We often talk about the face-to-face meeting where the 360 degree feedback report is shared with a recipient as being the most important element of the whole process.

We call this the 'debrief' and have discussed before what we feel is the purpose of this session and what constitutes a successful outcome; namely, a higher level of self-awareness and some sense of acceptance of the feedback.

We believe that with this having been achieved, an individual has the inherent ability to decide what needs to change, how they can improve and how they should develop themselves.

This is highlighted again in a recent article in People Management magazine by Sir John Whitmore, who talks about 'high awareness and high responsibility'; as line managers and leaders develop themselves from within through understanding themselves better, they are more able to help their reports in a similar way.

John

Two recent articles supported our own experience over the first 4 months of this year, which is that the use of 360 Degree Feedback is on the rise.

The first cited a recent CIPD survey, "War on Talent?..", which highlighted Leadership Skills as one of the most important skills in meeting business objectives in the coming years (81%).

Despite the fact that L & D budgets are being curtailed, we are still seeing a firm committment to Leadership Development Programmes, as organisations realise that they must allocate their training spend carefully and ensure that they nuture the talent that will navigate them out of the downturn.

A natural precursor to any leadership development is 360 Degree Feedback; it offers an excellent way to get anecdotal evidence of performance and behaviours both pre- and post-programme, and to assess any changes that may have happened as a consequence of the training.

Certainly an article on senior management development at Cable & Wireless in the latest 'Human Resources Magazine' makes reference to this; they use 360 Degree Feedback in combination with the training and various ongoing interventions such as coaching and one-to-ones.

With limited budgets and leadership top of the agenda, it becomes increasingly important to measure the success of any initiative, particularly one where the very future success of the organisation is at stake.

John

We are in the midst of a popular time for annual appraisals at the moment; we see a sudden uplift in interest in creating efficient on-line performance review processes.

As ever, we advise and guide clients as to what good practice looks like when conducting the annual reviews, but increasingly we are having discussions around what should happen in-between the annual reviews....i.e. those 12 months from one review to the next...!

Not unsuprisingly, we suggest that there should be more frequent reviews over the course of the year, coupled with more forward looking conversations about what needs to happen in order for performance to improve.

Invariably for performance to improve, there has to be feedback; there has to be comment on how someone is performing in the moment, in order to raise their self-awareness and enable them to decide to do things differently.

If someone you were coaching was running a marathon and they wanted to achieve their best possible time, how often would you give this feedback? At the end of the race or as they ran?

A good blog post at KnowHR recently on performance reviews, which hgihlighted a recent publication offering a whole series of stock phrases for line managers to use in the annual appraisal.

I can understand the need to support line managers to help them conduct constructive performance reviews, but feel that offering 'phrases to memorise' send out the wrong message.

The review is meant to a process which leads to a meaningful conversation, just as any other conversation should be between an employee and their line manager.

Far better to offer tips, advice and guidance on how to have a meaningful and authentic conversation as two adults then to focus on getting through the process with a 'pick & mix' list

This was a key question at a recent networking event and forum, where the desire was to find a new way to implement performance appraisals and performance management in a way that was productive and engaging.

We often find that when talking to clients about another area of our expertise, namely, 360 degree feedback, that this question of 'Why are we doing this?' is more readily discussed and easier to identify.

This is because the concept of conducting a 360 degree feedback process is a conscious decision for the organisation; it might support a leadership development programme or be part of an assesssment centre initiative - in any case, it is evaluated with a specific purpose in mind.

However, when it comes to performance appraisals, this conversation doesn't always happen, because there are just accepted as 'something we have to do'.

As a consequence, it can become easy to focus on the process and the detail of performance appraisals, without really considering what you hope to achieve with them.

Once there is a clear understanding of what you truly want performance management and appraisals to acheive within the business, ideas as to how you can make them productive and engaging become much easier.

I read a recent article in the Harvard Business Review which made me  reflect on how placing performance appraisals on-line made things easy for everyone concerned, and here's why...

It discussed how lasting behavioural change can often come about through changes to ones environment.

The author described examples from everyday life, where for example, he moved their garden furniture to outside their patio doors rather than in the garden - suddenly where they once aspired to eat outside and enjoy the weather, but didn't because the table and chairs were 'too far down the garden' - they found themselves eating outside all the time....why?

He attributed to the simple fact that it was perceived as being 'easier' to do it....just open the patio doors and sit down!

The act of making the environment more conducive to sitting down outside, made it more likely to happen.

He extends the same observation to work life; if you can make it easier for people to do something, or have them perceive it as being easier, then there is a greater chance of them doing it.

He cites many examples but not unsurprisingly my interest was in the comment regarding making day-to-day tasks simpler by using technology; for us this is the most straightforward argument for on-line performance appraisals - it just makes things easier.

