360-Degree Assessment Part 3: The Role of the Participant
In the previous article, 360-Degree Assessment Part 2: Planning and Preparation, it was discussed that there are certain things that the 360-degree feedback organisers should communicate to the participants. The participant is both the assessor and the assessed, and there are principles that apply to both these roles that require serious consideration. This article tells the story of the participant involved in a 360-degree feedback process.
The Informed Participant
The company announces that a 360-degree feedback round will be rolled out. Participants will be invited to learn more about the nature and the purpose of the 360-degree assessments. They should study any material provided, attend presentations, and even consult a senior member with questions if necessary. Participants are encouraged to fully comprehend that the feedback is for the purpose of performance development and company growth. Individual strengths as well as weaknesses are measured for this purpose. It is not a performance appraisal. Performance is not measured through numeric results. It is a qualitative feedback method where measurements are drawn from the opinions of various people. Individuals are not being reviewed for an increase, promotion or retrenchment.
The Participant Giving Feedback
Constructive feedback is different to harsh criticism. Participants should give descriptive answers to survey questions. Vague statements and ambiguous phrasing are often open to misinterpretation. Words, statements or idioms carrying negative connotations could be viewed as disrespectful by the assessed person. An assessment should be approached considering the principles of respect, integrity, maturity and good intensions.
Participants will be chosen from a sample of various persons to give feedback on a given individual. Being well acquainted with an individual gives that feedback the credibility of accuracy and fairness. If a chosen assessor should feel unfamiliar with the behaviour, performance and skills of the person they are tasked to assess, he or she will have to indicate this. Such persons should never feel pressured to complete a survey if they don’t have the knowledge to complete it fairly. Every survey question should have the option of “unfit to answer”. Choose this option before you start thumb-sucking.
Self-Assessment
There is no point in individuals underrating themselves or overrating themselves when doing a self-assessment. The truth about their behaviour will be reflected in the feedback given by others in any case. An important part of the survey is to determine the level of correspondence between the views that others hold of them and the views that they hold of themselves. Knowing your own weaknesses, and accepting that there are areas in which you could use some help, will make the acceptance of a development program so much easier. There is no such thing as the perfect employee. There is always room for growth and improvement.
The Survey System
All the principles of web usability, a concept dealt in previous articles, apply to the 360 survey system in a very serious way (see Website Usability Part 1: User Behaviour Explained, and Website Usability Part 2: Navigation Design). A successful 360 needs a good usable survey system. This system must accommodate the following:
Discomfort
Do not underestimate the fact of the 360 being a potentially stressful experience. People are thinking talking and writing about each other; about personal characteristics, personal skills, abilities, shortcomings, defects etc. It’s bound to make tensions rise. The process could trigger suspicion and be destructive to relationships in the work place unless it is handled sensitively by organisers. However, often individuals can’t help but feel threatened by the process, but it is then necessary for them to utilise the support networks made available. These include talking to a councillor or to superiors about their feelings.
Dealing With Feedback Reports
The tension bubble bursts when reports are returned, only to blow up another bubble. Being aware of the perspectives that others hold of you can be a shock to the system, whether those perspectives are positive or negative. Participants need assistance in dealing with their feedback results. Counselling from an outsider who has no ties with the organizations should be made available to provide counselling for those employees. There is no value in sharing offensive co-worker feedback with a participant. It is often best to report the results back in the form of a table depicting strengths, weaknesses and solutions. Participants need to share their opinions on the feedback they’ve received.
Taking Action – the Purpose of it All
Management will discuss with the participant the implementation of a development action plan. Each shortcoming should be accompanied by a development strategy in which the action steps will be organised around the participant’s strengths. What this means is that if the participant is brilliant in sales yet a poor public speaker, it would be progress for him to start giving talks on sales tips to small audiences as a means of “getting the hang of it.”
Each strategy should be accompanied by a goal. The set goals would have the following important characteristics. It must be:
If a goal is missing any of these components, it is far more unlikely to be followed up on. Participants will be granted mentors or coaches to help them in the following through of their development action plan. The participant will be involved in the decision process of being appointed a mentor. Often the best mentors and coaches are co-workers, peers, or supervisors. Following through on a development plan is the responsibility of the participant; however, he or she will be accountable to a mentor. A mentor is there for a number of purposes.
Company development and growth starts with the personal development of individuals within that company. And a good way to fire off all of this is to start with a successful 360-degree feedback round.
