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

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.

- 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

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

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 have been reading numerous articles of late which seem to take a hard position against performance appraisals, condemning them as unpopular and ineffective.

Let's take those arguments in turn; being unpopular isn't a valid argument to dismiss performance appraisals and the review process - their unpopularity is often local to the organisation in how it has sought to implement the process, making it overly bureaucratic, complex and time-sapping.

Besides, "Jedward" conversely are comparatively popular and that certainly isn't an argument in favour of them being 'right'....

I think the same factors which can often make performance appraisals unpopular, also serve to make them ineffective; but again it is a local issue within an organisation.

If organisations implemented a simple performance appraisal process which sat within the context of performance management as a continual cycle, one which offers the best framework for managers to have meaningful conversations with their employees throughout the year, then suddenly performance appraisals provide a key element of communication between line managers and their team.

People are 'feedback poor' and something which genuinely offers an opportunity to give praise, recognition, validation and sincere personal development ideas should be popular; and it remains in my view one of the better means of aligning people with organisational goals, which is how it's effectiveness should be measured.

Our whitepaper available to the right hand side of this blog post, shares out thoughts as to how a popular and effective process can be successfully implemented.

John

Just two months into the New Year, and many of my resolutions have floundered by the wayside; February is a great month for a personal interim performance review!

Rather than castigate myself too much, I took solace in reading this recent post from Psyblog which I always find interesting; it examined some common strategies that people use in trying to achieve their resolutions and goals.

What is interesting is how many of those often well-known and adhered to strategies may actually work against us; for my part, willpower is never enough..!

Still, an interim performance review is there to look at what is going well, what is not going so well, and make the necessary adjustments; time to start sharing my goals and recording the piecemeal progress!

John

With all the different customised performance appraisals solutions we delivered in 2010 and those projects we are about to start in this year, we can see some new trends developing in what organisations want to achieve through the performance review process.

1. There is more and more emphasis on competencies within the process; the desire to assess how people behave as well as what they achieve - furthermore, feedback on these competencies is being solicited from more than just the Line Manager.

2. Longer term development needs and career aspirations are more prevalent in appraisal forms as organisations seek to manage their talent more effectively, retain people and promote from within.

3. There is a greater understanding of how setting objectives is absolutely key in the whole process; poorly set objectives lead to a poor perfomance appraisal process - we are seeing more guidance in this section of the form.

4. There is more attention being given to interim performance appraisals, be they quarterly or more, with some ability to capture achievements and progress in a performance journal or log within the online system all throughout the year.

5. The global nature of many of our clients means that multi-lingual capabilities within our systems is becoming increasingly common and something we have gleaned much experience of in the last few years.

All in all, these snapshot trends show an increasing desire on the part of organisations to really get to grips with the performance management cycle, as they look to satisfy the needs of both the individual and the organisation and make it work for all concerned.

John


 

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

We are delighted to share the news that we are embarking on a new project to deliver a highly tailored online Performance Appraisal solution to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.

The multi-lingual system will look to replicate the WTO performance appraisal forms online and follow their performance evaluation process from setting objectives, through to mid-term reviews and the end-of-year appraisal.

Data will be shared with their Oracle HRMS platform and reports generated within the system to provide management information on status of appraisals, training & development needs, and performance ratings.

It promises to be a very interesting project which will play to our strengths as we create a bespoke performance appraisal solution that is flexible, scalable and easy-to-use.

John

One of the most important aspects of a performance appraisal form is that it tends to be used by manager's as an aide memoire during the annual appraisal meeting.

We can all picture a manager with the performance appraisal form in front of them talking things through with the employee.  We may prefer them to do something different but we'd probably accept that the uncertain manager will use the form as a prop during the meeting.

With this in mind, how we structure the appraisal form; the words we use, and the questions we ask can positively influence the conversation from afar.  We are the experts in performance appraisal, not the manager, so this is our big chance.

For example, by using a simple "look back", "look forward", "plan development" structure we can immediately help the manager to structure their thoughts.  Hopefully they will then review last year's performance, set targets for the coming year and consider what development the individual needs based on last year's performance and this year's targets.

You can follow this approach through into the detail of the form - have in the back of your mind ... "how will the manager use this".


Brendan

A neat little article from the world of sports touching on 360 degree feedback, regarding an award handed out each year by the AFL Player's Association; the MVP Award is given to the player rated most highly by fellow players.

It's a great example of how 'what' is achieved is sometimes only half the story; in aussie football, this may be the statistics that are churned out on kicks, marks, handballs, etc, but as is pointed out in this article, it is "what they do for the team is more value than what the media or supporters understand".

360 degree feedback and peer review allows a broader picture to emerge of where contribution is being made by an individual; it is clear that how people go about their role and tasks is important.

It doesn't have to be intangible either; ones behaviour can radically affect performance, morale, sustainability and resilience within a team, and this is the stuff that gets one through the hard times as well as promoting greater levels of success.

John

Just a reminder to invite you to join us for our next free webinar this Thursday 9th at 2pm BST, entitled "How to successfully implement a performance appraisal process within your organisation."

It is designed to help any HR professionals out there who may be planning to introduce or revise their performance appraisal process:

Details

What to expect

• Understand the critical factors that will ensure success when introducing a performance appraisal process into your business
• Take away a checklist to help you work logically through the implementation process
• Appreciate the key principles that will help you design a great performance appraisal form; Objective setting, Values review, Competency assessments, Score / grade,  Personal development plan 
• Consideration of what a good appraisal meeting looks like for both line manager and employee

Places will be free but limited, so if you would be interested in attending please register in the sign-up box on the right hand side of this blog and we will send you specific details by return.

We look forward to speaking with some of you again soon.

John