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Coaching World
Barbara Smith, PCC
Barbara is a senior consultant with
ICF International’s Organizational
Research, Learning, and Performance
Division in Fairfax, Virginia, USA. She
coaches leaders at all levels, including
leaders in long-term development
programs. She is certified to administer
and interpret numerous commercial
and custom-designed 360-degree
assessment instruments. She is active
in the International Coach Federation’s
Northeast Regional Advisory Council,
recently served as a member of the ICF
Global Nominating Committee and is
a past president of ICF Metro DC. She
has more than 25 years’ experience in
the U.S. federal government and now
applies her human capital skills and
Leadership Coaching expertise to work
with the U.S. Department of Defense,
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, National Institutes of
Health, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, and other federal agencies.
360-degree Assessment
and Coaching:
Connecting and Capitalizing
on the Core Competencies
Most coaches are aware that a 360-degree assessment offers
individuals multiple viewpoints of their job skills, abilities and
behaviors. Often referred to as a “full-circle” assessment, it typically
includes feedback from an individual’s supervisor, colleagues and
subordinates, and a self-assessment completed by the individual.
Assessment feedback gives individuals points of data from multiple
perspectives with which they can plan a course of action forward to
guide personal and professional development.
In one of my first 360-degree assessment feedback coaching sessions, I met
with Robert, a mid-level leader who arrived at the session completely stressed
out. He’d experienced a computer glitch before our discussion and was
unable to download his assessment feedback report. He came to the session
empty-handed.
Although I had an extra copy of his feedback report which I might have first
offered him, I recognized a real advantage of capitalizing on the ICF Core
Competencies. Rather than beginning the session by handing Robert the