Assessing Your Credibility
The author uses this chapter to pimp his company's product (www.essessnet.com) for 360-degree assessments. I am going to skip over all the advertising and promotional stuff here and salvage the meat, if there's any to be had.
Question Set
He mentions their assessment was based on twelve core questions (and variations thereof) - my sense is they're worth recording, as they're points to ponder:
- Do I communicate in a clear and concise manner?
- When you are talking, do I appear to be listening?
- Do I come across as having a broad, strategic view?
- Do I come across as upbeat and friendly?
- Would you describe me as decisive?
- Do I treat you as an equal?
- Do I strike you as being open-minded?
- When asked a question, do I provide a direct and concise answer?
- Do I handle stress well and appear composed in tense situations?
- Do I accept constructive criticism rather than being defensive?
- Do I add value on topics where I am expected to have expertise?
- Do I come across as a problem solver?
These questions speak to some of the more common traits people consider when assessing the credibility of others.
Credibility Is Not One Point in Time
The author stresses the value of assessing credibility on an ongoing basis to see how things have changed over time. The software he shills provides comparisons and histograms.
Feedback Is Not a Panacea
A final note is that feedback is not worth anything if you don't react to it. However, you have to take it with a grain of salt: not all criticism is good criticism.