This article was inspired by, the following books and articles:
Other articles in this series:
Carla van Straten is a Writer for Sound Idea Digital | Carla@soundidea.co.za | www.soundidea.co.za
The company announces that a 360-degree feedback round will be rolled out. Participants will be invited to learn more about the nature and the purpose of the 360-degree assessments. They should study any material provided, attend presentations, and even consult a senior member with questions if necessary. Participants are encouraged to fully comprehend that the feedback is for the purpose of performance development and company growth. Individual strengths as well as weaknesses are measured for this purpose. It is not a performance appraisal. Performance is not measured through numeric results. It is a qualitative feedback method where measurements are drawn from the opinions of various people. Individuals are not being reviewed for an increase, promotion or retrenchment.
The Participant Giving Feedback
Constructive feedback is different to harsh criticism. Participants should give descriptive answers to survey questions. Vague statements and ambiguous phrasing are often open to misinterpretation. Words, statements or idioms carrying negative connotations could be viewed as disrespectful by the assessed person. An assessment should be approached considering the principles of respect, integrity, maturity and good intensions.
Participants will be chosen from a sample of various persons to give feedback on a given individual. Being well acquainted with an individual gives that feedback the credibility of accuracy and fairness. If a chosen assessor should feel unfamiliar with the behaviour, performance and skills of the person they are tasked to assess, he or she will have to indicate this. Such persons should never feel pressured to complete a survey if they don’t have the knowledge to complete it fairly. Every survey question should have the option of “unfit to answer”. Choose this option before you start thumb-sucking.
Self-Assessment
There is no point in individuals underrating themselves or overrating themselves when doing a self-assessment. The truth about their behaviour will be reflected in the feedback given by others in any case. An important part of the survey is to determine the level of correspondence between the views that others hold of them and the views that they hold of themselves. Knowing your own weaknesses, and accepting that there are areas in which you could use some help, will make the acceptance of a development program so much easier. There is no such thing as the perfect employee. There is always room for growth and improvement.
The Survey System
All the principles of web usability, a concept dealt in previous articles, apply to the 360 survey system in a very serious way (see Website Usability Part 1: User Behaviour Explained, and Website Usability Part 2: Navigation Design). A successful 360 needs a good usable survey system. This system must accommodate the following:
- Persons must be able to do it in their own time, but a cut-off date must be made clear.
- Anonymity must be strictly enforced.
- Results must be easily interpreted and formatted into reports.
- Doubt in the practise of the anonymity principle
- Doubt in the successful submissions of surveys
- Doubt in the accuracy of the final results
Discomfort
Do not underestimate the fact of the 360 being a potentially stressful experience. People are thinking talking and writing about each other; about personal characteristics, personal skills, abilities, shortcomings, defects etc. It’s bound to make tensions rise. The process could trigger suspicion and be destructive to relationships in the work place unless it is handled sensitively by organisers. However, often individuals can’t help but feel threatened by the process, but it is then necessary for them to utilise the support networks made available. These include talking to a councillor or to superiors about their feelings.
Dealing With Feedback Reports
The tension bubble bursts when reports are returned, only to blow up another bubble. Being aware of the perspectives that others hold of you can be a shock to the system, whether those perspectives are positive or negative. Participants need assistance in dealing with their feedback results. Counselling from an outsider who has no ties with the organizations should be made available to provide counselling for those employees. There is no value in sharing offensive co-worker feedback with a participant. It is often best to report the results back in the form of a table depicting strengths, weaknesses and solutions. Participants need to share their opinions on the feedback they’ve received.
Taking Action – the Purpose of it All
Management will discuss with the participant the implementation of a development action plan. Each shortcoming should be accompanied by a development strategy in which the action steps will be organised around the participant’s strengths. What this means is that if the participant is brilliant in sales yet a poor public speaker, it would be progress for him to start giving talks on sales tips to small audiences as a means of “getting the hang of it.”
Each strategy should be accompanied by a goal. The set goals would have the following important characteristics. It must be:
- specific
- measurable
- realistically attainable
- relevant to the area of development
- organised into time schedules
If a goal is missing any of these components, it is far more unlikely to be followed up on. Participants will be granted mentors or coaches to help them in the following through of their development action plan. The participant will be involved in the decision process of being appointed a mentor. Often the best mentors and coaches are co-workers, peers, or supervisors. Following through on a development plan is the responsibility of the participant; however, he or she will be accountable to a mentor. A mentor is there for a number of purposes.
- To set deadlines and see that they are met
- To monitor progress
- To give guidance and support
Company development and growth starts with the personal development of individuals within that company. And a good way to fire off all of this is to start with a successful 360-degree feedback round.
This article was inspired by, the following books and articles:
- What is 360-Degree Feedback – The Employee Evaluation Tool by Mark Muller, 2012.
- Getting Development out of a Personal Development Plan, by Decision-Wise Leadership Intelegence
Other articles in this series:
Carla van Straten is a Writer for Sound Idea Digital | Carla@soundidea.co.za | www.soundidea.co.za
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