We consistently see improved completion rates, higher levels of engagement, and a more cohesive approach to appraisals because on-line systems make it easier to administer and use.

Given the fact that we have a rapidly growing base of some 30,000 users accessing our on-line performance appraisal and 360 degree feeback systems every day, I was keen to attend the recent Social Networking Forum at Olympia this week.

We have a community of users that already interact with us regularly and with the technology changing at such a fast pace, this ability to listen, engage and respond can only improve.

The media often skew the picture around 'social networking' as being the domain of Facebook or My Space and alike - as a consequence, it can be perceived as something that adds little value to the day-to-day productivity of an employee and subsequently the organisation.

However, the idea of establishing network of individuals who can help each other, pass on knowledge, and experience that relates to their work makes perfect sense.

With some careful forethought, one could establish communities that actually create efficiencies and improve productivity through sharing best practice on many tasks that are common to most organisations; one such area would be performance appraisals.

As with worked with so many different clients, we often share best practice through our discussions as we advise, guide and suggest ways to implement an online appraisal process.

To open up this discussion to a wider audience both within the client organisation or between organisations could help to create a new standard in performance management and appraisals.

Now, let's have a look at this thing called 'Twitter'......!

Enticing a title as it is, with the promise of one key thing to remember in sharing 360 degree feedback reports, there is a grain of truth to it!

Having run another of our one-day training programme, 'Conducting effective 360 degree feedback debriefs', I reflected on what was the key thing that most delegates appeared to take away from the day.

It centered around one of the first topics within the programme, which is to ask 'What is the purpose of the debrief?'; this in turn, has the delegates explore what their role is within the debrief.

The key fact is that the debrief is not a coaching session, although coaching skills may be deployed; similarly, it is not a counselling session, albeit that appropriate support of the individual is required; and finally, it is not a mentoring session, you are not there primarily to offer your insight or experience..

So, what is the purpose of the debrief?

It is to ensure that the recipient comes away with a balanced understanding of the feedback they have been given.

In doing this, you as a debriefer look to raise their level of self-awareness and ensure that there is a degree of acceptance of the feedback.

I think this is best illustrated with the following simple image:


Your role is to primarily allow the recipient to explore the feedback, raise their levels of self-awareness and take responsibility.

It is all too easy to jump over the line too quickly and try to have someone set goals, take actions, etc before they have had that chance to reflect and accept the feedback.

Resist this temptation in the debrief and the indvidual will reap the rewards.

 A recent survey published in Personnel Today highlighted how HR strategy is changing in the current climate with 72% prioritising performance management in businesses where changes were being implemented.

Those organisations that were adapting to the new environment, had shifted their emphasis from recruitment to retention - despite the overwhelming talk of organisations shedding jobs, there is a real effort for many companies to ensure they manage their existing employee base to best effect whilst imposing a recruitment freeze.

This means effective performance management, performance reviews, regular feedback and a need to fully engage employees in order to maximise their contribution and retain them.

The need to identify talent within an organisation, and then to successfully manage, develop & retain that talent should always be a priority; the current situation has simply brought this more sharply into focus.

I recently attended an HR event where the topic was 'Leading HR in a recession'; a key point for me was that accurate employee performance appraisal information was critical in helping organisations through the downturn.

Hard choices will have to be made and priorities decided upon, but they should not be to the detriment of the organisation in the long term.

A way to ensure this is to base decisions upon good objective feedback (360 feedback or otherwise) and objective performance data...or as near to that nirvana as you can get.

Taking a more robust approach to performance management has never been more important as companies may have to face doing more with less.

I recently posted a series of comments on other HR forums which had a common theme regarding what we believed underpinned effective performance management; consequently, it seemed appropriate to post a summary here.

It centered on the ability of an organisation to be able to motivate people to perform - not unsurprisingly, within a sales environment (as one post had realted to), the comments quickly turned to using well thought through commission structures that rewarded 'good' performance.

'Good' performance was seen as being that which resulted in sales and appropriate behaviour that was aligned with the company strategy long-term, rather than sales at any cost.

There is no doubt that reward plays a key factor within motivation of individuals, but as most commentators now conclude, it is but one element.

We suggested a methodical approach to performance management and performance review which tackled performance inhibiting factors from a simpler base level.

We believe that there are a series of 'Enablers' which an organisation must have in place that enable employees to perform to the best of their ability; these would include:

Clarity of job role, responsibilities and expectations - WHAT?
Knowledge and Skills to fufil their job role- HOW?
Clarity of how their job role fits into the 'bigger picture' - WHY?

It is suprising how often we see these 3 factors alone being responsible for underperformance - a lack of clarity and training can leave employees underperforming, despite being well rewarded and keen to do well.

Beyond these, we have a series of key questions that should be asked to determine if other 'Enablers' are in place - such as career development opportunities, line manager feedback, etc.

