Places for our forthcoming free seminar, "Successfully Implementing 360 Degree Feedback" have been filling up fast, so this an invitation to register for one of the last remaining 4 spaces!

To register a place & receive your invitation, just click below:

 

Go to seminar registration page - 4 spaces remaining

 

By the end of this seminar, you will: 

 

We really do hope you can join us for what promises to be a great morning!

 

Go to seminar registration page - 4 spaces remaining

 

Many Thanks

 

John

Our popular series of 360 degree feedback seminars continues, so  we would like to invite you to reserve one of the limited number of places at our next free seminar on May 31st 2012, which is being held at:

 

Institute of Directors

123 Pall Mall

London

SW1Y 5ED

 

To register a place & receive your invitation, just click below:

 

Go to seminar registration page

 

By the end of this seminar, you will: 

 

We really do hope you can join us for what promises to be a great morning!

 

Go to seminar registration page

 

Many Thanks

 

John

We are often asked what are the key components that make for great 360 degree feedback within an organisation and know that everyone loves a 'tips list'...so here is our '3 steps to great 360 feedback' list!

 

 

 

For those who may have missed our recent webinar, "Successfully Implementing 360 Degree Feedback", this is now available for download via the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/87b46v7

The webinar focuses on four key elements of 360 degree feedback implementation, namely:

• Design of the competency frameworks, questionnaire, and rating scale
• Understanding the different type of 360 reports; what works when
• How to build the case for 360; getting senior level 'buy-in'
• How to share the feedback report in the one-to-one debrief session

In addition, we demonstrate an online 360 degree feedback system to show how easily recipients, respondents and administrators can engage in the process if correctly designed. 

Hope you enjoy it and welcome any feedback or questions you may have. 

John

Further to our announcement a few weeks back, this live event is now open for self-registration via our Eventbrite page; link below:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/3008970913

The webinar will focus on four key elements of 360 degree feedback implementation, namely: 

• Design of the competency frameworks, questionnaire, and rating scale
• Understanding the different type of 360 reports; what works when
• How to build the case for 360; getting senior level 'buy-in'
• How to share the feedback report in the one-to-one debrief session

In addition, we will be demonstrating an online 360 degree feedback system to show how easily recipients, respondents and administrators can engage in the process if correctly designed.

We look forward to welcoming some of you to the session; many thanks.
John

Here are the details of our first live event this year; an online webinar outlining how to successfully implement 360 degree feedback :

Date: 6th March 2012
Time: 2pm GMT
Duration: 45 minutes

The webinar will focus on four key elements of 360 degree feedback implementation, namely: 

• Design of the competency frameworks, questionnaire, and rating scale
• Understanding the different type of 360 reports; what works when
• How to build the case for 360; getting senior level 'buy-in'
• How to share the feedback report in the one-to-one debrief session

In addition, we will be demonstrating an online 360 degree feedback system to show how easily recipients, respondents and administrators can engage in the process if correctly designed.

If you are interested, then please click on the 'Get in Touch' button opposite and register your details; in the field which says 'My project is...' just add the word 'Webinar'.

You will then receive an email requesting you to confirm your interest. just click on the link within this, and we will then send out joining instructions for the 'Gotomeeting' webinar session.

We look forward to welcoming some of you to the session; many thanks.

John

Here is a rather comprehensive blog post from David K Schneider which takes a balanced view of 360 degree feedback, describing the various possible outcomes as 'Heaven', 'Hell' and 'Purgatory'; nice analogies!

I found myself nodding at numerous points throughout this piece, particularly those which picked up on how if a 360 feedback project becomes an 'I.T. solution' to be implemented, then something is going to awry.

It's all too easy sometimes to put in the hard miles at the beginning of a project; taking time to design a behavioural questionnaire that is relevant and resonant, communicating the process clearly and consistently, and implementing an online system which creates an easy-to-use process, before faltering at the end with poor training of debriefers or failing to ensure that recipients are adequately supported when absorbing their feedback.

Heaven is in reach, Purgatory is avoidable, and Hell is a painful lesson.

John

Our new website now really captures our philiosophy of what we believe makes for success in the context of a 360 degree feedback project; the idea of working backwards through 5 key steps.

1. Working backwards means starting with the end in mind; starting with the clear intention of ensuring there is a meaningful conversation at the end of the process in the face-to-face debrief above all else.

2.  The debriefer needs to be skilled enough to conduct such a conversation; willing to explore and be curious, offering challenge and support in equal measure.

3.  A report prompts a meaningful conversation when it displays ratings and comments in an insightful way; an individual should be able to quickly grasp what the feedback is relaying.

4.  Enabling this to happen efficiently should be a simple, customised, quiet online system designed to fit your organisation.

5.  A relevant, resonant and well designed questionnaire is an underlying key element; it should reflect your organisation - it's culture, values, and strategic direction.


If you want to know more, then take a look at the new website; there are free seminars, whitepapers and system demonstrations available to help you work through the process from end-to-end and ensure the best outcome for your 360 feedback process.

