General Chat

Hi Janet, I would select any tools/methodologies that will meet the gaps identified in your needs analysis.  For example, the content of any training you do would be determined by the objectives designed to bridge the identified gaps.  Sometimes a formal training may not be needed, depending on the level of competency your leaders already have. 

Regarding assessment tools, I believe there are some business colleges and universities that have free self-assessments, but I can't seem to recall who they are.  I'll see if I can find it!

Hi Janet, I work in the government sector as well, so I am guessing there isn't much of a budget for this (if any). :)

If you're piloting this with a small group, I'd recommend going the DIY 360 route using something like Google Forms or Microsoft Forms. They're easy to set up, free, and let you tailor everything to your 12 leadership competencies. Use a 5-point scale (think: “Not Yet Developed” to “Expert/Role Model”) and throw in a few comment boxes—because numbers without context are like karaoke without lyrics: confusing and awkward. 

For honest feedback, aim for at least 5 raters per group, with 3 as the absolute minimum. That way you keep things anonymous and avoid turning the feedback report into a detective game.

It’s also worth doing a quick kickoff or intro message to explain the purpose—this is for growth, not grading. That helps people engage with the process instead of bracing for impact. A short guide or mini-training for both participants and raters is also a good move—just enough to cover what the competencies mean, how to give behavior-based feedback, and how not to turn it into a roast.

If you ever want something a bit more polished (automated reports, fancy dashboards, etc.), there are also great paid tools out there like TruScore, ZengerFolkman, or Leadership Circle that work well with small groups. You can also go with a coach/facilitator/consultant for a custom option. I can give you the name of a person I have worked with before if you want.

Happy to share templates and collaborate if you're headed the DIY route!

Hello Thank you @Gwen Navarrete Klapperich and @Garth Reed for your responses. I really appreciate your support in this. Garth that detail is super helpful. We are definitely not paying for this. I would like to pick your brain on the scoring, so I'll reach out to you directly. Thank you both once again.

I would strongly recommend looking at One Page Talent Management by Mark Effron. His take on the 360 is unique, and I think it's better suited for action than most assessments on the market. The short version is that he has raters assess on a scale of "do much more" to "do much less" so the results are directly coaching the change that needs to happen. His book walks through advice on selecting raters, debriefing, etc., so it's worth picking up a copy and reading the full chapter.

Hi, Janet. I am your counterpart at the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. I rarely use set assessments, but an assessment resource I repeatedly modify and use is Philip Harris' Twenty Reproducible Assessment Instruments, published through HRD Press way back in '95. I don't use them as he wrote them. Instead, I adapt them to my organization's values, culture and recent advances in the areas of interest. Some of the assessments that may be jumping-off-points for you: 

• Leadership Motivation Inventory
• Change Inventory for Leaders
• Management Communication Inventory
• Inventory of Transformational Management Skills

I think the leadership model you bring to your agency is largely dependent on your needs. In times of challenge and growth, I bring in the Adaptive Leadership model from Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky. The Kansas Leadership Center has some materials you can use to help you plan and support training on the model. My friend Matt Richter introduced me to Edward Deci's thinking on motivation, specifically Self-Determination Theory. 

I'm happy to discuss in more detail if you want to reach out. 

Hi Janet,

Great questions and sounds like an exciting initiative! I'm a Learning & Career Development Supervisor.

A self-assessment the participants can take at the start of your program, then re-assess midway and at program end may be helpful for heightened self-awareness.

For communication, having individual discussions with budget center heads/senior leaders for input, buy-in, and information sharing has been very valuable for any initiative we engage in.

FranklinCovey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People workshop has been very well received in our organization. It includes a 360 tool at the start and end of the series. The learning throughout has yielded positive results due to the applicability to work and personal life.