3 Tips To Get the Information You Need

In the movie the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy endures a journey to the Land of Oz and a fight with the Wicked Witch of the West because Glinda (supposedly the good witch) did not let her know that she always had the power to go home. Without this information, Dorothy wandered through some nasty situations. Many attorneys are like Dorothy in that we walk down a career road—without the critical information needed to move down it.

What is this critical information?

How you are perceived, and what is its impact on your career?

This information is critical to know and understand. And it is often missing or glossed over in performance reviews—because it is not about our current job—but how to get to the next level. Or people don't want to mention it in the performance review because it could negatively impact your rating or compensation.  

So how do you get this information?

Below are my 3 Tips to Get the Information You Need

Tip # 1: Ask

We have all heard it is critical to know what people say about you when you are not in the room. But how many of you have taken steps to find out? And if you haven't, why? Often it is because we fear the results—but what we should fear is not having the information.

One of my clients, "Katie," finally asked and discovered that she had been focusing on the wrong things. She could not believe how much time and energy she spent on items where everyone thought she was a rock star. Katie then focused some of that time and energy on areas of opportunities (but not all, she wanted to keep that rock star status). And before she knew it, Katie was being put on more strategic projects and was in succession plans.

So how do you do this?  

First, determine which people you should ask for feedback. It should be people who are in the "know," who will be honest, and whose feedback you trust.

Second, ask them what you should continue to do, stop, and start doing. Take notes so you can remember what is said. If you get information that surprises you, ask for examples and advice on how you should have handled the situation.

Third, thank them for their time.

Finally, when you get all the information from everyone, take a moment to evaluate the information alone or with someone you trust.

Tip #2: Ask for a 360

Many companies and law firms will send out 360-degree feedback requests on behalf of employees. The feedback requests will ask your managers, colleagues, and direct reports questions about your performance and what you need to do to get to the next level. Because these requests are separate from performance reviews (and compensation decisions), you often get much more honest and constructive feedback on how you are perceived. Again, you may want to review the results and develop your plan with someone else.

Tip #3: Leverage a Mentor

If your company or firm does not give 360-degree feedback requests or only to limited people, you can still get the benefits of one. As a mentor, I conducted informal 360-degree feedback reviews. I had my mentee reach out to the participants and tell them that they wanted to work on their development and were hoping they would be willing to give constructive feedback to help them in this endeavor. As a mentor, I reached out, got the information, and then synthesized it into common themes—that were actionable for my mentee.

I cannot tell you the benefits to my clients of going through this exercise. Some found out why they weren't going on pitches. Others discovered the behaviors that they thought protected them were holding them back.

If you are ready to catapult your career forward—it is time to find out what people say when you are not in the room.  

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