I was in the US last weekend. I was working hard in the Florida Keys!
Whenever I travel to the US a number of things strike me. Let's take the easiest example: the different approach to service. Waiting staff in the US are different - the norm is different. Refilling your coffee, providing iced water, being attentive are all the norm. Of course, leaving a tip is also a norm!
We can all see these differences - many things better, some not - but what I love about travel is that it challenges your own norms and perceptions.
It is very easy to keep on doing the same thing. Setting the same goals/targets each year in your performance appraisal. Asking 360 feedback questions that are asking "do you behave in the same as we always have done". But to challenge yourself, you need to see a change in behaviour - a different norm.
Not everything is better of course - I had a breakfast where an omelette was placed inside a croissant! - but rather than just doing the same thing a bit faster isn't real improvement.
Next time we're working on a performance appraisal form or a 360 feedback questionnaire I'll be reminded that the aim of these exercises is to help improvement not just repeating the norm.
Brendan
The short answer to this is 'with care' - We have had a spate of new performance appraisal projects with clients who interestingly have all requested integrated 360 degree feedback.
This is nothing new in itself but the frequency of the requests is intriguing and perhaps suggests a groundswell in the belief that assessing performance against objectives, identifying learning & development needs, and setting objectives going forward, is not enough.
Defining desired organisational behaviours and soliciting feedback on these is an essential element of any effective performance management process.
The key to success in bringing together the outputs of both the performance appraisal and the 360 feedback into a meaningful conversation is to clearly recognise what they are designed to do; appraisal on the 'what' and 360 on the 'how'; appraisal for evaluation, 360 for development.
Sometimes just keeping the conversations separate and giving equal importance to both can be all it needs.
John
A topic we often discuss with clients is where the responsibility should lie with regard the 360 degree feedback debrief; this being the face-to-face session where the recipient explores and discusses their 360 feedback report.
We would say ideally that the debrief should be conducted by someone outside of that person's line management; this could be someone from HR, L & D or someone external to the company, with the caveat that whomever it is should be suitably skilled/trained.
However, we recognise that this is not always practically possible; the internal resources within HR and L & D just cannot dedicate the time required to take all recipients through a 90 minute debrief, and the budget doesn't stretch to external facilitation.
So it falls to the line manager, which prompts the question; how should a line manager debrief a 360 degree feedback report? The first answer must be again, with skill; line managers need to be effectively trained to conduct such a debrief conversation.
The challenges for line managers in conducting debriefs are numerous; their feedback is in the report, they can find it hard to switch from 'performance review' mode, they can find themselves jumping in with solutions to development areas which haven't been fully explored.
Line managers need to step back within a debrief; their role is to be curious, ask questions which raise awareness not ask for rationale, listen intently, trust in the recipient and not jump to resolution.
It's a different mode of thinking and a significant 'gear shift' downwards; only for 90 minutes, but it can make the world of difference to the outcome.
John
The latest news regarding the Department of Education (DoE) new approach to underperforming teachers is slightly depressing; it is introducing measures which will allow them to be sacked within a term.
I don't dispute that underperformance is an issue in any organisation and in teaching the effects of such poor performance can have far reaching consequences for the pupils and the school.
However, in a similar vein to the argument for 'Protected Conversations' (a post on this can be read here), the response of Government seems to be weighted in favour of punitive measures rather than a desire to improve the situation i.e. find a way sack employees more easily, remove the red-tape that binds employers, etc.
Michael Gove speaks of headteachers being able to intervene when there are 'alarm bells ringing and red lights flashing' over a teacher's incompetence; I think it's rare that incompetence is truly the root cause, more likely it is weak management, poor training, lack of support, systemic issues, absence of regular feedback and confidence.
A mindset which believes that there is a lot of incompetent teachers out there will reach for the solutions we are seeing implemented by the DoE, but it misses the opportunity to introduce real measures which will help teachers improve where there is underperformance, which has to be a better alternative to sacking them.
John
I really recommend reading the following article in a New Zealand online website
www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/6195646/The-myth-of-team-culture . It is well written and well though through. At first read, the author is so convinced of his own view that you find yourself agreeing with him. And even on the second or third read I did find myself wondering whether 360 degree feedback really is useful for team sports.
The ultimate issue I have with the article is that it falls for a classic "either or" structure. In summary he says
either you have sportsmen (forgive me following his male assumption!) taking responsibility on the field
or you have people working to develop performance goals, team culture, or consider the mental side of the game. He sees these as conflicting goals. I believe you can have both.
