How Can CEOs Rate Their Own Performances? Turns out, there's a way.
This story appears in the December 2016 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Ever wonder who you should best evaluate your performance as chief executive?
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A sober self-assessment is never easy. But Dr. Dee Soder, who has counseled hundreds of chief executives, as founder of the CEO Perspective Group in New York, offers these steps. The good news: You don't have to do it alone.
Seek outside counsel.
Cultivate what Soder calls a "personal cabinet," three to five people who know you, know your business and aren't afraid to speak up. "It's a way to stay out of the echo chamber," she says.
Reflect daily.
Set aside 30 to 60 minutes each day to write down your thoughts. Sounds ridiculous -- who has time for that, right? But it's a practice long championed by management guru Tom Peters. Journaling gives you time "to listen to that nagging suspicion, the instinct that tells you something's off," Soder says.
Related: 3 Ways to Address the Salary Chasm Between CEOs and Employees
Hire a superb assistant.
We're not talking about the fastest typist. You want "somebody with good judgment," Soder says. "Somebody with a fair amount of experience." That way, they can also serve as a professional sounding board -- and give you honest responses.
