What I learned from Mr. Anthony McLachlan at Nortel – Part 6

Continuing from last week, today I will be sharing another lesson from Anthony.

If you need to improve, get feedback.

During one of my discussions with Anthony, I raised the question of career development. I did feel that I could achieve more and since those were early days of my career, I sought to expand my role. He told me that I was doing good and that over time I will make more progress. He told me that quite a lot of career development depended on the perception of leadership team. He suggested that I should get a 360 done but choose more of his direct reports as respondents. He was a regional head and was the manager of my manager and normally I would not include my managers peers for any formal / informal feedback.

He told me that it would a “humbling” experience as I will come to realize how little they might know about me and how much I need to do to set the right perceptions on their mind.

If you want to progress; you will need to improve not just your work or contribution but also the perception of that contribution. The best place to start to get the feedback from the right stakeholders.

Stay tuned for more next week