Sharing Best Practices in Leadership Assessment

Session Submission Type: Workshop

Short Description

With so many ways to measure leadership development, how can educators learn of innovative, creative, and effective assessment methods? In this interactive workshop, both experienced and novice leadership educators will come together in small groups to share issues, concerns, ideas, and best practices around assessment including useful instruments, tools, methods, and protocols. Ideas will be captured by a note taker and shared with participants after the conference, beginning a documented toolbox of leadership assessments to share on an association-wide scale. If you have an assessment idea to share or want to just learn some new ideas for assessment, join us!

Detailed Abstract

Seventy-nine percent of leadership educators incorporate regular assessment into their leadership programs (Owen, 2012). Yet, the choices in methods, instruments, tools, and protocol are vast, and some may be more effective in particular contexts than others. For example, the self-reported questionnaire is the most prevalent form of methodology used in studies in the field of personality psychology (McDonald, 2008). Because it is inexpensive, practical, wide reaching, and easy to interpret, it is a highly common practice and valued form of assessment (McDonald, 2008). Questionnaires can range from those developed in-house to more commonly used instruments that measure the growth and development of individuals around a particular concept such as assertiveness, conflict, communication, or cultural competence. Self-reporting can include methods beyond the questionnaire. Andrews and Manandhar (2009) found that ranking activities are especially effective in accurately assessing a change in one’s beliefs. And, measurements such as Likert scales (1932) and the Thurstone Scale (1928) can effectively measure attitude change (Petty, Wheeler, & Tormala, 2002). Qualitative measures such as storytelling and reflective journals can elicit responses from individuals about what is important to them (Gray, 2007). Other forms of leadership assessment include observations and evaluations by external raters. One external evaluation instrument is a rubric, which can serve as a useful tool for evaluation and feedback for leadership development (Roberts, 2014). Another external evaluation tool is the 360-degree evaluation. These evaluations have been found to be more effective than self-ratings when evaluating one’s leadership behaviors (Atwater & Yammarino, 1992).

Whether using self-evaluation instruments, narratives, external raters, or another method, there are a variety of ways to assess leadership development. Thus, it can be hard to keep track of all of the options and in some ways may feel overwhelming in trying to learn them. This may lead some leadership educators to avoid assessment due to their lack of knowledge and confidence. And, some educators may continue to use the same assessment practices for decades, unaware of newer practices. Even those with a strong foundation in leadership assessment may find that the methods they have been using could benefit from a new approach.

We envision a workshop where both experienced and novice leadership educators come together in small groups to share both issues and concerns about assessment and assessment “best practice” methods, instruments, tools, and protocol. Ideas will be captured by a note taker and shared with participants after the conference, beginning a documented toolbox of leadership assessments to share on a wider association-scale.

Session Overview
This session will begin with a brief introduction of the session. Then, each participant and presenter will fill out an information card with the following:
1. Challenging issue you have encountered in doing assessment on leadership development:
2. Key insight you have learned in doing assessment on leadership development:
3. Best practices assessment method:
• Ideal audience:
• Ideal context:
• What it measures:
• How it works:
• How to strengthen validity and reliability:
• Ways to use the results:

Everyone will be divided into small groups to first share their most challenging issues and their biggest insights. Participants will be encouraged to offer advice and suggestions to other participants about issues brought up. After this conversation, everyone will have an opportunity to share their “Best Practices Assessment Method” with the group. After everyone is done sharing and discussing these practices, each group will select one method that was shared to share with the larger group. Someone from each small group will share their group’s selected assessment method. The presenters will end this session with tips for research-based best practices in leadership assessment to mitigate issues of bias, validity, and reliability as well as offer suggestions for tactical assessment procedures such as timing, frequency, length of assessment, and sample.

Sub Unit

• Leadership Education

Presenters

• Corey Seemiller, Wright State University

• Matthew J. Sowcik, University of Florida

• Clinton M Stephens, Emporia State University

• David M. Rosch, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign