Welcome back to the look and sound of leadership, an ongoing series of executive coaching tips

designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the way you want to be perceived.

I'm Tom Hentrel, your executive coach, and today we're talking about unblocking feedback.

Martin was disruptive.

There was a long history of complaints against him.

After the most recent grievance meeting, he was given a coach, me.

The fact that people were upset with him was something Martin knew the way a reckless

driver, seeing chaos in his rearview mirror, wonders how all that happened.

Because he didn't understand his contribution to the upset, he was unable to keep it from

happening again.

He knew he was stuck in a loop, but didn't understand how to stop it.

What he was beginning to understand was that his lack of understanding might possibly

cost him his job.

I had shared a tool with him, the Johari window, that helps people see into their blind

spots.

He said, you're saying this problem of mine is something about me that everyone else

knows, but I don't know it about myself.

It's my blind spot, but that's why you're here, right?

You're going to shrink my blind spot.

No, I said, you're going to shrink your blind spot, but I am happy to help.

How am I going to do that?

He asked.

...