Feedback on a deadline
Generosity is hard to schedule.
Can I make a confession about holiday gift-giving?
For me, it feels like a lot of pressure. On a date someone else picked, I'm supposed to know exactly what will bring another person joy. It's generosity and thoughtfulness... on a deadline.
End-of-year reviews carry a similar pressure.
And it gets trickier when the person across the table is excelling.
Recently, an executive leader told me she was anxious about her annual review with a director who was going above and beyond her role. When it came to growth, the executive leader was stumped. What insight could she possibly offer?
Here's what I shared: she doesn't need to have the answer. She just needs to open the door.
When you carry every rising leader's development on your own shoulders:
Feedback gets generic. ("Keep doing what you're doing!")
Your strongest people plateau, or look elsewhere for their next challenge.
You spend energy you don't have trying to spot their blind spots.
Executive coaching resets this. With a 360 as the starting point, your leader names where they want to grow, measures it, and owns it. You shift from answer-giver to sponsor.
That's a gift that doesn't need to be perfectly wrapped by a deadline. (Insert sigh of relief here!)
As you finalize your 2027 budget, ask yourself: Which of my ascending leaders would I open this door for?
If a name comes to mind, I'm an email away. Hit reply with "Open door," and let's start a conversation to see what's possible.
