Your colleague just bombed his presentation to the board. He went on way too long, and the data portion was so confusing. But when he asks how he did, you reply, “Nice job. Is that a new tie?”

Our basic survival instinct tells us to answer positively, even if there is room for improvement. But here’s the rub: What if people are doing the same to you?

I have heard of CEOs and senior-level executives who were terminated, even though they had no idea that anything was wrong…or certainly not anything big.  They were baffled by their newfound unemployment, yet their colleagues had known about their problematic behavior. Likely they were very competent at the nuts and bolts of the job, but clearly the relationships and respect were not there-and that’s 80% of a senior leaders’ effectiveness.

So if people aren’t going to offer up constructive feedback, what can you do about it? First, ask yourself: Do I have the respect and relationships I need to move myself to the next level?

If you aren’t 100% certain of the answers to these questions, you might consider our Executive 360 process. Think of it like “This is Your Life” for business people.

Here’s how it works: We interview 20 to 30 people from your entire sphere of influence-from the receptionist to the director of the board, as well as employees, clients, vendors, and members. We ask them what it’s like to work with you, and we discuss your strengths and what you bring to the organization.   The feedback is shared with you as a composite, not singling out any respondent, so they are incredibly honest in their remarks.

Senior leaders benefit greatly from the feedback and know what to focus on to move themselves and their businesses to the next level.

The 360 process benefits CEOs and senior leaders who want to improve their job performance, and it’s also good for subject matter experts who have personnel issues that could potentially leave the organization vulnerable to a hostile work environment.

So, if you want to get a clear picture of how you’re perceived and what you need to work on, talk to us about the Executive 360 (you’ll soon learn that we don’t have to be constrained by that survival instinct I spoke of earlier!).