE into a global dominant brand. More importantly these are the lessons that helped it be such a well run company.
by Ayn Rand – Every business person has to read this book. It’s time we really see the entrepreneur as the hero and realize how much government is crippling our nations today. Gov’t should serve the people not strip away all their earnings and make it harder for companies to grow.
by Victor Frankl – While it isn’t a business book it will show you how much the human spirit can overcome and why you’ll overcome every struggle you encounter if you’re clear on what life is really all about. This is a great read before or after Start With Why.
by Alfred Lansing – The Riveting true story of Ernest Shackleton that will rock your world. Simply the greatest book I’ve ever read. Tons of leadership lessons from this if you need them too but it’s also a fantastic read. Steve Jobs bought a copy for every employee at Apple. My grandfather Cam Shortts, who was one of the most voracious readers ever said it was his favourite book of all time. Years ago I bought a copy for EVERY franchisee and it blew them away. When you see what they endured you will KNOW that you’ll build your dream too.