It strikes me that regular performance reviews and regular feedback sessions (360 degree feedback in this context really is just having team feedback sessions I'd guess) are sensible parts of delivering a high performing team. That underneath this process each team member is responsible for their own contribution and performance fits well with such work not against it.
So, while I sympathise with some of his general sentiments of overly pampered sports stars I don't subscribe to the argument that working on teamwork, having well defined goals, and working on the team culture works against high achievement.
Clive Woodward's autobiography/book on England winning the World cup (Winning!) and the excellent book "Sacred Hoops" by Phil Jackson; coach of Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers show how great coaches and leaders balance team management, leadership and culture with letting great individuals thrive.
Brendan
We would first like to wish all our readers, colleagues, partners and clients a Happy New Year and hope that you enjoyed a restful break.
With our New Year resolutions, comes a new website which offers us the opportunity to share much more about 360 degree feedback and performance appraisal in 2012.
- As ever, we have interesting free whitepapers to download around the topics of implementing both 360 feedback and performance management processes from end-to-end; our 360 whitepaper in particular has complete new sections on 360 reporting which is a critical element of the whole experience.
- In addition, you can now request online system demonstrations of both our 360 degree appraisal and performance review solutions; just register your details with a preferred date and we will come back to you with available times.
- Similarly, with the ongoing success of our seminar and webinar series, we have now provided a registration page such that anyone can reserve a place at these and be informed in advance of general release.
We look forward to speaking and meeting with many more of you this coming year and thank you for your continued interest and support; Happy New Year!
John
A final post before the year end to wish all of our clients, partners, associates, colleagues, friends and readers a peaceful Xmas and New Year.
It's been a significant year for us here at Bowland; many new & interesting 360 degree feedback and performance appraisal projects, the deepening of our relationships with existing clients, and the introduction of new training programmes to support our work.
We have enjoyed presenting our thoughts through this blog and other online communities, publishing new whitepapers, delivering keynotes to the CIPD & other HR networking groups, as well as continuing our series of live seminars and webinars.
Thanks to all of you who took the time to read, listen, talk to us and work with us; we look forward to sharing more next year and to embarking on some new projects with many more of you in 2012.
Merry Xmas
All the team at Bowland Solutions
We often talk around the heart of our business ethos relating to how we wish to encourage organisations to focus on the meaningful conversation between employee and their line manager at performance appraisal time or as the culmination of a 360 feedback process.
A good read is
'Authentic Conversations' by Jamie Showkier and Maren Showkier which feeds much into this ethos and offers a way for organisations to change culture through conversation.
Many things stand out as great pointers to how this might come about; the adoption of a mindset which recognises the freedom of choice in others, the intention to move from manipulation to engagement, and how conversations should move away from trying to get compliance and towards committment or engagement.
Performance management is the primary vehicle of communication between a line manager and their team and can drive this engagement; each conversation can build comittment or try to reinforce compliance in others.
With the right intention the right techniques can do wonders; conducting a well structured performance appraisal is a good start but it has to be coupled with a sincere desire to treat people as adults who make a choice to offer their committment.
John
Just a brief visit to CIPD in Manchester this year proved a worthwhile opportunity to catch up on what is happening within the industry and both 360 degree feedback and performance appraisal were very visible.
In fact there was a lot around assessment, diagnostics, evaluation, appraisal, talent metrics and alike; the continued ascent of online, web-based, SaaS and Cloud software is fuelling lower cost and easy to deploy solutions.
Whilst this is all good, the challenge for providers of such software solutions is to ensure that they don't obscure what's really important in all of this, meaningful conversations, face-to-face interaction, literally 'the human touch'; efficiency is one thing, effectiveness is the goal.
John
Despite being a runner of some 25 years, my second visit to the physio proved again that simply raising ones awareness about performance, as we often seek to do through feedback and performance appraisal, can have profound effects.
I had thought my running style quite good; frankly putting one leg in front of the other can't be that demanding to think about can it? However, as I started to run on the treadmill and have my running style assessed, the phyiso started to ask me about my 'cadence'.
I had never heard of this in the context of running; but of course as you reflect for a moment you realise that of course there is a rhythm, a beat, as your feet repeatedly land and take your forward.
Well mine was 143...and apparently all professional runners tend to have a cadence of around 180; this isn't groundspeed, just the number cycles your legs/feet make as you move.