John

We recently ran our seminar 'Successfully implementing 360 degree feedback' in London and have been asked by a number of people who couldn't attend if we could present this by way of a webinar, so here are the details!

Date: 8th December 2011
Time: 2pm GMT
Duration: 45 minutes

The webinar will focus on four key elements of 360 degree feedback implementation, namely:

• Design of the competency frameworks, questionnaire, and rating scale
• Understanding the different type of 360 reports; what works when
• How to build the case for 360; getting senior level 'buy-in'
• How to share the feedback report in the one-to-one debrief session

In addition, we will be demonstrating an online 360 degree feedback system to show how easily recipients, respondents and administrators can engage in the process if correctly designed.

If you are interested, then please click on the 'Get in Touch' button opposite and register your details; in the field which says 'My project is...' just add the word 'Webinar'.

You will then receive an email requesting you to confirm your interest. just click on the link within this, and we can then send out joining instructions for the 'Gotomeeting' webinar session.

We look forward to welcoming some of you to the session; many thanks.

John

We are really pleased to announce the release of our newly revised edition of our 360 degree feedback whitepaper - "Successfully Implementing 360 Degree Feedback; a guide for HR professionals".

This edition offers a fresh perspective on the end-to-end process involved in undertaking 360 feedback in any organisation and is a practical, comprehensive look at the steps required to ensure any such project is a success.

From planning and design of competency frameworks, questionnaires and reports, through to communication, training and face-to-face debriefs, this handbook will help HR professionals, Learning & Development partners, HR/Management consultancies, and coaches approach a project with confidence.

Critically in a completely new section, we evaluate the importance of 360 reporting; the different types you can consider and what works best and when.

To support the release of this new whitepaper, we are also running a free seminar on this topic tomorrow, Wednesday 12th October, in London; for details, simply register in the sign-up box in the right-hand column of the blog or on the website.

We hope you enjoy this new edition; if you are already registered with us then you won't be able to subscribe to again, so just drop an email to me at john@bowlandsolutions.com and I will forward a copy directly.

Look forward to seeing some of you at the seminar tomorrow.

John

We often work with 360 degree feedback clients in creating their competency frameworks from first principles; taking their strategy, stated values, desired culture and any other relevant material together in order to capture what they deem important to the future success of the business.

Ultimately a series of competency headings and behavioural indicators emerge which form the basis of their 360 degree questionnaire; at a very pragmatic level, the behavioural indicators need to satisfy at least 4 criteria:

• Essence; do they successfully capture the essence of what is desired?
• Language; is the language suited to the organisation?
• Simplicity; will the statement be easily understood by all potential respondents?
• Observable; does the indicator highlight an observable behaviour?

We would add that sometimes a fifth condition should be met, and that is 'Inspiring'; does the statement offer something for one to aspire to?

360 feedback has the possibility to not just provide feedback for individuals in support of their development, but to help shift organisational cultures; it's worth taking time on the questions.

John

I was checking something today and noticed that we had roughly 1000 360 degree feedback appraisals completed yesterday in our system.   It made me think.  If those had to be sent out on paper, I'd guess they would be 5 pages long;  3-4 questionnaire pages including open format questions and some sort of instruction page.  So, 5000 pages.  That is a lot of paper.

The great god google states that it takes one tree to create 8,333.3 sheets of paper (the sort of accuracy that some of our competitors generate from their 360 reports!).  Add in some people looking at their reports online rather than printing them and a good dollop of performance appraisal forms that we had completed yesterday as well and I suspect it is a tree's worth of paper.  Sort of interesting.

Brendan

We've been doing a lot of translating recently.  Both translating our 360 degree feeedback system and our performance appraisal service.  This reflects us gaining new clients that operate on a worldwide basis and also that some of our existing clients are broadening the reach of their system.

Generally our clients have English as their business language with much of their internal documents and meetings written or held in English.  So, why translate the 360 feedback and performance appraisal?

I certainly do not believe that they should be translated as a matter of course.  It adds a complexity and level of work that should only be undertaken where it is justified.  However, in many cases translating is beneficial.  Here's why.

Most organisations spend a great deal of time gettiing the wording right on their competency framework, questionnaire or performance appraisal form.  Much time is spent getting the precise nuance right.  Where this is the case, often someone working outside of their native language is going to struggle to pick up this nuance. 

One sensible option or compromise is to only translate the 360 questionnaire or the performance appraisal form.  Leave the main body of the system in English if all of those participating are used to working in English day-to-day.  The key element of the process - the completing of the form or questionnaire is then completed in the individual's native language ensuring the feedback is accurate and as required.

An additional point is that it is important to translate into your organisations' language as well as the country language.  One person's performance appraisal is another's annual review.  We translate first into the language (e.g. Spanish) and then we translate into the words that are relevant for the client.

Brendan

Hal Varian, Google's chief economist, is quoted as saying that "Data are widely available, what is scarce is the ability to extract wisdom from them".  I'm focusing heavily at the moment on debriefing 360 degree feedback and the 360 degree feedback report.  For both an upcoming seminar, and a new whitepaper, I'm looking to fine tune our thoughts around how we make best use of a 360 feedback process.

