"As Chief Executive you are seen as adventurous – someone who encourages risk-taking and does not interfere. You hold an umbrella over us that wards off inclement weather, and we love it."

So said some of my colleagues when they were interviewed by a Mangement Futures consultant as part of my 360-degree review. I had to read it twice, no three times, to savour every word.

As managers we often say that we consider our people to be our greatest asset. And we listen to them. Do we, though, give them enough opportunity to speak their minds about our own performance and in an environment where they feel truly safe?

With 14 years as Chief Executive and several successful appraisals by the chair of our board behind me, why did I commission a 360-degree appraisal? I hope it was because I valued the other people's views of my performance. Or maybe I would have felt a wimp if I had turned down the idea.

Jenny Rogers of Management Futures asked me to give her the names of ten people who worked directly with me. So I gave her the names of our Chair, the senior management team, my secretary and some of our main customers. I then wrote to each of them telling them that I had commissioned the review and asking them to give up to 40 minutes of their time and to contribute honestly. Jenny Rogers then interviewed six of them either in person or by phone. To this day I do not know who they all were.

So far it was plain sailing and pain-free. Then came my appointment at Management Futures to hear the outcome.

On one level I was nervous. I had a high regard for the people whose names I had given. They knew me and the organisation well, and would have spoken honestly and in a safe environment. I was not going to be able to dismiss this report.

Jenny told me that she would not be giving me any ideas of who had said what and that generally only points made by two or more individuals would be included. I knew beforehand that the report would be kept to six pages and that I would have a good hour in which to read it, discuss it and deal with the emotions it would prompt in me.

Yes, there were plenty of compliments about my leadership and often ones that took me by surprise. And there were a good number of calls for changes, or developments as we now like to call them.

No other management exercise has worked as well for me. It reinforced those aspects of my behaviour that prompt effectiveness and it motivated me like nothing else to tackle the behaviour that limited my effectiveness. A year later, after addressing my areas for improvement, I joined Management Futures to offer 360-degree reviews to senior staff, particularly those working in charities.