My cadence was putting an undue strain on my calves and tendons, hence the problem I was seeking to resolve; now with a new awareness and new cadence (which to be fair made me feel a little like a keystone cop furiously pedalling my legs), I could feel immediately the difference.
Now out running for the first time again in many months, my new awareness though a review of my performance (or performance appraisal...!) has created a change; I have a new alternative, a new perspective, and a desire to develop and improve my running times, because I now know how.
Again and again, if you simply ask people what they notice about one way of doing things and then ask again what they notice with a new way of doing things...they are savvy enough to make the choice.
John
This is the final piece of the CIPD presentation I made earlier this year relating to how to create a better performance appraisal process and more 'feedback rich' organisation; the first two elements regarding
'Context' and
'Mindset' have been covered in earlier posts.
Duncan Brown of the Institute of Employment Studies (IES) makes
excellent reference in his article regarding performance management as to how, despite good intention and ambition, organisations fail through poor practice and delivery.
We might have set the importance of feedback in the context of performance management correctly and adopted the right frame of mind as we come to do it, but without a process which is easy to implement and follow, organisations will fail to create something sustainable.
Case studies revealed some success with a performance management, performance review and feedback process which:
- Clearly linked to the organisation's purpose and against a broad scorecard of performance.
- Had a focus on the reviewing line managers who have to implement the process HR design.
- Concentrated on the conversation; benefits of a strength-based approach to performance conversations and reviews, building on employees' strengths and energy levels.
Considering all the three elements of context, mindset and process, as one comes to design and implement a performance appraisal project, is a useful guide to help increase success and longevity.
John
Recent
news report on Nick Clegg declaring the Government's desire to help employers tackle the fear of employee/employer tribunals, by creating 'protected conversations' which are ineligible in such proceedings.
Taking aside the fact as to whether it will indeed help remove supposed tiresome 'red-tape' for companies and fuel economic growth, it seems like an idea ripe for abuse, potentially by employers and employees alike.
There is no doubt that underperforming employees can be a serious drain on an organisation, but often ineffective line management can be the critical underlying element.
Open and honest communcation between employees and their line managers is needed all the time, as part of the ongoing cycle of performance management, performance appraisals and continuous feedback, not just when things can be taken 'off-the-record'.
Such a device could serve to undermine the relationship between an individual and their boss, as well as hiding potentially poor line management skills and lack of confidence.
John
In a previous post I referenced a CIPD presentation which I had delivered on the importance of feedback in the workplace and how it underpinned employee engagement and hence improved organisational performance.
There were 3 key elements to consider; context (which was covered in the previous post), mindset and process/model.
Let's take the second element, mindset; what makes for the right mindset when approaching performance appraisals?
If you believe it to be a waste of time, an awkward conversation where you chastise a direct report, and largely ineffective, then it will be all of those things and more.
Shifting your mindset to one which is more constructive is a big step, in any endeavour, and for performance appraisals we would suggest the following checklist as a starting point:
1. Research has shown that those managers who have a genuine interest in the wellbeing, performance and development of their direct reports, and thereby enjoying closer relationships, are better able to enhance engagement within individuals.
2. With closer relationships, founded on trust, more open & honest conversations can emerge.
3. Conversations are two-way, and performance appraisals should be just that; a dialogue not a diatribe.
4. Conversations are ongoing and build on each other; performance appraisal is a continuous and ongoing cycle of conversations, not a singular event.
5. The nature of the conversations are centered around feedback, based on evidence, and with a genuine desire to help an individual to learn and develop.
This checklist is by no means exhaustive but helps focus the mind on the individual and the conversation rather than a process to be completed.
More to follow; if there is interest in the whole CIPD seminar and a desire to run it with your own team or group then do let me know.
John
Never one to underplay the power of 360 degree feedback (!), this
Green Left article highlights how psychopathic traits are more likely found in corporate managers than the general population.
Through a study by University of British Columbia, including close scrutiny of performance reviews and 360 degree feedback of a selection of individuals identified as management material, it was revealed that on a test looking at psychopathic traits, they were 20 times more likely to exhibit these then the general population.
Heart warming stuff; that lack of empathy you keep noting in your line manager is the very thing which got them to the top...
John
This was a key question at a recent client meeting, 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.
John
I read a post some time ago on the Harvard Business Review Blog which came to mind again recently - it provides examples of how behaviour is sometimes changed for the positive through simple changes in the environment.
