Reviews are not only top-down ones but you as a leader can benefit from the “peer review”, i.e. the feedback exchanged with your hierarchical peers.
We have often discussed the fact that leaders perform a key role in facilitating performance feedback with a team, but when you look at the time available, it remains clear that most of our time in the office is spent with your colleagues, not our manager.
I know, I know…peers opinions’ can be interested but…they are a great resource.
Peers are often a underutilised resource to support performance analysis and discussion. Clearly this is different type of feedback because the perspective is different: a discussion on performance is one of those that are best discussed with one’s supervisor, while feedback on one’s work is better managed with a peer.
The perspective is very relevant because gives you a hint on what is your perceived appearance which can be highly different from your own view.
Let’s see what is in for you by accessing this resource:
a) Enabling cross fertilisation. By getting information on peers perception we gain useful insights on how to develop and how the team can develop, so enabling our capability to invest in cross-training opportunities on us and across the team. As a direct consequence, us or different team members can take on roles from other team members. This process is like growing a plant: is not enough to plant the seed, so, as more people become confident and competent with different roles and responsibilities, the opportunity to have conversations about what is and isn’t working is critical.
b) Make it bilateral. They help you, you help your peers. And this works even better inside your team. Once you got the feedback and you start acting, on one side, ask if the peer review on your side is appreciated and then give it; on the side of your people, foster the work in sub teams. Both actions will increase group’s performance both in terms of outcomes and relationships.
c) Make it regular. Like all the things a one shot approach is not the most efficient, and feedback is no exception. Try to do peer reviews (and stimulate it inside your team) on a regular basis so to gain greater expertise on feedback through a series of performance conversations and maintain a qualified view from “outside”