The current line of thinking is to consider how data becomes information becomes knowledge/wisdom.  The 360 feedback questionnaire generates data.  Our challenge is to take that data and produce information from which the recipient gains knowledge.  Along the way we have to avoid the dangers of losing information or of forming unwise conclusions.

The report and the conversation around the report is where the transformation happens and where best practice can lead to the best knowledge outcomes.

You can register for our 360 feedback seminar by clicking here.  If you are interested in our white papers then subscribe here - you would then automatically receive the white paper described above as it is produced.


Brendan

I have just completed a series of posts on 360 degree feedback.  You can get those posts through our white paper which brings the content together in an orderly fashion.  Click here if you want that white paper.

Alternatively, I have collated the posts below so that you can read a particular one at your leisure - just bookmark this page and pick the one of interest.

Planning a 360 degree appraisal process
360 degree feedback checklist
Designing your 360 degree feedback solution
Checklist for a 360 degree appraisal report
Competency framework design for 360 degree feedback
Competency framework rules of thumb
How to write a competency framework
Checklist for creating a 360 degree appraisal questionnaire
360 degree feedback rating scale
Choosing an online 360 degree feedback system
Communication as part of a 360 degree appraisal project
The 360 degree feedback debrief session


Brendan

The rating scale in 360 degree feedback can be oddly contentious.  Everyone has an opinion.  Here is our view based on a lot of experience (which of course makes us right !)

How many rating points?

We recommend as few as possible.
Keep it simple. Our standard scale would be 3 points plus 'not applicable'. So; Strength, Competent, Development Area would be a great scale. We work with longer scales but we find that they add complexity more than they provide information.

Should there be a middle point?

Yes.
We know the fear - everyone will score in the middle (the Veblen effect). But they don't - really, they don't. And often people have a "she's fine", "ambivalent", "mixed feelings" type
response that they want to give. Forcing them to go positive or negative creates a false response.

Is “not applicable” allowed?

Yes.
You might call it something else : "no evidence"? But in 30 or so questions we have to expect some people to just not know.  Now - most importantly, you should review the responses to questions to ensure that questions are not overloaded with N/A responses - or that one group of respondents are answering in this way. If they are then the question requires rewording or removing.

The words : We favour scales such as "Strength", "Development Area" rather than "Often","Sometimes".

The latter scale, citing frequency, are however effective and really this is just personal preference. I find that the behaviours read better as a statement rather than as a question and this fits with a statement based rating scale. What I would avoid at all costs is
a numerical rating scale.

Overall thoughts

The rating scale in 360 degree feedback is less important than people make it - I believe that respondents look at it initially to get a feel for where to place their mark but really they are providing graduated feedback more than specific.

When debriefing though you do tend to use the rating scale as part of the language - and for that reason we concentrate on how the report will look when we are designing the rating scale rather than how it appears in the questionnaire.

Want to read more?  Download our 360 degree appraisal white paper.


Brendan

A 360 degree feedback questionnaire falls out of your competency framework.  Here are our rules of thumb for your questionnaire.

• Between 20 and 40 questions is about right
• Usually we see these as groups of 3-5 questions per competency
• Adding a narrative question for each competency is normally the right way to go.
• Consider whether every group of people can answer every question. If not, then exclude the questions from that group. So, peers may answer a subset of the overall question set for example (and so reduce the burden upon them).
• It can be useful to have a question (or even 2 or 3) at the end of the 360 that asks people to give broader feedback or cover points they would like to make
• Questions should be brief, clear and unambiguous, and describe an observable behaviour
• If you have people for whom English is not their first language then we would recommend translation of the questions. You probably don't need to translate the whole system but the nuance of questions matters

Questionnaire design can be a technical area - but if you stick to relatively short, clear questions then you can avoid issues that can flow from having complex overlapping questions which ask about more than one behavior.  As ever, simplicity is crucial in 360 degree feedback.

Brendan

Continuing this series of posts on how to get a 360 degree feedback project up and running, let's look at the design phase.

The design phase covers reports, competencies, and questionnaire design. We try to start with the report – by doing so, you recognise that it is the output of the process that is important. 

The competencies are very important, but if you start with how the report will be structured, it focuses the mind on how these competencies will be used.

One of our key principles is that 360 degree appraisal is a method of consolidating feedback rather than averaging it; consequently, this influences everything we do so let me spend a little time on it.

360 is useful when it describes to you the range of responses that your colleagues give against observable behaviours. That some people think you are a star at delegating while two of your direct reports find your approach troublesome, is the value of 360.
So, only create scores or averages where they give value rather than obscuring information.

Second, we believe that narrative feedback offers the richest information - the rating scales simply tell you where to look. Anyone who has given 360 feedback will tell you that the comments that raters provide give you the evidence and narrative that explains or gives context to the behavioural scoring.

With these principles in mind, in my next post I'll draw out the detail of how we go about designing the report (competencies and questions will follow later).

(This series of posts are excerpts from our 360 degree appraisal white paper).

Brendan