This is one of the themes which runs through the book 'Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness', a book written by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, which suggested in a variety of different situations that influencing social norms or behaviour in groups can be closely correlated to changes in the environment - a simple example being the placement of healthy snacks by a till rather than chocolate.
Making things easy for people to do, or at least creating the perception of things being easier to do, can create some significant changes in behaviour.
For HR and an organisation as a whole, there is a desire to have employees complete their performance appraisals; with a paper-based process, this can be an onerous task for everyone involved.
Moving to a simple, fast and efficient on-line system has both employees and line managers able to undertake this task without having that sinking feeling that comes with wading through mountains of paperwork.
This is the most straightforward argument to migrating these processes on-line, and that's even before you consider the ability to view real-time reports on employee performance and development needs across the organisation.
John
News reports of a possible 'double dip' recession, with all the hand wringing and mud slinging that go with it, does raise an often thorny yet important issue for all organisations.
Accurate employee performance appraisal information is critical in helping organisations through a 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 an objective, fair but more robust approach to performance management has never been more important as companies may have to face doing more with less.
John
If, like most organisations consistently report, both Line Managers and employees are unhappy about the quality (and sometimes quantity) of performance appraisals, then the answer may very well be 'Yes'.
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 appraisal is there for, it's essential role within the wider context of performance management, 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 now regularly complement our online performance appraisal solutions with a new training programme "Conducting Effective Performance Appraisals" - 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 individuals to 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.
John
There are more and more articles
focussed on the new generation of graduates and school leavers entering work, often termed 'Generation Y' employees, and the implications on Performance Appraisals and Performance Management.
Despite making me feel very old, although falling somewhere just within the 'Gen X' bracket, the article did make some interesting points that highlight how a convergence of familiarity with technology coupled with a desire to have regular feedback, means that 'Gen-Y'ers' will expect a very different kind of management in the future.
It will become less and less acceptable to sit down at the end of the year and conduct a single 'Annual Appraisal'; already we are seeing our clients implementing 'Interim Reviews', 'Project Reviews' and alike, which happen throughout the year.
The transition to online performance review systems will make this process infinitely more easy than a paper-based process, and employees will expect this to become the norm, especially when technology is so prevalent in other areas of their life.
Taking this further, the ability to have web-based applications accessible from anywhere, is leading our performance appraisal solutions to now offer a 'Performance Journal' or 'Activity Log' which acts as a simple open document which both an individual and their line manager can complete throughout the year.
They add activities, acheivements, thoughts, apsirations, so that when they come to complete the necessary annual appraisal form, it is no longer a chore but simply an opportunity to reflect and easily consolidate into a better representation of their work during the year.
Gen-Y'ers will help line managers re-evaluate how they should properly performance manage for organisational success.
John
I recently compiled this list on the basis of my experience with a few clients we have successfully supported in getting their own 360 degree feedback programme underway:
- Support the Process with Trained People
An area where I often see 360 degree feedback, and other forms of appraisal, fall over is when the process is not fully supported. The most successful are when the raters, recipients and debriefers all receive training on the role that they need to play..
- If it’s Complicated They Won’t Do It
Implementing any new process in an organisation is fundamentally a ‘change initiative’ and as such you need to take all possible steps to make the process easy for people to adopt. To overcome this, tailor the system as much as possible to the organisation, including not too many questions, wording that the user can relate to and plenty of opportunity for free-text replies. But most of all, make it self explanatory and the system very easy to use.
- The Aim is to Move Forwards – Not Just Find Out Where You Are
Always remember why you are doing a 360 degree feedback. At the end of the day, it is to use the information to develop individuals so that tangible improvements can be made to business performance.
The best way to do this is to repeat the cycle after the training, coaching or other such intervention, so that you can accurately assess the change, improvement and impact of the process.
- Follow Through
Some companies conduct 360 degree appraisals and but do nothing with the results. Success is created by reacting quickly to the training needs, publishing clear learning and development plans and, put quite simply, getting on with making improvements as soon as you have the results.
If nothing happens staff engagement will decrease next time. Do something positive and the benefit of appraisals will soon gather momentum across the whole organisation.
- Tell Everyone What’s Going On
When you introduce or move to an online 360 degree system it can raise questions in people’s minds. Why is our company deciding to do it this way? What’s changed? How’s this going to affect me personally?
Have a plan for clear, regular communication and open channels for everyone to ask their questions. It will improve the overall success and the benefits you enjoy as a business.
John
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