It is only when many other factors are exhausted, can motivation be truly looked at as something which is down to a level of 'engagement' on the part of the employee, and even then, the dreaded 'He has a poor attitude' factor appears way down the list of contributing factors!

Such questions can be extended beyond just performance reviews, to provide a powerful 'Performance Engagement Survey', which we design for clients to offer a 360 degree appraisal of their whole companys performance capability.

A recent conversation with a client who were unhappy with their annual performance appraisal format reminded me of the critical need to review the appraisal process and the form before any thought is given over to how to implement an online performance review system to enable the process to run more efficiently.

The old adage of 'start with the end in mind' is very apt as always in these situations - for example, consider what data you really wish to capture about your employees and how it will benefit them and the organisation in equal measure.

Often very complex forms can be found with organisations that have developed over time or been lifted from a bank of generic forms, with the result that the form and hence process is viewed negatively by line managers and staff alike.

They see the form and process as irrelevant and counter-intuitive to the role and company they work within, and this will invariably lead to them disengaging from the process.

Sometimes, a simple review of the form and process may yield some great insights; depending on the company culture, you may discover that a simple form with a few free-text comments sections is sufficient at this time - no ratings, complex formula or competencies, just an opportunity to record the thoughts of both the individual and their boss.

And if this gets a meaningful conversation going between them about performance, development and career aspirations, then it's a job well done.

John

Performance Appraisal every day sounds slightly 'nightmarish' in concept to most people, but let's consider it in the context of effective Performance Management.

An appraisal is simply a method of assessing performance; typically this is an annual affair, sometimes with an interim review at the 6 month mark.

Traditionally, it encompasses a review of objectives and progress towards their accomplishment, any obstacles that may be inhibiting performance, learning & development needs in support of meeting goals and career progression, a future look at any new goals, and a final comments section.

Reviewing these elements every day may not be practical, but a review once a week perhaps? Once a fortnight? Once a month? Once a quarter?

I suspect, as with many people I have spoken with, there is an underlying feeling that whilst once a week or fortnight might be deemed excessive or impractical, but that as you consider once a month or quarter, one starts to muse "Hmmm, maybe once a month/quarter would be sensible....perhaps once a year is pretty ineffective..".

No great scientific study to say what is the optimum number of appraisals one should have over the course of the year, just a common sense instinct that tells most of us to say to our team members......"We really should meet more often, you know?".

More of our clients are adhering to this approach of more regular appraisal meetings supported with a simple online form to capture the conversation....as Tesco would say "Every little helps".

When one reflects on the previous year and then comes to make some new resolutions for the coming one, it is a rare person who notices that the same items sometimes crop up on their list, year after year.

Each resolution is usually a desired change in behaviour, as one might wish to commit to after receiving some 360 degree feedback - but changes in behaviour, habit, attitude, etc can take time, not always (and there are methods in making 'step change' in terms of performance/behaviour), but generally it is a commitment to adopt a new habit.

What makes for a succesful change? First, a realisation that the change is required, be that through your own thoughts on the matter or though the feedback of others (or both).

Secondly, there needs to be a real motivation to make the change; considering 'What's in it for me?' is important.

Thirdly, you need to then set in place a series of milestones, goals, tangible measures that keep you on track, with consideration of the resources and support you will need.

This list is not exhaustive, but a start when considering how to support people trying to 'change' their performance at work after receiving their appraisal or 360 feedback.

Help them realise, help them connect to their own reasons for change and, as an organisation, support them as much as you can.

 

I read a very interesting article in the Guardian at the weekend which highlighted a plan announced by the health minister, Ben Bradshaw, to allow patients to rate their GP on an NHS website.

This would allow them to post comments on anything from their 'perceived competence to bedside manner'.

The article outlines the dangers of such an approach, whereby any anonymous person, with invariably little knowledge of good medical practice, could take exception to their treatment.

There is already an established method of appraisal and revalidation of GPs, as part of a mandatory process which ensures they are subject to the scrutiny of peers, supervisors, junior staff and patients where appropriate.

This is based upon a recognised and agreed framework of competencies, with due diligence given to performing a managed 360 degree feedback process, complete with a debrief with the GP/Consultant.

Not suprisingly, we feel this is the best method in which to approach appraisals; carefully implemented and managed with all consideration given to the recipient of the feedback.

Better this way, than a 'open season' on GPs, where any feedback can be posted and given weight - these are real peoples jobs, not game show contestants.

John

 

 

A brief post and slightly personal one which finds me musing on my first day back after an eventful Xmas break about what I might blog this week.

I became a father for the first time over the holidays and the last two weeks have been something of a blur to say the least (I am sure all the 'Dads' out there will be nodding and chuckling to themselves at this point!).

With the sound of baby crys and whimpers ringing in my ears as I headed back to the office, I considered how much 'feedback' I had been given by our new baby during these early days!

