Assessment is process that help coachees see how well they are performing. This process starts before the coaching conversation. There are 2 broad types of assessment, self assessment and multi-rater assessment. In my executive coaching practice, most of the time, the coachee that I worked with are done and familiar with some psychometric self assessments e.g. MBTI, DISC, strength-based tools, etc.
Personal assessment is good, but may not provide the holistic view in relative to coachees’ performance or behaviour. Multi-rate assessment tools, e.g. 360 Degree interview, collect feedback from surrounding people interact in workplace with coachee on daily basis, complements the ‘blind’ perspectives that allows coachees to see how their behaviors are perceived by others.
One of the reason that makes the multi-rater assessment tools work, they are normally designed to have the mechanisms that eliminates the bias, i.e.
a)Constructive feedback: fact-oriented, only work-related matters are recorded and shared.
b) Frequency counted. Only behaviour that is witnessed by more than one raters is noted and shared in during the feedback session.
Several researches have been conducted and concluded in the way that 360 degree feedback is effective when using with individual development, which includes coaching. From my personal experiences, more than 90% of coachees that I worked with over the years found the 360 Degree Interview were their ‘eye wider’, they became aware of something about themselves that were new to them. However, there is some soft spot that coach has to be mindful. From the study of American Psychology Association-APA, 360 Degree assessment could do more harm if not executed carefully**
References
*http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/282578/1/Making%20the%20most%20out%20of%20360%20in%20coaching%2010%20March%202008_am_2.pdf
*http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1156&context=managementfacpub
**https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/11/360-evaluations.aspx/