360 Degree Feedback

360-DEGREE FEEDBACK

360-DEGREE FEEDBACK

Background• Contemporary 360-degree methods have roots as early as the 1940s

• 360-degree performance appraisal has historical roots within a military context.

• During the 1950s and 1960s this trend continued in the United States within the Military service academies.

• At the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, the midshipmen used a multi-source process called “peer grease” to evaluate the leadership skills of their classmates.

• During the 1960s and 1970s, organizations like Bank of America, United Airlines, Bell Labs, Disney, Federal Express, Nestle, and RCA experimented with multi-source feedback in a variety of measurement situations.

What is 360 Degree Feedback

Internal Customers

“Boss”

Peers

External Customers

Team Members

Self

Feedback collected from

Using a specially designed tool

Anonymously

360-Degree Feedback

• Provides performance data from multiple points

of reference

• Like a compass, it is a navigational tool

• More powerful, reliable and accurate as

compared to traditional, single source feedback

processes

• The feedback tends to not only be more balanced, but harder to dismiss due to its' broader range of input

• 360° feedback answers three basic questions:– Why should I improve my performance?– What do I need to improve?– How can I improve?

360-Degree Feedback

External Colleagues’/ Customers’ Perception

InternalColleagues’ /

Peers’ Perception

Direct Reports’ Perception

Manager’s Perception

Strengths and development opportunities

How leadership behaviour impacts

on others

Performance against business

competencies

Comparison of self perceptions against those of others

Feedback Input & Report Outputs

360 Degree Feedback:What is and isn’t it?

• Combining meaningful observations from others in the form of feedback.

• It is multi-directional.• It is also self assessment.• Other names

– Multi-rater feedback– Multi-source feedback– Full-circle appraisal– Group performance review

360-Degree Feedback

• Provides well rounded feedback. It is not just feedback

from the supervisor.

• Reduces opportunity for the halo or horn affect.

• Helps team members work more effectively together.

• A great way to understand organizational needs.

• Helps identify developmental needs.

• IS NOT AN EVALUATION

Not just a performance system

…360-degree feedback should be

regarded as an organizational process

rather than a mechanical tool.

How its being used …….

• Leadership development programs.

• Voluntary feedback

• Team assessments

• Organizational Change

• Assessment of training needs

• Assist performance management

Benefits

For the organisation:

• Promotes constructive feedback and open

communication

• Develops a culture of continuous performance

improvement

• Builds leadership/ managerial capability

• Embeds values and expected working competencies

• Can be a powerful trigger for change

• Provides feedback about leadership and

management ‘strength’

Benefits

For the individual:

• Increased self-awareness

• Discovering the blind spots

• Understanding the strengths and opportunities for

development

• Taking ownership and control of own development

• Helps managers to know how to get it ‘right’

Pitfalls

• When used in lieu of performance management, ……• When “laid” on supervisors …………..• When requested of skeptical employees, …..• When not connected to organizational or leadership

strategy, ….• When respondents don’t know how to provide constructive

feedback, ……..• When there is insufficient information, ….. • When the focus is on the negative, ……• When there is workplace overload, ……..• When implemented as fad without systemic support …….• When there is unethical behavior in the organization….

A typical feedback process

Setup Development

Orientation Reassessment

Assessment Interpretation & Planning

Scoring and Reporting

Step 2 – Provider:

• Invites responders

• Collates feedback

• Produces report

How does it work?

Step 1 – Participant:

• Identifies who they want feedback from

• Completes a Self Report

Step 3 – Participant:

• Receives report 4 weeks later

• Reviews Feedback, draws conclusions and produces a Development Plan

Strategies for Success

• Don't force it on people• Explain what it is, what it does, how it's used, and its'

benefits to all concerned, continually• Emphasize confidentiality• Disconnect it from any compensation decisions (raises,

bonuses, etc.) - make it developmental• Provide information on its purpose and process to

assessors• Conduct structured feedback workshops for feedback

recipients• Spend time with those people having difficulty with their

feedback

Strategies for Success (Contd)

• Know the instrument you're using thoroughly

• Provide seamless coordination and support for

distributing and collecting the assessment instruments

• Be trained in how to facilitate a 360° process. There's

more to it than meets the eye.

• Align your 360° process with the organization's culture,

procedures, and practices. Support and reinforce it.

• Make sure your vendor provides back-up support in case

problems occur with the instruments or the process

Why are Companies not adopting 360 degree approach?

• It is time consuming

• Emotional attachment in peers leads to no

proper response.

• Appraises are not ready to take feedback

• In our culture we don't disrespect elders, thus

subordinates never provide negative results.

“360 DEGREE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL”

An outlook

Problems – 360 Degree Appraisal

• Most costly and time consuming type of appraisal.

• Tend to be somewhat shocking to managers at first- described as the "SARAH reaction: Shock, Anger, Rejection, Acceptance, Help".

• The problems may arise with subordinate assessments where employees desire to “get the boss” or may alternatively “scratch the back” of a manager for expected future favors.

• The organization implementing this type of performance appraisal must clearly define the mission and the scope of the appraisal. Otherwise it might prove counter productive.

CASE STUDY:BBC 360 Degree Feedback - Leadership Development, Culture Change

and Organization Development

• What was the client need?

The BBC Making It Happen team, led by Greg Dyke, had identified the need to develop the BBC’s leadership capability. The BBC needed to develop a performance culture and 360 degree feedback was seen as key to underpinning success.

What approach was used?

• As part of the BBC Leadership Strategy Board, I led the planning, development and roll-out of a bespoke 360 degree feedback system and process (BBC 360). This involved leading my team to define the BBC Leadership Competency model (to support the Making it Happen "Lead More, Manage Well" team). We developed an in-house and online bespoke 360 feedback system and trialled the approach around the BBC with willing pilot groups to establish acceptance. The paperless data-collection approach (integrated into the BBC's e-mail and e-learning systems) facilitated very easy administration. We also trained around seventy BBC people to become facilitators around the corporation.

What was the outcome?

• After initial reluctance and suspicion, BBC leaders have now widely accepted BBC 360 as part of the way they work. It was vitally important to ensure that data were kept confidential and every participant receives a one-to-one coaching session with a trained facilitator to get their results. Every BBC leader who attends the BBC Leadership Programme at Ashridge benefits from a feedback session that dovetails into a coaching relationship (these number nearly 4,000 feedback sessions so far). 360 feedback is consistently reported as one of the most valuable aspects of the entire BBC Leadership Programme.

5 things to consider before you start 360 degree appraisal

1. Purpose 1. clarify why and what 2. communicate to everyone.

2. Culture – are you ready? 1. Do you have a mature enough team dynamic? 2. Are you open enough? 3. Those involved need to feel comfortable & supported.

3. Timing of introduction – also link with the planning cycle.

4. Roll out – champion? 1. How to generate buy-in? 2. Involve everyone early.

5. Confidentiality for appraisees and raters – non-attributable.

On Line 360 Degree Feedback

• System• User Requirements• Security• Competency framework and questionnaire• Administering the process• Giving feedback• Receiving feedback• Line managers• Reports

Summary

• If implemented with care and training, 360 degree feedback can be a powerful tool in performance management.

• It can greatly aid in promoting individual and organizational growth.

• If done haphazardly, this form of feedback can be a disaster, taking years to recover.

Thank you and good day …