Nappy/Diaper changing, rocking, comforting, feeding; thoughout all of these activities, if I wasn't doing it right...I soon knew about it! A baby cries at exactly the right pitch to make you want to do something different to make it stop crying...and fast!

I became very, very fast at changing him....I changed the position, speed and method of rocking time after time, I quickly recognised when he needed feeding or comforting...or both!

This constant performance appraisal helped me to change behaviour, improve my technique, strive to be 'better' at what I was doing..

It has also given me a healthy respect and admiration to those parents who have more than one child....I can only begin to imagine what it would be like to have 360 degree feedback from 2 or 3 bundles of joy!

John

There was a rare moment to pause last week and consider what 2009 holds in store business - given the overwhelming opinion and evidence that organisations will find trading conditions somewhat tougher next year, there will be an inevitable culling of certain training&development spend.

What will remain will invariably be prioritised and spent on development activity which is seen as adding real, immediate value to the business - there will always be an eye on building the long-term capability of the business, but less so at this moment in time.

Developing great leadership capability should always be a focus, and in these times, many of the current leaders will be facing unprecendented change and turbulence, the like of which they haven't seen before in their tenure - in order to succeed, they will need to learn how to deal with this different situation effectively, engage with their employees and steer them through the 'downturn' as painlessly as possible.

Companies will need to carefully assess what leadership competencies, skills and knowledge their require, be that through 360 Degree Feedback or other processes, and develop in a very targeted way.

Similarly, in difficult times, the need to work efficiently and effectively becomes paramount - Line Managers will have to get to grips with performance management and ensure that they are getting the best from their team.

With the wide opinion that managers are lacking in this discipline, some straightforward, 'back-to-basics' performance management and appraisal training would be a useful tactical approach to adopt.

I recently read this interesting blog post that had the author sharing their 360 feedback which was part of a qualification process to the position of Principle/Head Teacher.

It was a clear example of the value which can be derived from such feedback and I noted two key points:

1. ... "However, the real value of this type of exercise is the comments that are left by the respondents"....this is always in our opinion where the true value of 360 feedback can be found - ratings point to where there is an issue to discuss, but the narrative provides the rich detail that allows you to explore what is actually happening.

Which brings us on the second point, which is:

2. Averaging really can lose the truth within the feedback given.

I posted last year on this practice, and it's worth citing the joke again to highlight why averaging doesn't really help:

Three mathematicians were off hunting in the woods one day looking for pheasant - as they saw one nearby, the first mathematician took aim, fired and missed just to the left of the bird. The second mathematician then took aim, fired and missed just to the right of the bird.

At that point, the third mathematician put his gun down, and exclaimed "Well done gentlemen! On average, I think we hit it!".

As I looked at the table of average ratings in this post, it showed the ability for one rater to skew a result and show a seeming 'downturn' in performance.

Much better to see what each different relationship group rated, and ideally how  each  individual rated, so that you can see if there is consensus, polarisation, etc.

We have been running a one-day programme for over a year now which helps our clients conduct effective 360 degree feedback debriefs.

I have spoken about this critical phase of the 360 process before, and how with a new understanding of the actual purpose of the debrief, coupled with some common-sense skills, it can be an invaluable experience for the recipient.

Recently, we have noticed more and more that we are having conversations about how we could similarly help Line Managers in conducting performance reviews.

Not unsuprisingly, as with 360 degree appraisals, an online system is not enough - there has to be a good understanding of what the purpose of the performance review is, and what fundamental skills are required for a constructive outcome.

Without skilful handling, an appraisee may find that an online system has simply made a unproductive process more efficient!

There have been a number of quick polls in various HR magazines, which highlight how organisations feel that their Line Managers are poor at performance management and appraisals; the effect is recorded on the other side of the coin too, with employees feeling that their Line Managers often fall short of their expectations.

With this in mind, we have now decided to complement our online performance review solutions with a new training programme "Conducting Effective Performance Reviews" - as with the 360 programme, it is a one day programme and marries some essential theory with some tailored role-play.

This fits with our ethos that if you can encourage individualsto have meaningful conversations, be they Line Managers with staff, Directors with the organisation or team members with each other, then ultimately better choices can be made and performance can improve.

A quick post to recommend some new, essential reading for anyone involved in or considering 360 Degree Feedback - it has been published this year by the 'Center for Creative Leadership', a pioneer of 360 Degree Feedback and very much an authority with detailed research which helps with the ongoing debate on its use and impact.

The title is "Leveraging the impact of 360 Degree Feedback" by John W Fleenor, Sylvester Taylor and Craig Chappelow.

It is a great addition and couples some new thinking alongside established principles, with supporting case study and research material to illustrate what works and what doesn't.

Look forward to more conversations around this new text very soon.

John